Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-02-05
RICHMOND WHIG.
MONDAY MoRNING............FEB. 5, 1866,
SPEECH OF THE EMPEROR MAMMALIAN.

A dcputatiOn waited ON the Emperor on the
10th Of January, to offer sentiments OF condo
lence on the death OF his lather-in-law, the late
King OF Belgium. The Emperor replied as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen-I thank yon for the sympathy
You have manifested in the grlei OF the Empress
and myself for the trouble that hayOeiaiIeh US
| In such i misfortune there Is much TO console
MS in the remembrance of the great and noble
examples that have been left us as an heritage
| 10y the late Ming Of Belgium.
He, like ourselves, III accepting the throne
that people offered him, found nation TO
constitute and government to found. Thanks
| tu the. diSintereStcd Intervention OF France, he
| WAS enabled to make peace succeed 10 war, ana
| devoted himself without intermissOn to lnstl-
| tute valuable interior reforms. He promised
| liberty to his people, and during q long period
orthirty- five wears hc fulfilled his word. he
promised the country security and tranqmHlY'
and he gave both to it, consolidating also ITS
independence. lie did more, he elevated 1t to
a distinguished rank among the States OF Eu-
rope, aud even made 1t one OF the first IN COM
mercial Importance and freedom of thought,
leaving its cScutcheOn and noble mag without
| stain.
/ We shall endeavOr to profit by this great cS
ample by which God has shown us that His
| Providence never lOrsakes just and honorable
monarchs in their noble enterprises. His
daughter the Empress has just returned from a
| toilSOme Journey, into distant lands in dam
grrOus climate, with no other safeguard than
the love OF the people; everywhere she has
met with frank and cordial reception that has
shown over again the sympathy that exists be-
| tween the nation and OurSelves--when the dis
contentcd were pleased to say that my august
cSnSort would only meet with indifference
/ IL Il
would forget her duty and return to Europe.
On this occasion ] am happy to express par
ticularly my deep gratitude TO heroic Vera
Cruz and beautiful iucatan, who have received
| the Empress with an affection that will ever re-
main engraved ON my heart.
| As to myself, gentlemen, You have been wit
| neSSes OF my labOrS. Leaving aside the vain
theories which lead to anarchy, have conse-
Grated my time to the direction of the public
administration, to the development of the ele-
mentS OF tho wealth and prosperity OF the
country, and to the solution OF the great QueS-
tionS which interest it the most.
| In this arduous task l have been obliged to
encounter the impatience Of some and the
backwardness OF others for wounds opened 10y
| fifty years of civil war are not healed in day
but, strong in faith, go straight to my end
| with indie iatgable perseverance. Ny strength
may fail; my will, never.
! My object is not to change the democratic
customs Of the nation, because | am convinced
that they elevate the mind OF the citizen in in
spring him with the consciousness Of his digni-
ty and value. have respected the liberty oi
the press when it has not degenerated into Ii
cenSe, at the same time that have made the
authority Of the land respected. lie must be
blind indeed that does not see that strong
authority is the last anchor Of safety for ouI
/ country. You have seen nv calmneSS in the
midst OF calumnies that have been pointed
against Us by foreigners. Forward, gentlemen
the calumnieS will pass, but our works will re-
main. Strong in the support of my conscience
and the purity of my intentions, contemplate
the future with tranquility. Mexico has put
her honor in my hands, Let her know that hei
| honor is secure.