The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-02-15
The President once pIo,c.


address of the President to the dele
cation from the eSyirginia Legislature:
+ We are not without our foreign
difficulties; but the very MON ment that
1t can be announced that the union of
these States is again complete, and
that we have resumed our career of
prosperity and power, that very in
stant will these foreign difficulties be
settled. For there is not power or
powers upon the earth that would
care to have a controversy, to say
nothing of an interruption. of rela-
tlons, with us as united nation.
1 will furthermore state that, if this
was done, that which must in q short
time be the currency of the United
States-which is thought by some to
be inflated to very great extent
when we are restored, the area for
the circulation enlarged, the number
of persons increased through whose
hands it is to pass, the amount or
the quantity of commerce enlarged
and increased in which tits to be
employed, it will begin to approx
mate to what we all desire-to o specie
standard. This is not all I look
upon the restoration of these States
as being essential to all our greatness.
Ii the States were restored to their
former position, and peace and order
once more caused to reign Throughout
the land, all the industrial pursuits
renewed, all the avocations of peace
again resumed, the day would not be
very far distant when we could put
into the commerce of the world two
hundred and fifty or three hundred
millions worth of cotton and tobacco
and the various other products of the
Southern States, which would consti-
tute, in part, a basis for this currency,
which, [ repea., it is thought by some
to be too much inflated. Instead of
the cone being inverted with the
large end up and the small end down,
Just as we progress in this way would
the position be reversed and the cur
rency of the country be made to rest
upon sounder and more enduring
basis, and thus the interest not only
of one portion but of the whole
country be advanced.
1 know nothing further that [ could
say as expressive of my feelings on
this occasion, which I assure you are
not affected, than that I shall con-
tlnue in the same line of policy that
I n; We pursued from the commence
ment of the rebellion up to the pre-
sent period
My effort has been to preserve the
Union of these States have never,
for one moment, entertained the doc
trine that State could Withdraw
from the Union of its own Will. The
attempt was made; it has failed.
Having from the first entertained the
opinion [ have just expressed, 1 of
course cannot now assume the posi-
ton that the relation of the State
with the General Government has
been dissolved by reason Of the re-
belion. 1 cannot be forced into that
position. Hence, when the States
and the people comply with the re-
quirements of the Constitution. T
shall be in favor Of their resumine
their former relations and position to
the Government, and will insist upon
it.
You know as well as do land I do
not intend to be personal in what T
am going to say that before the COM
mencement and since the commence
ment of this gigantic struggle which
has transpired between the different
sections of the country, there were
extreme men South and extreme men
North.
To make use of a homely figure,
(Which sometimes is as good as any
other, even in the illustration of great
and important questions it has been
hammer at one end of the line and
anvil at the other; and this great Go
vernment has been kept upon the
anvil and hammered upon before the
rebellion and since the rebellion; and
there seems to be dispositionto con-
tinue the hammering until it the Co
vernment) is destroyed. Iopposed it
then; L oppose it now.
The struggle has been made. and
the Government, in the assertion of
Its power and the maintenance of the
principles of the Constitution, swung
round to one extreme, and with the
strong arm of physical power put the
rebellion down. Now, as we wing
along round the circle of the Union.
with a fixed, unalterable determina-
ton to stand by it, we find the coun
terpart or the duplicate OF the same
spirit existing anywhere, all manifest
ing 1T who are in the way must get
out of it, as the Government must
move on with an unshaken front and
rest on firm and immovable basis.
L am gratifed to meet you here to-
day. Let us, in good faith, and in