Year: 1861

Before the Peace Conference at Washing
ton upon being elected its Presiding
officer.


/ GENTLEMEN fear you have committed grea;
| error in appointing to the honorable position
| you have assigned me. A long separation from all


deliberate bodies has rendered the rules of their


proceedings unfamiliar to me, while should find in


my own state of health, variable and tickle as is


sufficient reason to decline the honor of being your


presiding officer but in times like these, one has but


little option left personal considerations should


weigh but lightly in the balance The country IS in
danger-it is enOugh-one must take the place as


signed him in the great work of Cancellation and adj


justment The voice of Virginia has invited her CO.


States to meet her in council In the invitation of
| this Government that same voice was heard and
complied with, and the result Of seyenty-odd years


have fully attested the wisdom OF the decision then


adopted. Is the urgency of her call now less great
| than it was then? Our Godhke fathers created
we have to preserve. They built up through their
wisdom and patriotism, monuments which have
| etefnGhzed their names.


You have before you gentlemen. task equally grand
equally sublime, quite full of glory and immor-
tality You have snatch from ruin great and glo


rious Confederation to preserve the government and
TO renew and invigorate the Constitution. If you
reach the height Of this great occasion, your chill
dren's children viii rise up and call you blessed


confess myself ambitious of sharing In the glory of
accomplishing this magnificent result. To have our
names enrolled in the Capitol to be repeated Sy fu


ture generations with grateful applause; this Is an
honor higher than the mOuntaiRs-mOre enduring
than the monumental alabaster. Yes, Virginia 5
voice as in the olden time. has been heard. Her
sister States meet her this day at the council
board Vermont is here, bringing with her the mem
ores of the past reyiving in the memories OF all her


Ethan Allen and his demand for the surrender of
Ticonderoga in the name of the Great Jehovah and
the American Congress. New Hampshire Is here
her fame illustrated by memorable annals, and still
more lately as the birthplace of him who won for
himself the name of Defender Of the Constitution
and who wrote that letter to John Taylor which has
been enshrined in the hearts of his countrymen
Massachusetts, is not here-(some member said she
is comng)-I hope so, said Mr.. Tyler, and that she
will bring with her her daughter, Maine. did not
believe it could well be that the voice which, in
other times, was so familiar to her ears, has been
addressed to her in vain. Connecticut is here, and
she comes, / doubt not IN the spirit of Roger
Sherman, whose name with our very children has
become household word, and who was IN life the
embodiment of that practical sense which BELTS the
great lawgiyers and constructors of governments.
Rhode Island, the land Of Roger Williams, is here,
one of the two last States in her jealousy of the
public liberty to give in her adhesion to the COnst1
tuition and among the earestt hasten to ts rescue
The great Empire State of New York--represented
thus far but by one-deegates to-day fuller force
to Join in the great work of healing the discontents
of the times and restoring the reign of fraternal
feeling New Jersey IS also here, with the memo
ries of the past covering her all over Trenton aRd
Princeton
last encrimsoned with the hearts blood of Virgin
las sons Among her delegation 1 rejoice to recog
uize gallant son of sigHer of the immortal De-
claration which announced to the world that thir-
teen provinces had become thirteen independent and
sovereign States: and here, loo, is Delaware, the
land of the Bayards and the Rodneys whose soil at
Brandywine was moistened by the blood of Fir-
gTuia's youthful Monroe. Here Is Maryland, whose
massive columns wheeled into line with those of
Virginia in the contest for glory, and whose State
i. a. a., 60. nI1
of successful commander, who, after Hberating
his country, gladly ungirthed his sword and laid
it down upon the altar of that country. Then
comes Pennsylvania, rich in Revolutionary
lore. bringing with her the deathless names
of Franklin and Morris. and, | trust ready
to renew from the belfry of Independence Hall
the chimes of the old bel, which announced freedom
and independence in former days. All nan TO North
Cardinal with her Mecklenburg Declaration IN her
hand standing erect on the ground OF her own pro-
babty and firRIness in the cause OF pubic hDerty
and represented in her attributes by her Macon and
in this assembly by her distinguished son, at no
great distance from me- Four daughters of Virgin
ia also cluster around the council board on tho in
vitation of their ancient mother, the eldest, Ken
tucLy whose sons. under that intrepid warrior, An
thony Wayne gave freedom of settlementto to the ter
ritory of her sister. Ohio and extending his hand
dav and hourly across La Belle Rirere to grasp tho
hard of some one of kindred blood of the noble
States of Indiana Illinois and Ohio, who have grown





almost imperial Tennessee is not here, but is COM
ing-prevented from being here only by the floods
which have swollen her rivers. When she arrives
she viii wear the badges Of her warrior-crest of
victories won, in company with the Great West. on
many an ensanguined plain and standards torn from
the hands of the conquerors at Waterloo. Missouri
and Iowa and Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota,
still linger behind but it may be hoped that their
hearts are with us in the great work we have to
do


The eyes of the whole country are turned to this
hall and to this assembly in expectation and hope.
trust, gentlemen that you may prove yourselves
worthy of the great occasion. Our ancestors pro
badly committed blunder in not having fixed upon
every fifth decade for call of general Convention
to amend and reform the Constitution. On the con-
trary, they have made the difficulty next to insur-
mountabIe to accomplish amendments to an instru-
ment which perfect for five millions of people,
but not wholly so as to thirty millions. Your pa
triotism will surmount the difficulties, however
great, if you will but accomplish one triumph IN
advance, and that is triumph over party. What IS
party compared to the task of rescuing ones coun
try from danger? Do that, and one long loud shout
of joy ard gladness will resound throughout tns
land.