t?i»X;?"/:'t;vv^:i>.-^; '.-Vk -"K^-i, ••- BY THE SENATE, January 23d, 1865. 2,000 copies ordered to "be printed. ADDRE S S OF Hon. CHRISTOPHEK C. COX, ^itnitnnni (Btuvtvnj^Vy DELIVERED IN THE SENATE CHAMBER, ANNAPOLIS, JANUARY 11th, 1865. ANNAPOLIS: RICHAED P. BAYLY, PKINTER. 1865. or FU5 ADDRESS. Senators: — It is my pride and pleasure, upon the thresh- old of the new duties I am about to assume, to congratulate you, as I do most cordially, upon the auspicious prospect which, at the opening of the present year, is revealed to our gratified vision. A long and sanguinary civil strife has been attended by the usually chequered fortunes of war, and, at times, clouds of. gloom have hung heavily around the hearts and homes of the loyal citizens of the republic, as disaster upon disaster has fol- lowed the march of the brave armies of the Union ; but, in the darkest hour of the nation's peril, faith in ultimate tri- umph has continued to animate the breasts of patriotic men, both in council and field, until the realization of hope and the result of self-sacrificing efibrt have dawned at length, to be succeeded by the full splendor of perfect success. The dwel- lers in the vales of Alpland linger in the shadows of night, while far above them the morning sun gilds the summit of Mount Blanc ; and thus we, in the oft-gathering gloom, have been enabled to descry, above and beyond the clouds surround- ing us, the dawning glory of a restored nationality. Living, as we in Maryland do, under the old flag, anchored, as we still are, thank God, to the beneficent Government of our Fathers, and, therefore, presumed to be solicitous for the safety and perpetuity of our time-honored and blood- bought institutions, the prospect of a peace, not compromised or patched up, but conquered and enduring, must be a subject for the most fervent congratulation, as well as of heartfelt gratitude to the Great Disposer of human events. But the war is not concluded ; and the zeal, sacrifice and energy which have been so lavishly bestowed upon the cause of the Union, must not be, for a single instant, remitted. We shall be deeply and inexcusably culpable if we fail to use every proper means within our reach to bring to a speedy end this frightful revolt, and re-establish the nationality at which it strikes. Every agency must be exhausted, every personal sacrifice ofiered, before we should be willing to entertain, as possible, the fact of dismemberment ; the dissolution of the bonds of the Union ; the final decline and overthrow of the Government. Such spirit and determination will alone nerve the strong arm which is surely stifling the rebellion, and which no earthly power can arrest or paralyze in its gigantic struffSfle for the right. '&&' The animating spirit of the conspiracy, the implacable en- emy that seeks the life of the Republic, is Slavery ; and now that the issue has been forced upon us, the destruction of this great evil has become an imperative necessity, an inevitable measure of self-defence. Its overthrow is demanded as the only guarantee for national security, now or hereafter. It originated and has sustained the rebellion, and it would be the grossest solecism to attempt the security of peace by ad- hering to and maintaining the cause of war. The clans of the Northmen were in the habit of lighting fires upon the highest summits of their wild land, that each might know that the flame of liberty was still alive and burn- ing in the breasts of the other. So^ here, upon this soil of Maryland, consecrated long since to religious liberty, have we kindled the fires of civil freedom, to be followed by similar conflagrations, I trust, in every State of this broad Union. Accept, then, my salutations. Senators, upon the new atti- tude taken by our dear old Commonwealth. Other States have gradually emancipated their slaves, and thus relieved themselves of the disadvantages of the institution, but Mary- land has accomplished the whole work at once. She has struck down, with one blow, the coUossal evil in her midst, and advanced, untrammelled, upon the open path to honor and success. Let us reflect that we have entered into a field of labor demanding all our wisdom, energy and perseverance. If we would act with patriotism, philosophy and stateman- ship, we must meet the difiiculties before us promptly, com- prehensively, honestly. In this march of freedom there must be no step backward. To recede would be worse than igno- miny. Order, prosperity and progress will succeed to patient perseverance in the right course — anarchy, adversity and con- tinued strife, as certainly to a policy of compromise and va- cillation. We have wiped from our escutcheon the defacing blot of slavery — the incubus which has paralyzed our mem- bers and stifled our resources, has been lifted ofl". We have taken a brave, manly, open stand for human liberty, and we must not cease the struggle until we have laid deep in the soil of our State the foundations, strong and broad, of endur- ing tranquillity and ever-expanding prosperity. We are upon the treshold of the first legisLitive session under the free Constitution, formed and ratified by the peo- pie. Let us elevate ourselves to the magnitude of the work before us. The letter of that instrument is nothing if the animating principle be absent. We must not only be charged 5 ourselves with its spirit and aims, but penetrate the popular mind everywhere with the same ardor and resolve. Let there he no dalliance, no compromise, with the old wrong. The dead past must be buried ; obsolete and effete ideas and dog- mas thrown far behind us ; and this great scheme of eman- cipation, so nobly inaugurated and so promising of good, pushed steadily and perseveringly forward to its true logical results. Our favorable geographical relations and undevel- oped mineral and vegetable resources, so appropriately al- luded to in the recent message of your present able and patriotic Governor must, under the wholesome influence of free labor, at no very remote period, make Maryland a powerful and prosperous State. Invoking, therefore, the blessings of that Being, whose hand has been visible in all our struggles for National life, let us, merging all differences and burying all personal animosities, unite in opening for our grand old State, a high, expanded, pathway, upon which she may travel in undiminished lustre, usefulness and success for centuries to come. To the novel position with which I am charged as President of the Senate, I bear the most sincere desire to perform its duties with promptness and precision^ but I fear, with very moderate qualifications for the task. Wholly inexperienced in the practical duties of legislation, I shall, not unfrequenfcly, be compelled to cast myself upon your indulgence. In return, while endeavoring to act promptly and impartially, I hope never to be discovered deficient, for an instant, in the cour- tesy and consideration eminently due each and every member of this honorable body. In the course of the session, conflicting opinions, upon topics of public concern, may, sometimes^ lead to ardent and excit- ing discussion, but let it be remembered that personalities should ever be assiduously avoided. No one, I am sure, will be inclined to forget that the Senate Chamber is regarded by the outside world as the model of legislative propriety, dig- nity and gentlemanly bearing. Praying that you may enjoy a pleasant sojourn in the "ancient city," and find cheerful homes and happy hearts at its close, I now enter upon the prescribed duties of my office. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 006 801 389 6