The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-08-20

u ~ 70 them fhe right to be represented
lnS; sS;,st % Snbiecting their people to every
Snan;ss wn Of legislation, including that ol
sapvotion, spi That such q state of things il
at war with the very genius of our Gov
eminent, inconsistent with every idea ol
nolitical freedom, and most perilous tC
the peace and safety of the country, nc
rejecting man can fail to belive. VIZ
hope, sir, that the proceedings OF tht
Convention will cause you to adhere
possibly with even greater frmness, tt
| the course which you are pursuing, by
satisfying you that the people are will
YOU, and that the wish which lies nearest
to their heart is that perfect restora
| tion of our Union, at the earliest moment
be attained, and conviction that tha
result can only be accomplished by TIT
measures which you are pursuing, ant
| in the discharge of the duties whicf
these impose upon you, we, as did every
| member of the Convention, again, fol
ourselves Individually, tender you 'oui
profound respect and assurance OF "u'
| cordial and sincere support
With reunited Union, with no fool
| but that of freeman treading, or per
mitted to tread our soil, with Industry
| renewed, with a nations faith pledged
| forever to strict observance of all its
obligations, with kindness and fraternal
love everywhere prevailing, the desola
tion of war will soon be removed, Its sac
rifces of life, sad as they have been will,
with Christian resignation, be referred
| to Providential purpose of fixing our
beloved country on firm and endurable
basis, which will forever place our liber.
ty and happiness hey the reach OF
human peril.
Then, too, and forever, will our Gov
ernment challenge the admiration and
receive the respect of the nations of the
world, and be in no danger of any effort
to impair our rights or ito impeach our
honor. And permit me, sir, in conclu-
sion, to add that, great as is your solicl'
tude for the restoration Of our domestic
peace, and your labors tO~that end, we
rejoice that you have also a watchful
eye to the rights of the nation, and that
any attempt by an assumed or actual
foreign power to enforce an illegal block
ade "against the Government or citizens
of the United States" to use your own
mild but expressive words, "will be dis
allowed" In this determination | am
sure you will receive the unanimous ap-
proval of your fellow-citizens.
Now, sir, as the chairman of the
committee, and in behalf of the conven-
ton, | have the honor to present you
with an authenticated copy of its pro-
ceedings.
Many portions of Senator Johnson's
address were applauded, especially when
he alluded to Massachusetts and South
Carolina coming forward arm in arm to
stand by the Administration, and
cause the President to feel that he
might lean upon them for support; but
when the resolution of the Convention
which declares that i'm President John.
son they recognized Il Chief Magistrate
worthy OF the nation and equal to the
great crisis upon which his lot was cast,
the applause was loud and long contin
ned
At the conclusion of Senator Johnsou's
address, the President, speaking at first
slowly and in low tone, but growing
louder as he progressed, thus replied:
SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT.
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen Of the Com
mittee.
Language is inadequate to express the
emotions and feelings produced by this
occasion. Perhaps l could express more
by permitting silence to speak and you
infer what l ought to say. Iconfess that,
Notwithstanding the experience | have
had in public life and the audiences |
have addressed, this occasion and this
assemblage are calculated to, and do,
Overwhelm me. As | have said, | have
not language to convey adequately my
present feelings and emotions.
In listening to the address which your
eloquent and distinguished chairman has
Just delivered. the proceedings of the
Convention, as they transpired, recurred
to my MUD Seemingly, | partook OF
the inspiration that prevailed III the Con
yentiop when received dispatch, sent
by two of its distinguished members
| conveying III terms the scene which has
! lust been described, of South Carolina
| and Massachusetts,, arm in arm, marching
| into that vast assemblage, and thus giving
| evidence that the two extremes had
come together again, and that for the
| future they were united as they had
been in the past, for the preservation o
the Union When the dispatch informed
mo that in that vast body of men, dis
tinguished for intellect and wisdom
every eye was sutfused with tears on
beholding the scene, | could not finish
reading the dispatch to one associated
with me in my office, for my own feel
| ings overcame me. Applause. think
we may Justly conclude that we are
moving under proper inspiration, and
that we need not be mistaken that the
finger Of an overriding and unerriUg
| Providence is in this matter. The ma
ton is in peril We have just passed
through a mighty, bloody, q momen
tous ordeal, and yet do not find our
selves free from the difficulties and
dangers that at first surrounded
us. While our brave men who
have performed their duties, both
officers and men, turning to General
| Grant, who stood at his right,) have
won laurels imperishable, there are still
greater and more important duties tC
perform and while We have had their
co operation in the field, we now need
their support in our efforts to perpetuate
peace. Applause, So far as the Ex
ecutive Department of the Government
| is concerned, the effort has been made to
restore the Union, to heal the breach tC
pour oil into the wounds which were
consequent upon the struggle, and tC
speak in common phrase, to prepare, as
the learned and wise physician would, a