Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1860-11-30

The Virginia journals bring us the
suhjoined patriotic letter from the pen
of the Hon. William G. Rives. The
allusion it makes to the language held
in the resolutions of '98 and so serves
to show that those famous declarations,
so much nsisquoted by junior politicians
at the present day, arc truly aprchcnd-
cd by the scholary y statesman of Vir-
ginia:
CASTLE HILL, SEPT. II, 1860.
My Dear Sir: On my arrival at home
day or two ago l had the honor to re-
ceive your letter of the 18th instant, in
forming me that it is proposed to hold
Il mass meeting of the friend, Of Bell
and Everett in Charlottesville on the
25tl and 26th instant, sat which many
of the most eloquent speakers of the
State arc expected to he present, and
that it is the wish of the Central Com
mittcc that | should preside over the pro-
cccdings, and open them with an ad-
dress"
| cannot but feel how fattering such
Il request is, and | beg you to express to
the committee my most grateful sense
of it. My warmcst sympatlics are with
them in the great public cause they
have cspouscd; and rejoice to believe
that the time is at hand when the con-
stitutional and conservative principles
they profess will receive a solemn, reit-
Grated sanction from the people of our
ancient Commonwealth.
Virginia has ever been distinguished
as foremost among the States in herrc-
sistancc to all invaslons of the Consti-
tuition by acts of umdclcgatcd or usurp-
ell power; but the shield she has OPP
posed to these cncroachmcnts has al
ways been that of the Constitution itself.
Mark her language of earnest and unaf-
fcctcd loyalty to the Constitution and
the Union in her memorable resolutions
of 1898, by which she inauguratod a sue
cessful, constitutional resistance to those
fragrant acts of Federal usurpation-
the Alien and Sedtion Laws:
"Thc General Assembly of Virginia
doth uncquivocally express a firm reso-
luton to maintain and defend the Con-
stitution of the United States" "This
Assembly most solcmnly declares Il
warm attachment to the Union of these
States, to maintain which it pledges all
its powers" "The good people of this
Commonwealth. hass having AZ ever fell, and
continuing to feel, the most sincere at
tachmcnt to their brethren of the other
States. the trucst anxiety for establish
ing and perpctuating the union of all,
and the most scr,pulous fidelity to the
Constitution, which is the pledge of
mutual friendship and the instrument
of mutual happiness, doth solcmnly.ap-
peal to the like dispositions of the other
States"
What striking contrast docs this
noble and manly language present to
the threats we hear daily of dissolving
the Union founded by the anxious care
and wisdom of our fathers, not for act
ual, but contingent or speculative
wrongs: to the elaborate and dperscvering
efforts to dccry the Constitution itself,
as fiaught with injustice and oppression;
to the avowal of II deliberate policy, by
means of agitation, "to precipitatc the
South into revolutions" and to the open
patronage of disorganizing theories and
projects which, in strange spirit of
contradiction, propose the vindication
of rights under compact by the rcpu-
diation and the destruction Of the com-
pact itself!
Profoundly convinced, as I am, by
the reflections and experience Of life
now past ITS meridian, that the true IN
tercsts of all the States-of Virginia,
from her peculiar position, especially
will ever be found in the maintenance
Of our Constitutional Union, and that
there are no evils of misgovcrnmcn or
mal-administration likely to arise for
which the multiplied defensive resources
of our admirable fedcrative system will
not, in duo time, afford peaceablc and
ctficacious remedies, I feel patriotic
satisfaction, which have no words to cx-
press, at tho prospect that now lies be-
fore us Of solid and controlling union
of public sentiment in Virginia Oh tho
basis of these great principles. A large
portion of our Democratic fellow-citi-
zcns, it is now evident, agree with us
fully in these sentiments; and however
different party flags may be for a season,
there must be ultimately union of action
where there is identity of principle on
n question 80 paramount and vital.
Henceforward, then, we may hope
that Virginia, continuing with undis-
mayed tirmncss to repel, as shehas ever
done, every unhallowed attempt at in
reference with the domcsticinstitutions
or the reserved ri ghts of the States, will