Year: 1866

r OF the victorious army, and salvos Of artiler
@ hrng joyful salutes. The great victory wa
d complete, and the Union troops sought res
/. and quiet from their recent labors, in com
: Portable quarters in and around Fort Donel
. son.


+ Visit of Citizens OF Montana to tn
4 President.


s WASHINGTON, Feb. I.
e This morning a large number of the cti
\ zens of Montana territory called upon tn,
8 president. b. NJ. Pinney; L. s. Marshal fo
e the territory, Chief Justice Hosmer, Gen
r Barrows, ard twenty-five or thirty other,
were among the number. Mr. Pinney ad
dressed the President on behalf the delega


ton. He said


; Mr. President 1t becomes my duty a..
, a member of this delegation to assure YOU
; that the principles announced in your annua
message to Congress and your policy in rela


ton to the present political condition Of this


country has gladdened the hearts of the peo.
, pie OF our mountain land, Montana We are


using no idle or unmeaning words when we


assure you that We take the greatest possible
{ pleasure IN saying that We recognize in you,


as the Chief magistrate of this great nation,


person who possesses that sound mind, that


general knowledge, that firm and patriotic


devotion to the real interests and welfare OF


the whole country, which are SO necessary


10 carry II safely over the ocean of political


speculation and debate. We attach no great


Importance to this assertion of our feelings in


relation to yourself, but we should be doing


injustice to ourselves and ing.atitude to the
! people CT the Territory of Montana. and


should merit their severest censure, if we did


not say that We firmly believe that if we meet


WIN cordial and generous support on every


hand this nation will come forth from the


present political crisis q stronger and better


nation, prepared to take higher stand and


do nobler work on the platform of history


than has ever yet been allowed to apy nation


of the earth. Montana has SCARCELY had


two years political existence and already
numbers 90, 600 inhabitants. Places of hab.
itat,on and OF business are dotted all over her
{ fertile valleys and her numerous thorough


fares are constantly trembling with the crush
OF merchandise. The gold and silver which
/ the Almighty had long kept hidden and gar.
nered up IN her hills and ravines have been
revealed or discovered at time when the
nation needs new channels of flowing wealth To
supply her treasury. Montana possesses as
well as great mineral wealth. all those arri-
cultural resources so well calculated to make
her early popalaU- and powerful At the
! same time We trust We are not unmindfuI of



political sentiments. We believe that we are
starting right If we advocate zealously those
great political truths which YOU have pro.
claimed to this country and the world. and
which We understand to be the foundation of
all good governments


THE PRESIDENT 5 REPLY


The President replied as follows:


GENTLENEN-lt IS 10 cgainsry pleasure for
me to n,ee. you here on this occasion and IN
hear the sentiments YOU have announced. To
receive so large and respectable a BODY of in
teihgent gentlemen. from that remote region
OF the country from which you came, is highly
gratifying to me. In response. sir. faddreSS.
ing Pinney,j to the eloquent a.annsr in which
you have expressed the sentiments and feel
ings pt those whom you represent on this oc.
casion, | might content myself with simplv
returning my thanks for your kind expres. |
sions, but you have made some illusions. to |
which, under the circumstances that surround |
US, | cannot be Indifferent. You have al |
uded to the great principles az our Govern. |
ment, having been eaunciated in paper sent
short TIME since 10 the Congress of the
United States. The declaration by me of
those principles was not the result ofimpulse. |
IT was the result Of thorough and calm con
slderation of those great truths. saw again
that think no one can mistake the doctrines
of that message. 1t is very easy for persons
TO misrpresent 1t, and to make assertions that
this, that or the other has taken place or viii
take place, hut think may be permitted to
say to you on this occasion that taking all nv
antecedeuts, gong back to my advent into
public life down to the present time. the
cardinal doctrines set forth in that paper have
been my constant guide. After having gone
so far, It is too late for me to turn and take
different direction. They will be nv guide
from this time onward, and those who under
stand them may know where | always shall
be found when principle is involved. Here. /
let me say to you, in order 70 disahuse the
pubic mind, as far as il Is possible for an in.
divldual to do SO, that my public career is
well nigh done. The sands of nv political
glass are well nigh run out. If | were dis.
posed to refer to myself, | might trace INV
career back to the log cabin, then an alder
man, and then mayor in village, then
through both branches of the State Eegisla.
ture, then tor ten consecutive years in the
National Houseiot Representatives, then from
the Guhernatoriai chair to the Senate of the
United States, then Provisional Governor. I
with slight participation n military affairs.
then Vice President, and now in the position
occupy before you and now in this position
II can be instrumental in restoring the Gov.
ernment of the United States, in restoring to
their true position in the Union those States
whose relations to the national Government
have tor tune been interrupted hy one of
the most gigantic rebellions that ever occurred
IN the world, SO that we can proclaim once
more that we are n united people, shall feel
that the measure of my ambition has been
filled and at that point, if there be any who
are envious and Jealous of honor and position.
| shall be prepared to make them as low a
bow | know how, and thank them to take
the place have occupied, for nv mission
Yill nave been fulfilled


In saying this in the performance Of my
duty, and IN response 10 the encouragement
you have given me, feel that am in con.
dition not to be arrogant, not to eeimperious
or supercilious. feel that can afford to do
right. and so far as in me lies, intend to ad-
minister this government upon the principles
that lie at the foundation of it. | can inform
all aspirants who are trying 10 form their
combinations for the future, VIII want to make
one organization for one purpose and another
for another, that they are not in nv way,
am not candidate for any position and hence.
repeat can atfhrd to do right, and being
in that condition, | Wilde right. Imake this
for the purpose of letting all
know that my work is to restore the govern
ment, not to make combinations with reference
to any future candidacy for the Presidency of
the United States. have reached the nt.
most round. Ny race is run so far as that is
Ny object is to perform INV duty
and that will endeavor to do. Let US then
all join in this great work Of restoration, and
while We are restoring and repairing the
breaches that have been made, let us also