Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-12-21
Massachusetts, and Virginia.--A Contrast
n T,,prpp.O>,
In MS NOleS VI IN
sDaaks a. follows:

In his Notes OF virginia, MI 'Efk Lr'7'-'
speaks as follows:
The Legislature of Virginia happened to he IN
session in Williamsburg, when the news was rece'SSu
of the passage, by the British Parliament oil Tue
Boston Port Bill which was TO take eject on tue ~
day Of June then ensuing.
The House Of Burgesses thereupOn passed 4 re-
solution recommending TO their tellow-cltizenS that
that day should be set apart Tor lasting anu PLa2C
10 the Supreme Being, imploring him 70 avert the
calamties then threatening us, and to give US Que
heart and one mind TO oppose every invasion oil our
liberties. The next day, May 2Oth, INA the Cover
nor dissolved us. /
Immediately repaired to q room in the Raleigh
tavern, about one hundred PAGES distant nom the
Capitol formed ourselves into a meeting, Peytoh
Randolph I'm the chair and came 10 resolutions, Tie
claring that attack on one colony 10 enforce ar
btrary acts ought TO he considered rs an attack ON
all and 10 be opposed BY the united wisdom or all
We therefore. appointed a committee OF correspon-
dence 70 address letters to the Speakers oil the sew
eral Houses Of Representatives, OF the Colonies pro-
posing the appointment OF deputies rom ieach, 20
meet annually in general Congress, to deliberate
on the common interests and on the measures to he
pursued in common. The members then separatedtO
their several homes, except those Of the committee
who met the next day, prepared letters according 10
instructions, aud despatched them by messengers
express 70 their several destinations II had been
agreed. also, by the meeting, that the BurgeS>es-
who should be elected under writs then issuing,
should be requested 10 meet in convention on GER
tain day in August % learn the result of these let
ters aud to appoint delegates to Congress, should
that measure be approved by the other colonies. NJ
the election the people reelected every man OF the
former assembly, rs proof OF their appreciation 'I
what they had done
Virginia not only did this; while Boston still
held out she sent her troops 10 the assistance OF
the Bostonians, all the way on foot. Among them
was MoRGAN's celebrated rife regiment which,
throughout the war, did as much service sany
other body of troops of the same size. The
/ disturbances in Boston in no way affected ' IT.
/ ginia. AT the time indicated, she Lad never
been oppressed by any law of Parliament or
any proclamation Of the King in Council She
had nothing to complain OF. The mother
country was dssirious to retain her, and in or
der to do so, would have granted her any favor
she desired. But it was enough for her that
a sister colony had been oppressed. She re-
PEELED all advances OF the Crown, aud cast in her
; lot with that of Massachusetts. The fact is,
that so far from iniuring Virginia, the mme-
date act which brought on the proceedings
described by Mr.. JEFFERSON, was calculated to
be of great service TO her. The closing of the
mort of Boston could not but drive 4 large mass
of commerce TO the Virginia seaboard towns
But she was above all calculations of interest
in an affair of so much Importance to a sister
colony. She embraced her cause without
spending one thought upon the consequences
to herself
There can be no doubt that the action here
recorded was the turning point in the earlier
history of the revolution, and that it saved
Massachusetts, from absolute subjugation Had
Virginia remained passive, neither Maryland
nor the Carolinas, nor Georgia, would have de-
elared against the King. They all followed
her lead for she was, at the time, not only the
largest and most pOpulous of all the colonies
but.the richest and most influential also. HaC
she held alOof, Massachusetts, would have beer
without friends outside Of New England, fol
the Legislature of New York was loyal, and
the Legislature of Pennsylvania Quaker. II
was, indeed, through her influence and sohei-
tation that these two States we're at last drawn