Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-09-11
The Right OF Secession-General Lee
VINO Educated OUR Officers?

In an article upon the correspondence which
recently passed between Gen. Rosecran and
Gen. Lee and others, the New York Tribune
goes out OF its way to make the following low
attack upon General Lee:
"Rosecrans and Lee were alike educated at
West Point at the expense OF that Union, alike
taking solemn oath Of fidelity 10 that Unlon'
That oath Gen. Lee deliberately broke, to
plunge into a rebellion for which he at the time
declared, in letter to his sister, that there
was no Justification.
Gen. Lee might will have held that there
was no good reason for the secession OF Virgin
ia from the Union, and yet, when that scccs-
sion had been accom- lished so Tar as to make
it valid in his eyes, have drawn his sword IN
defence of her rights 1t was the belief OF our
people that Virginia had perfect right TO
secede from the Union. The World attempts
defence of General Lee in these words:
''The southern doctrine Of allegiance was no
doubt erroneous but it was nevertheless very
sincerely held. The theory Of Mr.. Calhoun had
been set forth by that powerful reasoner with
such acuteness and ingenuity that 1t comman-
ded the nearly universal assent OF the whole
southern mind and of General Lee among the
rest. By that theory allegiance was due pr-
marty to the State, and only through It TO the
Federal Government The citizen OF Virginia
was made citizen of the United States by the
free action of Virginia in ratlfylng the Constr
tuition: and it was claimed that she had the
same authority to unloose that she originally
had to bind. Now, as General Lee believed
this doctrine with all the sincerity of frank,
manly nature, what was his duty, as he under
| stood it, when his State came to secede? Clear
| ~, to go with his State, whatever his own prl-
vate Judgment might be respecting the cxpcdl-
cncy of her act. "
That is well said. The doctrine of our pco-
| ple in 1860 was that they owed allegiance to
| the y. S. Government only because the State
| of Virginia had commanded them to obey the
| laws of that Government, and that when Elr-
| ginia should command them no longer to re-
| spect those laws, they would still be bouad to
| obev Virginia. But the World does Virgin
ians great injustice in supposing that they
| learned this doctrine from Mr.. Calhoun They
| always held it. The celebrated Virginia aud
Kentucky resolutions affirmed it in the c!carcst
| language. Indeed, there cannot well have been
any period in the history of the State when our
| people did not as mass believe in the right OF
| secession. For when Virginia went into the
! Union she vent into it upon the terms written
| in the article of ratification, which was adopted
| on the 25th Of June, 1888, and has been re-
published in every copy Of the Code Of Virgin
ia which has appeared from that day to this.
Those terms we're:
1--WE, the delegates OF the people OF Virgin
| la, i = do, in the name and IN behalf
| OF the people OF Virginia, declare anc make
| known that the powers granted under TIC Con
| stitution, bcing derived from the people OF the
United States, may be resumed by the N hen
soever the same shall be perverted to their IL