Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-02-13
THE PRESIDENT AND raE vTFs
! aGINIA. DEI.IlLIAIIClN[-

L. -
On Saturday last the Gommittee from /, e
Senate aud House Of Delegates Of Virginia,
called upou the PFesidens' ior. the purpose of
presenting him With the resolutions adopted
By the General Assembly Of Virginia. These
resolutiou6 appear elsewhere in ,our columns.
The President addressed the delegation at
length, aud closed his remafks as follOEs:~-
efforts bsels 10 preserve the
union of the States; L have never Tor sim
gle moment entertained the opinion that
State could Withdraw from the Union OF its
own will. That attempt was Made-it has
failed. eontinue to- pursue the same line
OF policy which has, been my CONSTANT guide.
was against dissolution. Dissolution was
attenpted;- it has failed, and now cannot
take the position that State which attempt
ed to secede is out of the Union. whea / Gods
tend all the time that it could rot go ont.
and that it never has been out. i cannot be
forced into that position. Hence, when the
Stats aud their people shRil lave complied
with the requirements of the Government, L
shall be in favor OF: their resumiug their for
mer relations toThis Government in all re-
spects. do not intend to say anything per-
sonal, but you know sHgellas | do that at
the beginning OF theFfesent gigantic strug-
gle between the different sections OF the cuun-
try there were extreme men South and there
were extreme men North. | might make
use of u hOmely figure, WHICH is sometimes
as good us any other, even IN the illustration
OF u great and important question. and say
that 1t has been u hammer at'oue end OF the
line and an anvil at the other.
And this great Government, the best The
world ever saw, was Kept npVa the anvil, and
has hoO -.
and there seems to be disposition to con-
tiuue the hammering until the Government
shall be destroyed. have opposed that sys-
tsm always. aud l oppose it now. The Co
vernment, in the assertion Of its powers and
the maintenance OF the principles of the
Constitution, has taken hold Of Que extreme,
and, with the strong arm of physical power,
has put down the re bellion. Now as we
swing around the circle Of the Union, with
fixed aud unaltcrabe deterniina tion to
stand by it, if We find the counterpart OF the
duplicate Of the same spirit that PLAYED to
this feeling, and these persons in the South,
this other extreme, which stands in the way,
must get ont of it, and the Government must
stand mistaken and unnoved on its basis
This Government must be preserved l only
say, i'll conclusion, that hore all the PEOPLE
OF this country, in good faith ami in the full
Hess Va SHSI hSdIGS WIFI, upon the principles
" hich you have euunciated here to-day, of
the maintenance of the Constitution aud the
preservation Of the Union, lay aside every
other cling for the good of our common
country, and, with uplifted faces to heaven,
swear that our gods aud our al ars, and all
shall sink in the dust together, rather than
this glorious Union shall not be preserved.
Great applause.)
am gratifed TO fud the loyal sentiment
ofthe country developing aud nranifcs,ing it.
self in these expressions; and, now that the pt-
tempt to destroy the Government has failed
at one end Of the line, trust we shall 20 on,
determined to preserve tho Union in its original
purity against all opposers. thank you. gem
tiemen- rthG compliment you have paid me,
aud respond most c0rdiaftyto what has been
said in your resolutions and addresses, and
trust in God that the time will soon come when
we can meet under nor5 favorable auspices
than we do now. ~ %r