Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-04-02
The Government de Facto.

The central authority has, in the Supple
mentary BILL says the Richmond Enquirer, as
sumed the Office of executioner of its own de-
crees. The whole scheme for the destruction
of the governments of this and other States, is,
therefore, consistently violent from beginning
to end from its inception to its consummatio,,.
Unconstitutional and revolutionary throughout,
its whole responsibility will attach to the Con-
gressional action. 1t would have been other
wise, had the intermediate agency of State leg
islation, been rendered or allowed. The State
action would have been lawful, and would have
given to revolution the form of regularity, and
to the overthrow Of our liberties, the seal and
stamp of our own declared consent" partici-
patton, sanction and approval. 1t would be to
commit hari kari at the command of superior
power, instead of leaving it to execute its own
violence, apI bear the responsibility.
Obedience to the S. S. S. bill, as enforced by
the :. S. S. S. bill, is very different thing
islative participation in enacting and executing
it. The former we can render without dishon-
Or, for it is simply submission to q force which
it is impossible to resist The latter would dis
grace and degrade us, till the very name 'Vir-
ginia' would be ofensi0e to the nostris of all IN
tellsgent and decent people. F" See the Rich
mond Dispatch of January 10th, and possins ]
We would fervently pray that this bitter cup
might pass us by; but if we mast drink it, it is
comfort to know that it is not of our own COM
pounding that our own legislators, sworn to
observe our laws and maintain our constitution.
have had no part in its overthrow, and COM
mitted the State to no responsibility therefor
by declaring consent, and bearing hand in
the work. We can submit to hard fortune, and
retain our self-respect and the respect of the
world In the depths of our overwhelming
sorrow, it is pleasant to know that the name of
Virginia will still be loved by her sons. and
honored by the world, instead of being ''offen-
sive to the nostris of all intelligent and decent
men, through seHdegradation Let us never
cease to remember the difference between vol
untary degradation, and submission to over
powering violence; between shame and misfor-
tune.
In submitting, as individual citizens, to the
ole facto government which has been imposed
on Els, we incur no responsibility for it. The
citizen who may deposit his ballot under the S.
S. S. S. bill, does not thereby endorse the ex-
clusion of other legal voters, or the admission
of illegal votes. Such exclusion or admission
is not his act, or the effect of his vote. It is
entirely consistent, therefore, with selfrespect
and reverence for the State, for every citizen t1
| exercise such functions as are accorded to hin
in such manner as to ward off all avoidablt
evils, and secure every attainable good. Nay
it is duty to do so. Citizens who are allowed
to vote at the military elections should not fai
to do so; and all ought, by every judiciou
means, to labor to extract the least injuriou
results, from the overthrow of our government
by gu tside force Indeed the whole govern
ment, Federal as well as State, is no longer con
stitutiorlal, but revolutionary and de tacto, an(
the problem with every good citizen is, how tt
make the best of it without sharing the respon
sibility