The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-06-22

EDldtt III iii' pNbNiih ssh''
he is only half protected; perhaps all his
power to assert his rights and redress
his wrongs may be lost.
fy the term agencies in this connec.
ton, embrace all the officers known to
the laws of The Federal and State gov
ernments, as agents and servants of the
people, to perform the public duties as
signed them by the laws. The assist
ance or service of these agencies is one
of the natural rights of the citizen; and
according to our theory of government,
sovereignty resides in the people, and by
the exercise of that sovereignty, they
create the offices and appoint the per-
sons to fill them, directly or indirectly.
The people of State may be divided
into two classes during rebellion, the
one class loyal, the other disloyal: The
loyal are the true and faithful to the gov
eminent; the Gisoyal are the unfaithful,
and those in opposition to the govern
ment The loyal are emit tiled to the pro-
lection of the governmel1; the disloyal
are not entitled to the protection, butare
subjects of the punishment denounced
by the laws against those who disObey.
The loyal have natural duties and natu-
raj rights. The disloyal have forfeited
their rights by their acts; any favor eX-
tended TO them is by the grace OF bene-
fcent government.
Now, as before stated, Governor Letch-
er was inaugurated the firstday of .janu-
airy, 1860; in May, 1861, with all the of
ficers known to the constitution and
laws of the State who could succeed him
and nearly all the officers of the State,
civil and military, became disloyal, and
engaged i'm a rebellious war against the
loyal people of the State and of the
United States.
BY the third section of the sixth article
of the Constitution of the UnitedState
it is provided that call executive and
judicial officers, both of the United
States and of the several States, shall.be
bound by oath or affirmation to support
this Constitution These officers were
elected and qualified under the Consti-
tuition of the United States and the con-
stitution and laws OF Virginia, recognize
ing the Constitution of the United States
as the supreme law of the land. II is a
legitimate conclusion that, when these
officers thus elected and qualified quit
their allegiance, ,and sought to use the
power thus acquired to subject the loyal
people, with their property in the State,
to allegiance to, and the uses of, Il foreign
government, itheir offices became vacant.
In our Declaration of Independence 1t is
stated, in relation to George the Third
"He has abdicated government here by
declaring us out of his protection and
waging war against u.s." John Letcher
declared the loyal people of the state
out OF his protection, and waged war
against them.
Here was Il convulsion in the body
polite OF the state, which had swept
naway all the agencies of the State to
which the loyal people had. a right to
look for protection in other words, the
car of State had stopped, as far as they
were concerned, and all measures of pro-
lection and redress were stayed for want
of agents to run it. Thus situated, they
proceeded i'll the mode common in q re-
publican government in organizing a
State, by a convention representing the
loyal people of the State, TO appoint the
necessary agencies for carrying on the
|government'un the existing consti-
tuition and laws of the State for the pro-
|tection of the people. This was essential
z to enable the people to- discharge their
duties to the government, both by con-
tributing of their money and soldiers to
its support.
The erection of the State of West Vir-
ginia within the bounds OF the old State
was an act growing out of the domestic
violence inaugurated in that State. 1t
passed through the forms of legislation
prescribed in the Constitution of the
limited States for. the formation of new
State, ard is now one of the States of this
Union, and is upon the same footing
with Kentucky, which was once em-
braced within our limits.
D At the commencement OF the war
neither the government nor the people
|of the United States contemplated any
interference with the institution Of
Slavery; but in the progress of events
the sentiments of the people underwent
"a change, and the President acting in
conformity with their wishes, notified
the people of the Southern States that
unless they returned to their allegiance
within one hundred days, he would is
lsue a proclamation emancipating their
|slaves. You know the result. The pro-
Exclamation was issued. Negro troops were
put into the field by the Federal govern
ment. BY bravery in battle they vindi-
Gated their manhood, and dissipated the
prejudices against them on both sides.
This was fully manifested by acts of re-
preventative bodies at Washington and
Richmond. These acts settle the status
Pof the African race in the United States
for all time The whole nation was re-
presented by two bodies-one represent
ing freedom, the other the. idea that
slavery was a divine institution; eacls
kpntending for National existence; each,
the darkest hour of peril, called upon
\ slave to bear his arm and expose his
east to the shafts of death each offer
freedom as the greatest indictment to
eroic action Thus slavery is disposed
by the logical events of war.
The conduct of the American slave
within the Confederate lines during the
period through which we have just
passed is one of the remarkable features
| of history Not an instance of insurrecs
\tion against their masters occurred dH
ling the strife, though fully informed of
proclamation of freedom, and ardent
v desiring it; they were subordinate
andi obedient to their masters. Their
faith was in God: like Israel at the Red
sea, they stood still and saw the saliva
proct'nation ~ jhe President of the
Untee STAKES, .trIny under his COM
mahd WIS charged ia see that it was
obeNed ltwa the dRty Of the officers
~ i9'o cestefftt s,oyernment of Virginia
..Adel Us constitution and laws, to en-
/f0rce the slave laws of the State. This
brought them in conflict with the United
States authorities. TWAS acknowledged
! by all that il the government of the