Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-02-07
TIE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE oEIsl5-
SPEECH OF EX.PRESIDENT TYLER.

ervat;on was Yesterday organized BY the unanimous
election of the Hon John Tyler its President aid OF
the Hon. S. G. Wright, Of Ohio as Secretary.
In selecting by acclamaon for their presiding ocer
the distinguished ex President of the United States the
members of this dgnied body have conferred an honor
which will be as worthly it gracefully prof
fered and the appropriateness OF whose Destowa VIII De
recognized by tier countrymen throughout the whole
land IL fitting that one who bad swayed the destnes
of this great people the Chief Magistrate OF the Union
should preside over deliberations which have for their
object to preserve that Union which fathers created
And as aoriing gratifying evidence of the patriotic in
spiraions under which, its President conceves this
Convention of Delegates from many States is called to
labor for the preservation Of the Government we take
pleasure in giving readers the suboned authentic
report Of the eloquent aud appropriate address delivered
| by Mr.. Tyler on taking the chair
GENTLEMEN: fear you have committed great error
in appointing to the honorable position you have as
signed me- long separation from all deberave bodies
has rendered the rules of their proceedings unfamiliar to
me- while should fud in my state OF health varla-
Bile and tickle it is sufficient to decline the
honor Of being your presiding officer But in times like
these one has but little option left him. Personal con-
sderaons should weigh but lightly in the balance. The
country is in Danger 1t is enough; one must take the
place assigned him in the great work OF reconciliation
and adjustment.
The voice of Virginia has invited her coStates to meet
her in council In the initiation Of this Government that
same voice was heard and complied with and the results
the decisions then adopted Is the urgency of her call
now less great than it then? Our godike fathers
created we have to preserve. They built up, through
their wisdom and patriotism, monuments which have
eterrized their You have before you gentlemen
a task equally grand, equally sublime, quite full of
glory and immortality. You have TO snatch from ruin
great and glorious Confederation preserve the Gov
ernment and TO and invgorste the Constitution
II reach the height of this great your chill
drens children will rise up and call you blessed. con-
n no NH M oh in
comprising this grand and magnificent result To have
our enrolled in the Capitol 10 be repeated by iu
ture generations with grateful applause, this is honor
higher than the mountains more enduring than monu
mental aabaster.
Yes. Virginia's voice as in the oden time has been
heard Her sister States her this day at the
Gil board Vermont is here bringing with her the memo
res Of the past and revivng in the memories of all her
Ethan Allen and his demand for the surrender of Tcon
deroga in the name OF the Great Jehovah and the Amer
lean Congress New Hampshire is here, her fame Illus
trated by memorable annals and still more lately the
birth place OF him who won for himself the name OF De-
fender of the Constitution aud who wrote that letter TO
John TAYLOR which has been enshrned in the hearts OF
hs countrymen. Massachusetts, is not here Some men,
Der said she is coming hope so, said Mr.. Tyler and
that she will bring with her her daughter Maine. did
not believe il could well be that the voice which in other
times was so familiar TO her had been addressed 10
her in vain Connecticut is here and she comes doubt
not in the spirit OF Roger Sherman whose with
our very children has become household word, and
who was ia life the embodiment Of that sound practical
sense which BELTS the great law gver and constructor OF
governments. Rhode Island the land OF Roger Williams,
Is here one of the last States in her jealousy of the
public liberty to give in ter adhesion TO the Constu-
ton and among the earliest TO hasten TO its rescue The
great Empire State of New York represented thus far but
by Que delegate expected daily in fuller force to join in
the great work of healing the dScontents of the times
and eso ing the reign of fraterna feeling New jersey
Is also here wi tie memories Of the past covering her
all over Trenton and Princeton live immortal in story,
the plains OF the last encrmsoned with the hearts blood
OF Virgina's Among her delegates RE- dice 10
recognize a gallant OF sgner OF the immortal Dec
araon which announced 10 the world that thirteen Pro-
vinces had become thirteen independent ard sovereign
States And here too Is Delaware the land Of the Bay
ards and the Rodneys, whose soil at Brandywine was
mosteued by the blood Of Vrginia's youthful Monroe
Here MARYLAND whose massive columns wheeled into
line with those of Virginia in the contest for glory and
whose State-house at Annapolis was the theatre Of
spectacle of successful commander Who after lbera
ting his country gladly uugirt his sword and laid it
down upon the altar of that country Then Penn
sylvana rich in Revolutionary lore, bringing with her
the deathless names OF Franklin aud Morris and trust
ready TO renew rum the bery independence Hs the
chimes of the old bell which announced freedom and
Independence in former days All hail to North
Carolina aud with her Mecklenburg Declaration,
in her hand standing erect on the ground of her own
probitv and hrmuess in the of the public liberty
and represented in her attributes by her Macon and in
this assembly bv her distinguished at no great dis
tsuc, from me- Four daughters OF Virginia also cluster
around the council board the invitation of their Az
Gent mother-he eldest Kentucky whose sons, under
that intrepid warrior Anthony Wayne gave freedom of
settlement to the territory OF her sister Ohio She
tends her hand da y and hourly Ia JHe rivere
20 grasp the hand of of kindred blood of the
uo5le States of Indiana and Illinois and Ohio who have
gown up into powerful States, already grand, potent
and almost imperial Tennessee Is not here but is
ng-prevented from being here only by the floods which
have swollen her rivers When she arrives she will wear
the badges on her warrior cres. of victories won in COM
paay with the great West many ensanguined plain
and standards torn from the hands OF the cOnquerOrs
Waterloo Missouri and Iowa, and Michigan, Wisconsin
and Minnesota still inger behind but it may be hoped
that their hearts are with US in the great work have
10 10.
Gentlemen the eyes of the whole country turned
TO this assembly in expectation and hope. that
YOU may prove yourselves worthy of the great occasion
Our ancestors probably committed blupder IN not hav
ing fixed upon every fifth decade for call Of General
Convention 10 amend and reform the Constitution. On
the contrary they have made the difficulties next iu
surmountable TO accomplish amendments to ins.ru-
ment which was perfect for five millions of people, but
not wholly 50 to thirty millions our patriotism will
surmount the difficulties, however great if you will but
accomplish one triumph in advance, and that is, til
umph over party. And what is party when compared to
the task of rescuing ones country from danger Do
that and long loud shout Of Joy aud gadness will re-
sound throughout the land
The choice made by the Convention IN the selection Of
its Secretery will be recognized by all who know Mr..
Wright as an appointment emiuenty fit to be made and
his patriotic council having thus auspciousy initiated
its deliberations we may be permitted to hope that its
suits will not dsappOint the just expectations of the Anne
r,an people.