Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-01
40 1oF. PInRp0yTIs ViHWsl
AN ELOQUENT ADDRESS.

Mansion to pay their respects 10 his EXCEL
lency, Gov. Pierpont. After the ceremony
of introduction, Mr.. o. P. Baldwin addressed
the Governor in behalf of the delegation
Gov. Pierpont responded in an eloquent and
appropriate address, which is reported in the
Republic as follows:
Mr.. Baldwin and Gentlemen,-I am glad
/ to meet you here this morning. l am glad to
i hear sentiments so inspiring to the Ameri.
i can heart-such sentiments as We delighted
10 dwell upon in the halcyon days OF the
1 Republic, when we all bowed under the old
Il flag, and all were devoted to q land estab-
hshed in the providence of God as a home
for tine oppressed Of every cline. / wish
that the last four years could be buried in
the past and that We could forget them. We
L cannot. They are part OF history, and, as
L sensible men, we must now endeavor to heal
the wounds which have been made. We
i wish to live together, TO associate together,
/ 70 enjoy the social circle together. 1t is not
| to your interest nor mine, when me meet on
the street, TO lie snarling, and biting, and
ready TO tear out each others vitals. Com
merce does not flourish, cities are not built,
railroads are not made,-none Of the great
interests OF a State can be advanced under
such a state of feeling. II is amity, good
will. faith in one another-your faith in me
and mine in you-which will give US pro-
gress. Want of faith makes the savage.
Now the contest is over, We will forget 1t
as far as possible and turn our attention to
the old State We all love so well. How many
great and glorious memories cluster around
aer. We never look at that statue near us
and remember his achievements at York
town-at the North and the South-that our
hearts do not rise within us, and we exclaim
God bless Washington We have, too, the
memories of other great men, who, while the
wilderness vet spread its branches over our
State. commenced their work. They pro-
crossed and left it uncompleted, and We
must now take up their work and go on with !
IL. The blight OF desolaliOn which has fallen
upon the laud must be forgotten, and with
lalth in each other, goodwill towards all,
we must 90 on, giving new life 10 our COM
merce, adding to our internal improvements,
and doing all we can TO restore the glory OF
the old State. My situation here is an
anomalous one, growing out OF the war.
feel il as sensibly aud delicately as any ger
teman in Eastern Virginia can feel 1t for me.
Nv views, in the outset oil TINS war, dluerea
from those of some OF the gentlemen before
me, and co-operated with the party winch
[ thought was right. The position now &C.
cupy IS not one oil my own seeking, out was
ass gned me by those with whom l co-oPe-
rated in the great struggle to maintain the
American Union. l am Virginian, and |
confess, with q swelling heart, that l feel
nroud of the place of my nativity. You,
LOO. are VirgILians, and my countrymen.-
[ think that by cooperating together we will
nave our civil relations restored aud our re-
lations with the United States resumed. Ia
Iolng this, we will have to bear and 10 bear.
1 would advise all the citizens OF Virginia
10 be cautious and peaceable. Resolve TO do
right and leave the consequences to God.-
lry 10 build up our railroads and to make
the State prosperous.
The Constiiu ion under which we are now
acting was, you all know, provisional one.
IL was made in time of war, and you all
understand the fury of war legislation. For
tunately, it has withiS itself the correction
of every evil it contains. l appreciate tho
difficulties under which you labor, and no
mans heart is more earnest in the desire TO
restore to Virginians aud all other Americans
their rights. | intend 10 do all can, and
with the best Judgment have, to accomplish |
this, | thank you for your counsel, and as
Ing as am here ] shall be glad TO consult |
with YOU, have no political ambition; and |
I have promised myself that, as soon as the |
State has resumed her position in the United |
States. and the machinery of government is
again in operation, that shall retire from
nv position. think that when everything |
again settles down in the old channel the |
neople had rather have some one else. l
know how you feel about 1t. have taken a
prominent part in the war. Ny home has
been in Western Virginia, and not among |
YOU. Yet like your part OF the old State. |
like It's climate and its people, and after my |
mission here is over, shall settle among you |
to spend the remainder of my life. MY mis- |
sion here will have been performed when the |
government Of the State is once more in or |
der. shall then leave you as friend-as |
one whose earnest desire has been for your |
welfare, and who hopes to earn the kind re-
membrance of people whose happiness has !
been as dear to him as his own.
Our banking system will have to be closed. |
The banks cannot resume the redemption OF |
their notes in legal currency. The United |
States imposes tax of ten per cent. on all |
oank issues except its own, and this, if there |
were no other cause, would drive State banks |
ont of existence. / am glad of it, for 1t |
brings a pc iod when there Will be Ma |
tional currency, good all over the country, |
and when note issued in Richmond Will be |
as good in Chicago as it is here. AS to the
educational interest Of the State, l do not |
see that anything can be done just now. We
have no money for that purpose in the trea-
sury, and it is as much as the State can do
now to take care Of her blind and lunatic
asylums. You must look to the great inter
ests of the State. The old labor system is
broken up. To you gentlemen from the
country l would give this advice i: Let the
farmers who own large tracts of land go to
work and cut them up into small los and
sell off what they can spare. 1t will bring
certain prosperity. If the land on the Pc
ninsula were cut up into small tracts and
sold, there would soon be railroad from
here to Fortress Monroe, built by the farm
ers themselves.
Do not let us waste time in repining and
complaining over the griefs of to-day; it will
only delay the prosperity Of our State. Let
us put them away from US and go to work
cheerfully, knowing that these troubles will
soon pass away, and that the forebodings OF
the present, and gloomy regrets OF the past,
will soon be dispelled by the bright and en-
during promises of happy future.
In conclusion, gentlemen, let me say that
if can be used tor any good purpose, use
me.
The address was folio wed by hearty ap.
plause