Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-02-16
President 5AsSEY's ADDnEs, Of 7AKrs
THE CHAIR

AAAE NuAAE
Gentlemen Of the Convention, lid not
realize the Sact until within the Iaat two
I hours that / might probably be called to
this position, aud have, therefore, none
Of the products Of nv head TO give yOu.-
But my heart is full, and from that pardon
me for addressing you very briefly.
tender you my cordial and sincere
thanks for the honor you have conferred
upon inc, and not only upon me, but upon
the county which in part represent here,
in calling me to preside over the delibera-
ttonB OF this, BY far the most important,
Convention that has assembled in this
| Commonwealth since the year 20.
Gentlemen, am without e1periencc-I
anI without knowledge OF parliamentary
| law, or the rules of order which govern
bodies OF this sort, and have, therefore,
nothing in return for your kindness to
promise you but fidelity and impartiality.
Errors, know, must commit, hut as they
| shall be errors OF the head and not of the
heart, 10 your kindness shall find an ex-
cuse for them, and in the wisdom of this
body their prompt correction.
It's now, gentlemen, seventy.three years
since Convention of the people of this
| Commonwealth WIS assembled il. this Hull
for the purpose Of rAtitying the Coustitu-
tiOn Of the United States, and one of the
main objects Of that instrument was to
consolidate, not the Government, bnt the
Union Of these States. Causes which
do not mean 70 enumerate, causes which
have passed and are daily passing into n
! history, which will set its seal upon them
all, have brought that Constitution and
I this Union Into imminent peril, aud Vir.
! gihin has come to-day to the rescue of
them, and well she might. Il Is what the
| whole country expected at her hands, be-
'tAAuse that Contribution and that Union are
two OF the many proud monuments Of her
own glory. Her bOuored son who lies ut
Mount Vernon, the political Mecca of NIL
| future ages, was the President of the body
that framed IL; and another OF her illus
trious sons whose brow wore the crown
with the civic wreath that will never fade,
and who lies now in the county of Orange,
was the chief architect OF that instrument,
anu hve Of her own native sons have been
called TO the chief mngistrAcy Of the Gov
| eminent which they aided in founding
II cannot be then, gentlemen, that gov
eminent thus founded, thus administered
by our own sons, can now be permitted 10
fall without bringing either feproach upon
the wisdom Of its founders, or upon our
own virtue, intelligence and patriotism.
/ ueutlemen, there is an old flag, the flag
OF the Union, which has been borne in tri-
nmph now for nearly century through
the battle and the breeze, and that flag
i now floats over this Capitol, with a star
upon u representing this ancient Common
wealth of onrs. God grant that it may
remain there for ever, and am sure that I
but utter Q sentiments Of, every man in
this body. when utter from the bottom of
my heart that prayer. But, gentlfmen, It
must remain there with It's crOwning
Iustre nndimmed and untarnished. Zap
plRuIe.
| We shalt ask here for all the rights, and
all the privileges, and full equality with
the citizens Of the Empire States Of New
York, Pennsylvania and Ohio but in
doing that we will Scorn to demand ono
1ot or title moro than we arc willing
cheeFtully to concede TO the citizens of our
little sister States, Delaware and Rhode
Island. Rhode Island Heaven bless her
"a little State with heart big enough
Tor whole Continent; and | pray Sod
that the example which she set bnt the
other day may DO followed. and rapidly
followed, By all her sisters OF the North.
Gentlemen, the responsibility resting on
tnts body Is an awful one. When Iagreed
TO be = candidate for this Convention
Mnea said TO my constituents, il 1t Was
their pleasure to give me their unsolicited
SnhraRes for seat In this body | would
serve them-l SAID itWith fear and trem-
bling. The people have said they win re-
wise our work. but still the consequences
OF our action here, although subject 10
That revision, may be full of good or full
o. evil. We may, l Irust-and trust In
God We shRll-so conduct our measures
here, and bring them to such a conclusion.
% that some Of our sister States Of the
South who, for what they believe 10 be
just eanse, have wandered little from
their orbits, may be brought back into the
old constellation, 70 give md receive light
to and from their old sisters. am not with.
out hope that even Massachusetts, when
she comes TO remember the PASTOR she
has past RS well IS a present-wheh she
eomes to remember whose sword it was
that was hrsl torn from the Scabbard upon
GsE SNn soll, and peysE returned 2 The