Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-02-20
sTAUNTON, A, TUESDAY, 20,

l will only say, in conclusion, that [ hope all
the people of this country, in good faith and IN
the fullness of their hearts, will, upon the prin
ciples you have enunciated here to-day, of the
maintenance of the Constitution and the preser-
walton of the Union, lay aside every other feel
ing for the good of our common country, and
with uplifted faces to heaven swear that our
gods and our affairs and all shall sink in the
dust together rather than that this glorious U
Mon shall not be preserved Great applause.
[ am gratifed to find the loyal sentiment of
the country developing and manifesting itselfin
these expressions; and now that the attempt to
destroy the Government has failed at one end
of the line, I trust we shall 60 on determined to
preserve the Union in its original purity against
all opposers.
[ thank you, gentlemen, for the compliment
you have paid me, and [ respond most cordially
to what has been said in your resolutions and
address, and | trust in God the time will soon
come when we can meet under more favorable
auspices than we do now.
Mr. Baldwin-Mr. President, as an assurance
that we represent the sentiment of the State,
beg leave of you to introduce to you the MEM
bers of the committee and to name the parts OF
the State from which they come, In order that
you may be certified that this is a fair repre-
sentation of all parts of Virginia. / introduce
to you Mr. Keen the Senator from Pittsylva-
MIA; Mr.. Joynes. the Delegate from Petersburg
Mr. Carter Senator from the county of Russell !;
Mr. Marshall, Delegate from the county of Fau-
quier; Mr.. Gray, Senator from the county of
Rockingham; Mr.. Pendeton, Delegate from
the county of Giles; Mr.. Grattan, Delegate
from the city of Richmond. We claim this to
be a fair and equally distributed representation
Of the people of Virginia.
The gentlemen named, as their names were
mentioned stepped forward, and shook the
President by the hand.
The President added: [ am happy to meet
you, gentlemen. AS said to another delega-
ton the other day, have no ambition and no
object beyond the restoration of this Govern
ment. / feel that [ am in a condition where
can afford to do right have occupied during
my career many different posts in this Govern
ment. [ started at one of the humblest cabins
in the country, and have passed through the
State Legislature, the Gubernatorial chair, both
Houses of Congress, the Vice Presidency of the
United States, to the position which [ now oc-
cupy before you. The climax, the acme, the
summit of my ambition has been fully reached,
yea more than reached. If, now, | can only
arrive at a point at which these States are all
restored, each having it's representation in the
National councils, with the Union restored so
that we can once more proclaim peace and good
will be to me happy day | care not what
may be said in taunt or jeer; | care not what
may be insinuated, but [ tell you that whenever
| shall have reached that point, the measure of
my ambition will have been filed, and more
than filed. | have no object beyond it. Oh,
how proud and gratifying it would be to me to
retire from this place, feeling and knowing that
had been instrumental in conslImmating this
great end. Great applause.