Year: 1866

6CAbASAucAa toltbllLlhe0 the tom nit


tee: From Senate; Z. P. Keen, A. s. Grav.


and Bale Carter From House John II


Baldwin, James Marshall. A. r. Gratlsn. A.


G. PendletOn, and VIM. P. Jaynes. They


are gentlemen of acknowledged ability, aud
| it is claimed freely represent the State geo.
graphically and politically, being inn


the North, South, East and West lreinia,


and of every shade of past and present
politics. James Marshall an amiable looking
gentleman Is a nephew Of the celebrated
| Chief Justice Marshall. Messrs- Marshall,


Grafton, and Judge Jayaes are among the
| aOleSt lawyers Of the State. MT. Baldwin,


Spea -er OF the House as Chairman Of the


COMMITTEES, presented the resolutidns, and


delivered the following address in behalf Of


the Committee:


Mr. President-We are a COMMITTEES Of


senators and delegates sent to report TO YOU


IN person certain resolutions which have


received the unanimous approval Of the
General Assembly of Virginia We come as .


representatives, sent by one Of the States Of


this Union, 10 confer with our con stitutiOnsI


President in regard to matters affecting the
| common government and therefore OF in


terest to all the States and all the peopla
| We come to you, Mr. President for the res
| son that you recognize our common iDterest


in the government under which We liVe,and
because thus far we have been denied the
constitutional measures of Communication


by which other States and other people q
make known their opinions, purposes and
feelings in the councils Of the nation. In
declaring that the people of Virginia and
their representatives accept and abide by
the results OF the late contest, and that they :
intend in good faith to adhere to the Obliga-
tons thereby incurred, the General Assem-
bly expresses sentiment and q purpose
which have been uniformly recognized By
our people and individual masses, and in
regard TO which there is no hesitation or
division in all Virginia Chief among the
results thus accepted is the universal con-
victiOn that the Union Of the States is an
established and an enduring fact, and that
the whole future Of our people is indis-
soioubly bound up for veal or wee with the
success or failure Of the government Its
constitution is our eonstitution-the duties
which it promises are cur. duties,
and the rights it guarantees are our rights.
Another great result alike accepted
by our people is the final overthrow Of the
institution of slavery. This has been com
pleted by constitutional amendment, the
binding force of which is universally ad-
mltted for, although we are not represent
ed in the Congress by which it was proposed,
the failure to be so represented was our own
choice. The condition of the freedman
among us, and the policy to be adopted with
regard to them, will be recognized BY you
as calling for the exercise of the highest
faculties Of statesmen and the best feelings
Of the Christian philanthropist


The General Assembly OF Virginia is en-
gagged earnestly in the consideration Of these
subjects, and in anticipation Of the results
OF their labOrs we can only say that what
ever policy may be adopted will be ad-
ministered in good faith, with good feeling,
to the Improvements Of the physical relation
and moral condition of the freedmen. You
can understand, and viii readily believe,
that the feelings of our people toward these
freedmen are those of kindness, sympathy
and good will, and that to treat them witk
harshness or injustice is opposed as much to
our feelings as it is to our interests and our
sense of right. 1 e


The policy pursued by you, Mr.. President,
towards Virginia and other States in like
condition, has its strong foundation in the
broad and comprehensive views of consti-
tutIOnal rights and Of national society, and
must look for its ultimate success upon
the conservative sense of Justice Of the
people of all the States. 1t is due
however to you and to our people 70 assure q
you that when our general assembly de-
elares the approval of that policy by the
people of Virginia, they express what
each one of this committee here present
knows to be a living truth. It happens that
your position places you between Us and .
threatened danger, and the general assem-
bly, have but given voice to the real feelings
of our people when they render to you the
warmest thanks of Virginia for the firm
stand you have taken against the policy
which is proposed TO change the funda-
mental law. We would not, however, claim
as the only or even the chief merit Of the
course you are taking that it affords to Us
protection in a time of trouble. 1t is for an
exposition of the general Constitution that
you deserve and command the eonfdence1
and support Of the people Of the United
States and it Will be hereafter remembered
as your highest claim to the character Of
republican statesman that under all the try
ing circumstances by which you are sur
rounded you have not only proclaimed the
Constitution Of the United States 10. be the
supreme law of the land, but have defended
it alike from violationsand from innovation
RESPONSE OF The President 10 THE VIRGINIA


LEGISLATIVE DELsGATfoN.


The President in reply said I shall not
attempt to make a formal speech but sim
ply enter into plain conversation in regard
to the condition Of things in which we stand.


Permit me first to tender you my
thanks for thisvisit and next to ex-
press the great qualification l feel
in meeting so many intelligent, responsible
and respectable men of Virginia bearing TO
me the sentiments which have been ex-
pressed in the resolutions of your LegislA-
ture, and the remarks accompanying them.
They are so far as they refer to the Copsti-
tuition of the country, the sentiments and


the principles embraced in that charter Of
the government. The preservation of the


Union has been from my entrance into pub
lie duty one of my cardinal tenets At the


very first outbreak of the rebellion set my


face against the dissolution Of the union Of


the States. do not make this allusion for


the purpose of bringing up anything which
/ has transpired which may be regarded as Of
| an unkind or unpleasant character, but


believed then and do now, and as you have


most unmistakebly indicated, that security


and the protection of the rights of all peo-
pie were TO be found in the Union Upon


this conviction based my oppOsition to the
efforts which were made to destroy the
Union. have continued those efforts, not
/ withstanding the perils through which I
| have passed, and you are not unaware that


the trial has been a severe one. When op-


position to the government came from one


section of the country, and that the section


in which my life had been passed, and with


which my interests were Unidentified, stood


as / stand now contending for the Union as


afording the best and snnest way 10 obtain
our rights and to protect our interests


to remain in the Union under the protec-
tion ofthe Constitution. The ordeal through
which we have passed during the last four
or five years demonstrates most conclusive
ly that that Posltion as right 9- and te-asSa
failed, after the demonstration has been


most eonciusively afforded that this Union


cannot be dissolved, that it was not de-


signed TO be dissolved, it is extremely graf
| flying 10 me to meet gentlemen as intelli-
| gent and as responsible as yourselves who
| are willing and anxious to secept and do


accept the terms laid down in the COnstitn-
/ ton and obedience to the laws made in pur-
suance thereof The separation was to me
painful in the extreme but now, after we
have gone through a struggle in which the
| powers of the Government have been tried,
when we have swung around to point at
which we meet to agrSe and are willing to


unite our efforts for the preservation Of


government which l believe is the best in
the world, it is exceedingly gratifying TO


me to meet you to-day standing upon com--
| mon ground and rallying around the Con-
| stitution and the Union Of these States, the
| preservation of which, as I eonseientiously
I and honestly believe, will result In the pro-


motion and the advancement of their peo-
pie. 1 repeat, 1 am gratifed 70 meet you
to-day expressing the principles and an


nouncing the sentiments to whieh you have
given utterance, and I trust that this ocea-


sion will long be remembered.


have M douht that zosy irfankir,.