The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-03-07
STATE OF THE COUNTRY,
SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT TO VIRGINIA.

Mr. Baldwin. Speaker of the House Of Dele
gates, as chaii man Of the committee, presented
the resolutions, and delivered the following ad-
dress on behalf of the committee = r..-. .,
ADDRESS OE Mr.. BALDWIN. $3.50. *
MIR, PreSident-We are con 1ittee OF Sena-
tors and Delegates, sent TO present you, IN per-
son, certain resolutions which have received the
the unanimous approval of the General Assembly
Of Yirgiais. We come as, representatives sent
by one of the States Of this Union to confer with
our Constitutional President in regard to matters
affecting the common good, and therefore OF IN
terest to all the States aud all the people. We
come to you, Mr.. President, for the reason this:
you recognize our common interest in the Gov
ernment under which we live, and because thus
far we have been denied the constitutional means
of communication by which other States and
other people make known their opinions, purpo-
ses and feelings in the councils Of the nation. In
declaring that the people of Virginia and their
representatives, accept and abide by the result of
the late coEtess, and that they intend III good
faith to meetall the obligations thereby incurred,
the General Assembly expresses sentiment and
purpose which have been uniformly recognized
by5oRF people, Individually and in masses, and in
regard to which there is no hesitation division
in alisViFginia. Chief among the results thus ac-
of these States is an established and enduring
faet, andssthat the whole future Of our people
is indissolnbly bound up, for veal Or woe,
with the success or failure of the Govern
menb@o of the United States We recognize
that Government as our Government; It's Con-
sttution is our Constitution; the duties which it
promises are our rights. Another great result
alike accepted By our people, is the 1nal over
throw of the Institution Of slavery. This has
been completed by constitutional amendment,
the binding force of which is universally admit
:, ted for although we were not represented IN
the Congress by which it was proposed, the fail
aresto be thus represented vas of our own choice.
The condition Of the freedmen among Us, and
the policy to be adopted with regard to them,
vii be recognized By you as calling for the exer-
else of the highest faculties Of the statesman and
the best feelings ofthe Chris ian phitanthropist
The General Assembly Of Virginia is engaged
earnestly in the consideration Of these subjects,
and la anticipation of the results of their labofs,
we can only say that whatever policy may be
adopted, will be addressed in good faith and with
kind feeling, to the improvement Of the physical,
intellectual and moral condition of our freedmen.
You can understand and will readily believe taat
the feelings of our people towards these freed
Jcen are those Of Kindness, sympathy and good
win and that to treat them with harshness or
injustice is opposed as much to our feelings as it
is to our interest and our sense of right. The
policy pursued by you, Mr.. President, toward
Virginia, and other States in ike condition, has
its strong foundation in broad and eomprehen-
siyeEYieEs of constitutional rights and Of natu-
raj policy, and must look for its ultimate success
upon the conservative sense Of justice of the peo
pie of all she States. It's due, however, to you
and 70 our people, to assure you that when our
General Assembly declares the universal appro-
val OF that policy by the people of Virginia. they
express what each one of this committee here
present knows to be a living truth. 1t happens
that year position places you between US and a
threatened danger, and the General Assembly
have but given voice to the real feelings of our
people when they tender TO you, the warmest
thanks of Virginia for the firm stand you have
taken against the facility with which it is pro-
posed ~tea change the fundamental law. We
would not, however, claim as the only or even
the chief merit Of the course you taking, that
Is affords to US protection IN time Of trouble.
It is as defender of the genera! Constitution that
you secure and demand the confidence and sup
port Of the people of the United States, andit
HilhBe hereafter remembered as your highest.
claim to the character of republican statesman,
Asat under all the trying circumstances by which
: yeI are surrounded you have not only proclaim
edthe Constitution OF the United States to be the
supreme law of this land, but have defended it
alike from violation and from innovation.
RESPONSE, OF THE PRESIDENT.
The Presfdent--ln reply, gentlemen, to the
resolutions you have Just presented to me, and
tse clear and foFcihle aadSconcise remarks which
yeu have made IN explanation of the position OF
Virginia, shall not attempt to make formal
speech, but simply enter into a plain conTersa-
tion in regard to the condition of things in which
we stand. Asa premise to BhatI may say, per-
nit me first TO tender you my thanks for this
visit, and nextto express the qualification feel
in neeGing so many intelligent, responsible and
respectable men of Virginia bearing to me the.
sentiments which have been expressed in the
resolutions Of your Legislature and in the re-
marks accompanying them. They are, so far as
tkey refer 70 the Constitution OF the country, the
sentiments and the principles embraced in that
charter of the Government. The preservation Of
the Union has been from my, entrance into pub
lie life one ofmy cardinal tenets. at the very
ineipiency of this Rebellion set my face against
the dissolution of the Union of the States do
not make this alosion for the pHrpose Of bring
ING up1 .anYthing which has transpired, which
nav be regarded as of an nnkindor unpleasant
character, but / 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 were certainly safer in the Union than
outsef it. -Upea this CONVICTION ] based my op-
position te the efforts which we're made to de-
strog the Union, IhaEe continued those efforts,
Notwithstanding the perils through which have
passed, and you are not unaware that the trial
Z has been a severe one. When opposition to the
GoYernInens came from one section of the eoun-
try, and that the section in which my life had
been passed, and with which my Interests we're
identified, Estood, as I stand now, eontending
for the Union, and asseEerating that the best and
surest way to obtain cur rights, and to protect
our interests was to remain in the Union, under
the eprotection of the Constitution. The ordeal
through which we have passed during the last
four or five years, demonstrates most conclusive
lyzthat that opposition was right and today
after the experiment has been. made and has
failed. after the demonstration has been most
conclusiyely afforded that this Union eannotbe
dissolved, that it was not designed to be dis
solved, it is gratifying to SDe to meet gentlemen
as intelligent and responsible as yourselves, who
are willing and anxious TO accept and do accept
the terms laid down in the Constitution and ooe-
dience to the laws made in pursuance thereof
We were at one period separated; the separa-
ton was to me painful in the extreme; but now,
after having gone through struggle in which
The mowers of the Government have been tried,