Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1861-04-18
spleen sf nos. wn. c. Rie...

Ths speech Of the Hon. ws.~GT -,
Ia -Is.ss CesisSsnce ,ssaHa FE %
Usion, delivered IN Richs - 2 *
March Last, has jsss been pan, g .
the AlexAndrsa Ga,stfe says n
and deserves to be cxs>asiyeiy c-A -
rcadiby the r~hecting people Of oaru,eb.r. ,b.
leesA prvests its re-pubii-asio. In pmodAte
umns; but-we make room aios tAe epad with
remarks. whieh srs - just ~ shsy ass sieql
md which make . strosg appeal 70 shs fleliAs
~ wsll - the Judgement of-our cisiScs;
.The great QUESTION for - ns~, Il what Yir-
ginia u to dol Shall che, too. sscesie, and re-
nouncing all hope or w,sh for the preservation
o. che Union, become the tail Of . Soutbern
Coniederscyf Or shnif she place herself at the
YiTss tscrsier slave States. and With sl,eis eoe-
cert and cooperation open tbs way 10 tie re-
Indignation of de Unfoa-s e - 49, .
This ancient Cs.s~eaweaIth pf oars has yasy.
Cd great rois in hi.tosy. Shs'4as yet esses.
roe 20 play. III We revert 10 hsr psst. we Ill
edged leader IN sii those nsxked srd eSsra1sur-
ftic nosements wkseh. - >sic4ss> pe=sul1 ~
our history. hass looked fS4Ee un;osa Of Anser-
iee, for American liberty s,d~ grestnss>-s In
TIA .he "a. Ae 6rt % Prorpss = coegrsss Of
pepat,es from AL - calea.essto dstbsr.is
~
.s. sbe ~. shs frss 10 move 10 asulas.<ira af
American Indcpcndence by. - nsissd srs %
the assembled Stafcs- In l717. shr was The
inst to sign thoss articIes Of Conf<derstisss
whichsplrdsua ths SfssSs 90 - fsn 81 pefpes.
sai association vi.e sacA sfsss fsr ~ esasea
ths,s mataAl en4 gsneral wrifArsy Ip- I-85,
who thosc ARTICLES were fopnd inaasQuste- Tor
their object, hvns she wbo proppse5the Coa-
.ensson st Apnapesi.. 70 stvsEthen SD eQlzrge
ihsss, and. IN l7s6. she 80 isd the e.f ske
sRPoistnset os deputies 20 ths coavsniiaa ar
PhiIadeiphia, for The purpose Of forming . pew
Consultation, more adequate 20 tie ekieencies
cf the Union;" and e was I'm thaa Coaxcn-
ton, m0fs than any OF al Others. who. by shc
wisdom and influence of her sons, fornsed tbs
Conrtitation under which we now live. and have
hitherto lived. in unpafaIlcled prosperity aud
happiness. Tor more than fhrcs-fsarirrz Of . cen
tury. A watrhful and even j..ious guardian,
at all times. Of the rights Of the Staics che has
never failed 10 rally TO the support of The Cnion
whenever IL has been thrratsncd hy dnaacction-
in any quarter. whether at thc North or the
Sotrth, Rs well against New England in lsO6
and 1914, m against South Carolina in 1883
and $50.
she cannot, then, without blotting out all her
past history, now jnin in the unnaturni work
OF subverting those gloriois Institutions which
she hns had 80 large and noble n part in bull
ding up and strengthenins. Her heart, her
field. have ever been devoted 10 the great cause
OF American Liberty and Uaion. -No pcntup
Utica" has narrowed and confiied her powers.
Her Washington, her Jefferson, her Madison
her Pendleton, her Wythe, her Marshail and a
long list of her illustFious sons have spent the
prime of their days in laboring for the develop
mcnt Of hiy national s.ai.,y one ard sss.lissi-
bic, and their iast prayers have been breAtised
for the pcrpetuity OF the American Union
You must not only trample in the dsst the
Stars and stripes, the conseerated symbol of
our national power and renoun-as sosns have
already done in the saGrilegious madness Of the
hourEbut Virginia must firsf strike from her
calendar all those immortal names have men-
toned, with their compatriot worthies; sine
mnst raze to the ground the proudest monument
Of her glory, before she can enter upon the
dreaTy aud untTodden paths to which she is
bcckonc'l. let her not obey u spicious
summons. Let her perscVerc in the paths
which our fathers trod, under the guidance Of
patriots and sasses and beroc~ whom they rev.
ercnced. As they trusted. IL is hers TO preserve
this glorious Union. which = c 30 largely cootii
butcd 60 form. She has n moral power 60 do 10
which other State possesses.
But AZ in an ill-omened hour she shalt incline
To other couRsels, let her remember that the
process OF dissolution ard division once eoEn-
meneed has assignablc limits-that new
and separate Confeieracy sprung from scces-
sion must fall to pieces under the opera
ton Of the same disintcgrating principle that
endless feuds and strifes will iollow-and that
We have no warrant for believing that the laws
of history, a. We read them in The throeS and
cOnyuisOns Of revolutionary France. or in the
anarchy and turbulence Of our Mexican and
South american neighbors, will be saddeuiy ~
yersed in our favor"