Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-06-09
ELOQUENT Address.

! The following eloquent address was delivered by
Lieut.. Gov. REYNOLDS. upon the adjournment Of the
Missouri Legislature. to the Senate over which he
presided. 1t contains some stirring and forcible
sentiments on the crisis in that State, which may
be read with great profit by our readers:
From the St. Louis Journal.
| ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE MISSOURI SENATE
At the request of several Senators and others
publish the following proceedings in the Senate
on Wednesday last:
The hour for adjournment having arrived, Lieu
tenant Governor Reynolds said
SENATORS On taking leave of you l would do IN
justice to my own feelings did not repeat now, in
more numerous assemblage, the merited tribute
paid to your body when at the close of your last
session ! addressed few parting words to the few
Senators then present.
Last winter, for three months, during period of
unequalled public excitement this Senate, composed
OF members of every political party in the Union,
conducted its proceedings with such rare dignity,
that not only did Senator feel it his duty to
call any other to order for improper remarks, but
in instance whatever did hear any dIsGourteous
or even unkind language used towards any Senator
IN the debates in this chamber. At our present ses
siOd held amid all the distractions of civil war; and
devoted to legislation of the vital Importance,
but once have felt called upon to notice disregard
of parliamentary courtesy, and even this imme-
dately discovered to have been occasiOned by mis-
apprehension Not only has this elevated tone DIS
tInguished our discussions but personal relations
not only courteous but even kind have been con-
tinuously maintained among all the members of
this body. Slandered this State has often been,
particularly in regard 10 the social habits OF her
people; stgmatised she has been as a community
of rutians, she poi It with pride to Senate
which, not only in ability but in courtesy, may
challenge comparison with that of any of our sister
States. If the public verdict shall be that have
shown myself worthy of presiding over such
nd ha one of mos nj pir
cumstalces of my political career.
Allow me. Senators, to return you my most heart
felt thanks for the uniform courtesy and even in.
diligence, with which have been treated by every
member of this body. Trained 10 habits Of rigid
method, may occasionally have inconyenienced
you not fully obeyed your individual wishes, in
matters in which permitted those habits TO control
my action. But feel that this Senate will
credit my sincerity in now saying that have sedu-
lousy endeavored to secure to every Senator the
full and free enjoyment of his constitutional privi-
leges on this floor, and assign him, IN the exercise
of your legislative functions the position TO which
even-handed justice to all of you required. 1t at
fords me ordinary satisfaction to remember that
at this session no appeal has been taken from any
decision of the chair; and the only order which it
became necessary to explain was one in which, with
the ultimately unanimous sanction of your body,
gave to your rules the widest possible Interpreta
ton to protect even single Senator in his privilege
to throw open the doors of your chamber, whenever
your right to hold secret session was not indis=
putabe under the Constitution.
You have replied to oalumny by removing the
veil of secresy from all your proce adings They
vindcate themselves. Even in moment of immi-
nent peril when armed rebellion had violated the
constitutional rights of citizen militia in the
chief city of the State and well founded apprehen-
sion existed that it had elevated itself to the auda
city of proposing an inroad upon your very capital
you lost none of your accustomed calmness, delib-
Grafton and strict regard for constitutional right
On Friday last while the heavens themselves as if
in Indignation at the crime against Liberty that Cay
perpetrated at St. Louis, rOared forth their thun-
ders and darted down their lightnings, you sat in
council over the safety of the people; but your en-,
ergetic, comprehensive and unanimous legislation
in that midnight session was conducted, your
presiding officer testifes and your journals show
with as deliberate attention TO even the minutest
formatieS, is exacted when the NEST closely con-
tested measure is decided amidst the calming in
fuences of the most profound peace. On that oc-
casion my memory nstinctvely ecaled the spirited
ode, commencing with the lofty words
,gstua ct teadcens proposia cirum,
and felt that, literally transatng those words of
the Roman poet could justly say of each of you
The honest man, of purpose firm
breads not the tyrants scowl;
Nor can traitor rsgingmob
Deter him from his howl.
We are told to-day by high military authority, |
that "it must be apparent to every one who has
taken a proper and unbiased view of the subject.
that Missouri must share the destiny of the Union;
but all history teaches that if that destiny be
military subsection to untriendly sway, nation
of freemen will never share 1t; Rever NEVER. From
the day when in the martial, agricultural, but |
poor Republic of Rome the very ground on which |
the General of the rich commercial and manufsc- |
turing State of Carthage lay encamped with his /
was purchased at full value by Ro |
man citizen down to the recent day when an almost
unarmed people scattered to the winds the discip>
lined armies Of the Neapolitan Bourbon. nation
worthy of freedom has never been finally subduded.
accept the compliment paid our citizen soldiery |
when a force of eight thousand thoroughly equip
ped, was deemed necessary 10 surprise brigade of
eight hundred almost destitute of ammunition. If
contest is to be forced upon by an attempt to
ieprve us of our constitutional right to form and