t of place, I very well know, in
such a Conference as this; but accident has brought me here, and I
will tell you how and why I came. Three weeks ago I left my
business--which in times like these certainly deserves all my
attention--to come to the city of Washington on business of a public
character. I came at the suggestion and request of the Chamber of
Commerce of New York, hoping, in my humble way, to serve the public
interests in this crisis. Inconvenient though it was, and involving
personal sacrifices of no ordinary character, when others thought my
country had need of my poor services, I did not hesitate to respond to
her call. And I hope I may never hesitate under such circumstances.

I came here to visit Congress, as a member of a committee, bearing a
petition to that body signed by more than thirty-nine thousand of my
fellow-citizens, all interested in the welfare and permanence of this
Government. This number included more than twenty thousand business
men and firms. This petition was earnest and emphatic. In it, we asked
and prayed that Congress would adopt some plan that would settle our
present sectional troubles; that would relieve the country from the
anxiety and apprehension which pervaded it, and permit business and
commerce to resume their accustomed channels, with assurances of
safety in the future. We knew that the time had arrived when patriotic
men must act; that commercial and financial ruin was impending. Our
petition set forth, that in the opinion of the signers, the plan
contained in what were called the "Border State Resolutions" was best
calculated to secure the end desired. We thought those resolutions
ought to be satisfactory to the reasonable and true Union men of the
South, and that they ought not to be obnoxious to the prejudices or
objections of the people of the free States. Still we were not
strenuous--we were not committed to any particular plan. All we
desired, was to secure such action on the part of Congress and the
Executive, as would satisfy the country; such action as would give the
country peace.

When we came to Washington we met _seventy_ republican members of the
Senate and House of Representatives. We had with them a most
satisfactory and delightful interview. It gave me renewed hope for my
country and her interests when I heard the expressions of conciliation
and good will which these gentlemen used; I felt my confidence
renewed.

Besides these gentlemen, who met and