Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-02-16

eipie, dlu Respectable men OF Virginia, pear
ing to me thesentiments which have been ex-
pressed in the resolutions Of your Legislature,
and in the remarks accompanying them.
They are, SO far as they refer to the Consti-
tuition of the country, the sentiments and the
principles embraced in that Of the Govern
ment.
HIS RECORD.
The preservation of the Union has been,
from my entrance into public life, one of my
cardinal tcncts. At the very incipiency of
this rebellion ] set my face against the disso-
luton of the Union of the States. I Go not
make this allusion for the purpose of bring
ing up anything which may be regarded as
of an unbind OF unpleasant character but l
believed then, as believe now, and as you
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 wdl3 certainly safer IN the Union
than we were out of it, Upon this convic-
ton ! based my opposition to the efforts which
were made to destroy the Union. l have
continued those efforts, Notwithstanding the
perils through which | have passed, and you
are not unaware that the trial has been a Sc
we're one. When opposition to the Govern
ment came from one section Of the country,
and that the section il which NJ iiffe had
been passed, and with which
were identified, I stood, as | !
tending for the Union and assel $780, y
the best and surest way to obtai in our rights
and to protect our interests was to remain ID
the Union, under the protection Of the Con-
stitution.
WHAT HE THINKS TIE WAR HAS PROVED.
The ordeal through which We have passed
during the last four or FIVE years demonstrates
most conclusively that that opposition Sws 9
was right; and to-day. after the experiment
has been made and has failed; after the dem
onstration has been most conclusively afford
ed that this Union can not be dissolved, that
it was not designed to be dissolved, it is ex-
tremely gratifying to me to meet gentlemen
as intelligent and responsible as yourselves.
who are willing and anxious to accept and do
except the terms laid down in the Constitu-
ton and obedience to the laws made in pur-
suance thereof. We were at one period
separated the separation was to me painful
ia the extreme; but now. after having gone
through struggle in which the powers of
the Government have been tried, when we
have swung around to point at which we
meet to agree and are willing to unite our eff
forts for the preservation of the Government,
which I believe is the best in the world, it is
exceedingly gratifying to me to meet you to-
day, standing upon common ground, rallying
around the Constitution and the Union of
these States, the preservation of which, as
conscientiously and honestly believe, will re-
suit in the promotion and the advancement
Of this people.
HIS FAITH IN THE PEOPLE.
Irepeat, [ am gratiied to meet you to-day,
expressing the principles and announcing the
sentiments to which you have given utterance
and I trust that the occasion will long be re-
membered I have no doubt that your in
tention is to carry out and comply with eve
ry single principle laid down in the resolu
tons you have submitted. [ know that some
are distrustful; but | am of those who have
confidence in the judgement, in the integrity,
in the intelligence, in the virtue Of the great
mass of the American people; and having
such confidence, [ am willing to trust them,
and thank God that we have not yet reach
ed that point where we have lost all conf
dence in each other TAe spirit Of tie Gov
ernment can only be preserved, we can only
be preserved, We can only become prosper
GUS and great as people, by mutual forbear-
ance and confidence. Upon that faith and
that confidence alone can the Government be
successfully carried on.
REPRESENTATION A FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF
THE GOVERNMENT.
On the cardinal principle of representation
to which you refer, I viii make single re-
mark. That principle is inherent it consti-
tutes one Of the fundamental elements of this
Government. The representatives of the
States and of the people should have the
qualifications prescribed by the Constitution
of the United States, and those qualifications
most anquestionably imply loyalty. He who
comes as a representative, having the quail
hcatiops prescribed by the Constitution to fit
hin to take seat in either Of the delibera-
tive bodies which constitute the National
Legislature, must necessarily, according to
the intendment of the Constifntion.be a 10y
al man. willing to abide by and III devoted
to the Union and the ConstitdfIon of the
States. He cannot be for the Constitution,
he cannot be for the Union, he cannot ac-
knowledge obedience to all the laws, unless
he is loyal. When the people send such men
in good faith, they are entitled to represen-
tation through them.
LOYALTY SINE QUA non.
In going into the recent rebellion or insur-
rection against the Government Of the Uni
ted States we erred, and in returning and re-
suming our relations with the Federal Gov
eminent, I am free to say that all the respon-
sible positions aud places ought to be conhn-
ed distinctly and clearly to men who are 10y
al. If there were only five thousand loyal
men in a State, OF less number, but sutfi-
cient to take charge Of the political machine
~ of State, those five. thousand men, or
the lesser number, are entitled to it, if all the
rest Should be otherwise inclined. look up
on it as being fundamental that the exercise
of political power should be confined to 10y
al men, and [ regard that as implied in the
doctrines. laid down in these resolutions. and