Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-15
THE OLD wHIGs IN COUNCIL
SPEECH OF WASHINGTON HUNT.

A meeting oY the Constitutional Union
Committee was held in New York on the
18th ultimo. Governor Hunt, at the special
invitation Of the association, was present,
and delivered an eloquent address Of con-
siderable length upon the present aspect Of
political affairs. After thanking the COM
mittee for the invitation they had extended
to him, he said:
At the close of the war, We naturally sup
posed that men of all sentiments and all
parties would hail the return of peace with
feelings of joy, with reioicings, with feelings
of graduation such as would not be excited
by any other earthly gift or boon from
heaven. But, alas there are those who in
sist that there is no peace, and that there
shall be no peace. The violent men, the
more radical and determined men of that
sectional organization which originally in
volved the country in all its troubles, which
produced the war, which stirred up the strife
of sections and arrayed the people of one
part against the other-these men still insist
that there is not and shall not be peace in
this land. The great question for the coun-
try now is, whether we are TO have peace
and Union on The basis of the Constitution
of the United States.
/ consider it matter for special congratu-
lation for this country that we have, under
Providence, a man at the helm, a Chief
Magistrate elected in the din and turmoil of
arms, before the conflict was terminated, who
sees the true position of the country, and is
determined to discharge his whole duty in a
spirit of loyalty and devotion to that Consti-
tuition which he has sworn to protect. | re-
joice to know that the President has taken
his stand, and is determined to maintain it,
and / rejoice also in the fact that large ma
iority of the people of this country, almost
the entire people, will sustain him in the
discharge of that high duty. What do the
men who have arrayed themselves against
the President desire? Are they willing to
hold out the fraternal hand to their brethren
in the South, who, under the influence Of
strong popular delusion, were carried away
and induced to engage in great popular
convulsion, and to revolt against the Gov
eminent? Do they show a disposition to
extend the protection of the Constitution
over that section of the country, and to re-
store the States again TO their rightful posi-
ton in the Union? No; they insist that
the country is still at war, that the military
power is to be exercised indefinitely over the
whole Southern portion of the Union-that
those States shall not be permitted to return
until they comply with conditions so null
tplied, so diversified, and some of them so
incomprehensible that no people on the face
of the earth could decide what it is that is
required before they will be restored to the
enjoyment of their old political rights
1t is unfortunate, | think, that the inter-
ests of this country should be controlled to
such degree and its history guided by men
who seem to be incapable of taking practi-
cal view of those great questions which con-
Germ the welfare of the State and of the I'm
ion. They are dreamers, Missionaries, idea
ologists, who are utterly unable to compre
bend that in the constitution of human So
ciety, and in the formation of governments,
there must be compromise of conflicting
interests, that preiudices must be harmon
lied, and that we must allow very wide di-
versity of opinion and feeling upon a variety
of subjects. But the men ruling Congress
seem to have an idea that all the States and
all the people are to be brought down to one
uniform level, and all feeling and sentiment
upon all the questions which now engage
the popular mind and having, as they
think, the power, they consider it good
time to establish system which shall COM
pei the people in future to subscribe to their
ideas, adopt their distractions and consent
that they and those who agree with them
shall have and are entitled to have the SUI
premacy in this Government. The position
taken by the President in this crisis is the
emily one which wise patriot could take,
and the only one which patriotic people
will sustain. The duty that remains for us
is clear. Let us go forward and discharge it
fearlessly. Let us sustain the President in
this great conflict Of earnestness and zeal,
and the day is not far distant when the true
principles of American liberty and govern
ment will be restored to their original as
cendancy, and the blessings of the Constitu-
ton and the Union based upon that Consti-
tuition will be perpetual.