Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-03-10
Another Speech from the Presi.
dent.

ate and House of delegates OF thu
State OF Virginia, called upon Pres
dent Johnson for the purpose Of pre-
senting him with the resolutions
adopted by the General Assembly o
Virginia. The following named gen
tlcmen constitute the committee -
From the Scnate-Mcssrs. IL. F
Keen; A. S. Gray, and Dale Carter
From the Housc-Delegates Messrs
John B. Baldwin, James Marshall
A. r. Grattan, A. G. Pendleton, and
VIM. II. Joynes. They arc gentle
men of acknowledged ability, and
il is claimed, fully represent the
State, geographically and politically.
being from North, South, East and
West Virginia, and Of every shade
of past aud present politics.
Mr.. James Marshall, n venerable
looking gentleman, is nephew oI
the celebrated Chief Justice Marsh.
all. Messrs. Marshall a. Grattan,
and Judge Joynes, are among the
ablcst lawyers Of the State.
Mr.. Baldwin. Speaker Of the House,
delegate as Chairman of the Com
mittee, presented the resolutions,
and delivered an address acknowl-
edging allegiance to the United
States Government, and praising the
policy of the President. The Pres
ident responded as follows
Gentlemen, to the resolutions you
have just presented to me, and the
clear, forcible and concise remarks
which you have made in explanation
of the position of Virginia, l shall
not attempt to make formal speech,
but simply enter into plain con-
versation in regard to the condition
of things in which we stand. AS a
premise to what l may say, permit
me first to tender you my thanks
for this visit, and next to express
the qualification feel in meeting so
many intelligent, responsible and
respectable men of Virginia, bear
ing to me the sentiments which have
been expressed in the resolution OF
your Legislature, and in the remarks
accompanying them.
They are, so far as they refer to
the Constitution of the country, the
sentiments and the principles en-
braced in that charter of the Gov
ernment. The preservation Of the
Union has been from my entrance
into public life one of my cardinal
tenets. At the very incipiency of
this rebellion l set my faco against
the dissolution of the Union of the
States.
l do not make this allusion for the
purpose of bringing up anything
which has transpired which may be
regarded as of an unkind or unpleas-
ant character; but | believed then, as
l believe now, and as you have most
unmistakably indicated, that the Sc
curity and protection Of the rights
of all the people were to be found
in the Union.
Upon this conviction based my
opposition to the efforts which not
withstanding the perils through
which l have passed; and you are
not unaware that the trial has been
a severe one. When opposition to
the Government from one section of
the country, and that the section in
which my lite had been passed, a d
with which my interests were ident-
flied, I stood, as l stand now, con-
tending for the Union, and asseve-
rating that the best and surest way
to obtain our rights and protect our
interests, was to remain in the I'm
ion, under the protection of the con-
stitution.
The ordeal through which we have
passed during tho last four or five
years demonstrates most conclusive
ly that that position was right; and
to-day after the experiment has
been tried and has failed, after the
demonstration has been most con-
afforded that this Union
can not be dissolved, it is extremely
gratifying to me to meet gentlemen
as intelligent and as responsible as
yourselves, who are willing and anx-
ious to accept, the terms laid down
in the constitution, and obedience to
the laws made in pursuance thereof.
We were at one time seperated;-
The separation was to me painful in
the extreme. But now, after hay-
ing gone through with struggle in
which the powers of the Govern
ment have been tried, when we have
swung around to point at which
we can meet to agree, and are will
ling to unite our efforts for the pre-
servation of the Government, which
/ 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 hon
estly believe, will result in the pro-
motion and advancement of this
people. 1 repeat, / am gratifed to
meet you to-day, expressing the
principles and announcing the sen
ments to which you have given ut
terance, and l trust that this occa-
sion will long be remembered
/ have no doubt your intentions
are TO carry out and comply with
every single principle laid down in
the resolutions you have submitted.
I know that some Of you are dis
trustfal, hut / am Of those who have
confidence in the judgment, in the
integrity, in the intelligence, and IN
the virtue Of the great mass Of the