Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-02-12
Response of President Johnson to tn Delega'
tion from TIL Legislature of Virginia.

c tion from TIL Legislature Of Virginia.
On Saturday the delegation from the Flr
{ o,;nia Legislature waited Upon President John
ann and presented him with the resolution
:. recently passed by that body, which We have
already published. Mr. Baldwin, the Speaker
.of the House of Delegates. addressed the Pres
;dent, and to his address the following reply
was made: 90.
Tn reply, gentlemen, TO the resolutions yor
have lust presented to me, and the clear anc
forcible and concise remarks which you have
made in explanation of the position OF Virginia
IT shall not attempt to make formal speech
{ hit simply enter into l.ialn conversation II
reoard to the condition Of things in which We
stand
- AS a premise to what may say, permit me
first to tender You ny thanks Tor this vlslt,and
next to express he qualification | feel IN meet
siinne so many intelligent, responsible, and re-
,spectable men Of Virginia, bearing TO me the
sentiments which have been expressed ~ the
resolutions Of your Legislature, and IN the re-
marks accompanying them :.
8 They are, so far as they refer to the Constr
tuition of the country, the sentiments and the
principles embraced in that charter OF the GoV'
eminent. The preservation of the the Union
has been, from my entrance into pubc LIE, one
of nv cardinal tenets At the very lnclplenc5
of this rebellion [ set my face against the dis
solution Of the Union q the States. dc not
make this allusion for the purpose OF bringing
M ANYTHING which has transpired which may
he regarded as of an unkind or unpleasant char:
acter. but believed then, as believe now, and
asyon have most Enthusiastically indicated, that
the security and the protection Of the rights Of
all the people were to be found in the Union
that we were certainly safer in the Union than
we we're out OF it.
" JJpon this conviction I based my opposition
to the efforts which were made to destroy the
Union. T have continued those efforts, not
.vithstanding the perils through which | have
nassad. and YOU are not unaware that the tlla
has been severe one. When opposition tc
the Government came from one section OF the
country, and that the section 10 which my ll1e
had been passed. and with which my interests
were identified / stood, IS | stand now, con
tending for The Uuion and asseveratlng tna'
the best aud surest way to obtain our II ghts
and to protect our Interests was to remain IL
the Union, under the protection OF the Con
sttution.
The ordea( through which we have passec
during the last four OF five years demonstrate;
most concusively that that opposition wa
right and to-day, after the experiment mas
been made and has failed; after the demonstfa
ton has been most conclu>lvely as afforded ina
this Union cannot be dissolved, that 1t was no
designed to be dissolved, 1t is 'eXtremely gratl
tying TO me to meet gentlemen as lh'e'i.seh
and responsible a, yourselves, VINO are "llllDs
and anxious to accept aud do accept me eefm
laid down in the CONSTITUTION ana ooed!ence e
the laws made IN pursuance Thereon:
We were at Que period separa'ed C"e SCI"
ration was to ne painful. IN the extreme; Du
now, after having gone through stru2gle il
which the powecS Of The Government: nav
been tried when We haye swung arouho .n: 10
point at which we meet u agree anu are Wlllln;
to unire oar eff .sls f,r th9\preservauon or ! h
Government, Which I believe is the test IN TT
World. it IS exceedingly gratifying to ne 10 NEE
you to-day, standing upon common gr4und, IA
lying around the i,on>titution and the Union 9
Of these States, the preservation OF WA'cn,
ccnScieptiou,lv aid hunestly believe. Will -
suit in the pro,uotioa ard the advancement {
this pespIc. =.
repeat. asn sratiled to meet you 70 oa3
Expressing the pr.uciples and announcing 1i2
sentiments To which you have given uJsefance
and I trust that the occasion will long De Ie
membered [ Fave no doubt that yonl inter
| ton is to carry out and comply VITA eyer
single principle laid down in the resolution
you have submitted, ! know that some al
9istrussfu; but | am Of those who have cont
a!eoce in the julgment, in the integrity, in Il
intelligence in the virtue OF the great mass
the American people; and having such conf
dence, am willing to trust them, ano than
tod that We have not yet reached that pioli
where We have lost all confidence in each othe
Op the cardinal principle OF reprr5entatG7