Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1866-02-15
land, but have defended it alike from violation
and from innovation.
RESPONSE OF THE PRESIDENT.

RESPONSE oF THE PRESIDENT.
In reply. gentlemen, to the resolutions you
have inst presented to me, and the clear and
forcibie and concise remarks which you have
made in explanation of the position Of Virginia,
shall not attempt to make formal speech,
but simply enter into plain conversation in
regard to the condition of things in which we
stand.
AS a premise to what may say, permit me
first to tender you my thanks for this visit, and
next to express the qualification feel in meet
ing SO many intelligent, responsible, and respec-
table men Of Virginia, bearing to me the senti-
ments which have been expressed in the reso-
buttons of your Legislature, and in the remarks
accompanying them.
They are, so far as they refer to the Constitu-
ton of the country, the sentiments and the
principles embraced in that charter OF the Go
vernment. 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 set my face against the dissolu-
ton Of the Union of the States. do not make
this alusion for the purpose of bringing up
ANYTHING which has transpired which may be
regarded as of an unkind or unpleasant char
acter; but believed then, as believe now,
and as you have most Enthusiastically indicated,
that thesecurity 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
we were out oft.
Upon this conviction based my opposition
to the efforts which were made to destroy the
Union. have continued those efforts, notwith-
standing the perils through which have pass
cd, and you are not unaware that the trial has
been severe one. When opposition to the
Government came from one section of the coun-
try, and that the section in which my life had
been passed, and with which my interests were
identified, | stood, as | stand now, contending
for the Union and asseverating that the best
and surest way to obtain our rights and to pro-
tect our interests was to remain in the Union,
under the protection of the Constitution.
The ordeal through which we have passed
during the last four or five years demonstrates
most conclusively that that opposition was
right: and to-day, after the experiment has
been made and has failed after the demonstra-
ton has been most conclusively afforded that
this Union cannot be dissolved, that it was not
designed to be dissolved, it is extremely graft
flying to me to meet gentlemen as intelligent
and as responsible as yourselves, who are will
ing and anxious to accept and do accept the
terms laid down in. the Constitution andobedi-
ence 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 powers of the Government have been
tried, when we have swung around to point
at which we meet to agree and are willing to
unite our efforts for the preservation of the Go
vernment, which | believe is the best in the
world, it is exceedingly gratifying to me to
meet you to-day ,standingupon common ground,
ralying around the Constitution and the Union
of these States, the preservation of which, as |
conscienciously and honestly believe, will result
in the promotion and the advancement of this
people.
repeat, am gratffed to meet you to-day,
expressing the principles and announcing the
sentiments to which you have given utterance,
and / trust that the occasion will long bo ro-
membered. Ihavenodoubt that yourintention
is to carry out and comply with every single
principle laid down in the resolutions you have
submitted / know that some are distrustful /;
but | am of those who have confidence in the
Judgment, in the integrity, in the intelligence,
in the virtue of the great mass of the Amerc IN
people and having such confidence, am will
ing to trust them, and | thank God that we
have not yet reached that point where we have
lost all confidence in each other.
The spirit of the Government can only be
preserved, we can only become prosperous and
great as people, by mutual forbearance and
confidence. Upon that faith and that conf
dence alone can the Government be successful
ly carried on.
On the cardinal principle of representation to
which you refer, will make single remark.
That principle is inherent; it constitutes one of
the fundamental elements of this Government.
The representatives of the States and of the peo-
pie should have the qualifications prescribed
by the Constitution Of the United States, and
those qualifications most unquestionably imply
loyalty. He who comes as representative,
having the qualifications prescribed by tie
Constitution to fit him to take seat in either
of the deliberative bodies, which constitute the
National Legislature, must necessarily, accord
ing to the intendment of the Constitution, be a
loyal man, willing to abide by, and be devoted
to the Union and the Constitution of the States.
He cannot be for the Constitution, he cannot
be for the Union, he cannot acknowledge ODE
dience to all the laws unless lis loyal. When
the people send such men i'll good faith, they
are entitled to representation through them.
In going into the recent rebellion or insurrec-
ton against the Government of the United
States we erred, and in returning and resuming
our relations with the Federal Government, |
am free to say that all the responsible positions
and places ought to lie confined distinctly
and clearly tomen who are loyal. If there were
only five thousand loyal men in State, or a
less number, but sufficient to take charge of the
political machinery of State, those five thou
sand men, or the lesser number, are entitled to
it, if all the rest should he otherwise inclined.
look upon it as being fundamental that the
exercise of political power should be confined
to loyal men, and regard that as implied in
the doctrines laid down in these resolutions. and
in the eloquent address by which they have
been accompanied. l may say. furthermore.
that having passed through the greatstrug-
gle in which we have been engaged, we should
be placed upon much more acceptable ground