Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-03-12
! SPECTATOR AND GENERAL ADVERTISER
Col. BaldVin's Speech.

At the close of the regular Session Of the
Legislature on Saturday, the End inst, the
House of Delegates having unanimously passed
a resolution thanking the Speaker for the sig
nal ability and impartiality with which he had
discharged the duties of his position, and for
the uniform courtesy which had marked his
personal and official intercourse with the mem
bers, the Speaker, Col. Jno. B. Baldwin, ad
dressed the House as follows:
Gentlemen,-I have no speech for such an
occasion. | can only thank you for the express
sion of confidence and kindness contained In the
resolution you have adopted. | believe you
mean what you say when you give me credit
for impartiality in the Office of Speaker of this
House, and appreciate it none the less, because
| [ feel that it is true. | accept as sincere your
kindly recognition of what you are pleased to
call my courtesy in our official and personal in
tercourse 1t would be strange, indeed, if |
| could fail to manifest, at all times, my grateful
sense of the kindness, courtesy, and forbearance
which | have uniformly received from such a
| body of gentlemen, and from every member
| composing it; and [ take this occasion to assure
| you, one and all, members and officers OF this
| House, that if at any time in hours of business,
| or collision of opinion, or excitement OF debate
| have wounded the feelings of any one, or sub
jected annoyance, or discomfort, or mortifica-
ton, it was not only without my knowledge
but contrary to my most earnest purpose.
AS | am about to quit forever all connection
with public life and all participation in the con-
duct of public affairs, | may be permitted to
say that | have never been a politician from
any preference or inclination for that kind of
life. Six years ago | left the profession Of my
choice, and to which my life had been devoted,
and at the instance Of friends and neighbors,
| and, with an earnest purpose to render service
in time of public peril / came into public life
asa member ofthe Virginia Convention. From
| that time to the present have, in some capac-
ity or other, been constantly laboring in the
public service, and [ have seen as many and as
striking instances Of the mutations which at
tend human affairs as ordinarily fall under the
observation of any man in a similar period.
When [ look back over my experiences of
public life and of public affairs, when remem-
Der the condition of the country six years ago,
and think Of what it is now, | find that from
the beginning every cause [ espoused was lost
every purpose for which labored was defeated
and every hope | cherished has been disap-
pointed And yet am not without consola-
ton and support when | remember that | es-
poused no cause that [ did not believe to be
just, and that labored and hoped, through
good and through evil reports, as became an
honest man and Virginia gentleman. | am
proud to know that the people whom [ have
represented have from the beginning, and un-
der all the trying circumstances through which
we have passed upheld me with generous
and affectionate confidence which has known no
variableness or shadow of turning, and that my
co-laborers in this assembly bear witness to the
integrity and fidelity with which [ have borne
myself in the public service.
Under the new order Of things now about to
be inaugurated, [ go to my home, not only pro-
hlblted from engaging in the conduct OF public
affairs, State or national, but denied the priv
ilege Of voice or vote in the selection of those
who are to bear rule among US. From what L
have already said you will understand that per-
sonally | have nothing to regret in such an ex-
clusion, and [ would by no means claim that
the public service is likely to suggest that to
exclude persons by law from all participation in
public affairs in a community where they enjoy
and deserve the confidence and respect OF the
people, is in a government protesting to be free
and to rest upon public opinion, capital mis-
take, and one which our rulers will sooner or la
ter discover and understand.
In thus taking leave Of you, gentlemen, L feel
1t to be proper as conservative citizen sincere
ly desiring to promote the peace and good Or
der of society, to urge upon you as representa-
tive men, enjoying i'll your several counties the
respect and confidence of the people, the i'm
portance Of commencing to them by precept
and example the duty of patient fortitude un-
der the adverse circumstances by which we are
now surrounded, and OF a u mission as cheerful
as may be to the law of the land as expounded
and administered by the constituted authorities.
In our present condition our interest and our
duty alike forbid us to attempt resistance to the
powers that be, or to encourage any disturbance
Of the good order of society It is not neces
sary that We shall approve Or assent to measures
in regard to which we are notconsulted and as
to which we can have no control; but it is a
high duty which we owe to ourselves and to So
cial order that we shall so conduct ourselves
that if wrong shall be done we will be able to
call God and man to witness that we have had
no hand in it.
1t may belt probably will be-that we shall
be called upon to suffer injustice and oppression.
In the attempt to resist them our people have
exhibited the highest order of military heroism
and gallantry The appeal to arms has been
decided against US, and it only remains for US to
| show that we have the higher civic courage to
endure and be calm, to suffer and maintain our
| self-respect, and thus to command the respect
of others-even of those who would Cypress u.s.
FAILURE OF THE THIRTY Ninth CONGRESS-