Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-07-04
Address OF the President OF the SEN
ATE,

The following address Of the Lieutenant,
Governor, delivered TO the Senate after the
organization of that body on Tuesday,
failed to appear in its proper place in our
report:
SExGToRs:-Feeling sensibly the want
of ability aud experience, assume with
unfeigued dilEidence the position of pre5id-
ing oficer in the Senate of Virginia.
a loyal zeal and devotion to the Union,
and to the Commonwealth OF Virgins, rs
part of the Union, are the only qualidca-
tons claim to possess.
shall endeAvOr to discharge the duties
of the off:e with promptness, 6rmaess
and mplrtiaiiIy -claiming yourindulgenc
for any uuinteniional errors.
Three weeks ago Virginia was noninally
State O! the pretended Southern Con-
| Eederacy. Tue Convention at Richmond,
deriving no such power from their con
/ s,ituents, but relying upon political fraud
and violence and military force, and unit
/ ing with hostile conspiracy, enacted Itself
into \ revolutionary tribunal, and attempts
| ed by an ordnance to abrogate the Con-
situation of the United States, and to trans
| fer the 4siate and the allegiance of the peo-
nile to tLat pretended confederAcy, and for
that pu pose surrendered all her military
| force and power TO its control and diree-
ton; and tho people of large part of the
State were Thus disfranchised and sub
jec,ed to a. military dsspoiism.
| Governor Letcher ard all the subortin-
ate executive officers, Teuounciug their al
! legiance to thS United States, and sane
tioning aud Submitting to the ordinance of
secession, used all their official power TO
| rNaS1 nn
I despotic mandate of the Convention.
| For this purpose tue Constitution and
laws of the State. 3, we'll AS of the United
States, were suspended, or superseded, and
| the people lett without ans righttul or le-
| climate State Governm-it.
The Convention at Wheeling, OF the 18th
of May, called for the purpose of ;naugur-
atinE a system of resistance to the usurPa-
/ ton OF the Richmond couspratOrs, order
| ed elections to be held for delegates to the
! Convention of June the llth.
| They. representing the Freemeu Of ViF-
| giuia, and uiheEing to the Union of their
| fathers, and acknowledging the Supremacy
Of the Constitution aud laws of the United
| States, re-organized the Government of the
! Commonwealth adopted declaration of
rights, deposed the late Governor and his
| snbordinates, and by an ordinance directed
! that the General Assembly should convene
on this day, to corsummate and perfect the
work so auspiciously commenced.
The action of tina: Convention was con-
servativc, not revolutionary. 1t was to
restore. and not to destroy the Constitd-
ton and lass of the State.
In pursuance of its ordinances you arc
now assembled. Your duties will be ar
duous-requiring energy, frmness and
nlature dcliberatiou.
Your patriotism and zeal for the public
good have been fully tested by the ordeal
| through which you have recently passed
rs members and participants in the pro-
ceedings OF the Convention ofthe eleventh
of June. Let your statesmansliip he
proved by tho wisdom and moderation of
your future eouncils aid deliberations, and
| your IAbors will be crowned with u free
and happy and renovated Virginia.
Let MS remember that the contest on our
part Is neither for power, place nor ven-
Eeance, hut for elf-preservation-the
maintenance of our liberty and independ-
ance, and the restoration of peace, security
and tranquility 10 our country.