The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-07-08

late in March or early in April, 1861, tn
merchant princes and bankers Of the Nortl
made that first fatal loan to Mr. Lincoln
government, which enabled him to let loos
the demon Of war upon the Southern land
and stake all the rights, hopes and interest
Of thirty millions of people upon the tissue
Of CONFUSION and massacre" In view o
the social, personal and political ties, which
had SO long united the people of the Nortl
and South, the war thus undertaken was al
offence against humanity, which language il
| powerless to describe cit was crime S.
internal in its hue, that by contrast ever,
| other in the catalogue Of iniquity whiten
into virtue" But, however diabolical in it,
inception and its motives, the war thus en-
tered upon proved success, by the permits
sion, at least, as we are bound to believe, O
that Omnipotent and perfect Being, to whose
DEGREES it is our duty to bow ia humble and
unquestioning submission, and "Who do
eth all things we'll"
But however much we may lament the is
sue OF that dreadful and protracted contest
| however honestly some of us may believe
that it could have been and ought to have
been avoided, there is yet much connected
with itupon which we can dwell with honest
pride, We have just right to be proud Of
the signal display of all the high qualities
that adorn human nature by the people oil
the South, during those eventful four syear Of
trial and calamity. Even the tears, which
weshed over the martyred defenders of South
ern rights, are mingled with the thrill Of ex-
ultation and pride as we contemplate their
gallant deeds and glorious destiny. Heaven,
in its benignant mercy did not permit them
to live to witness the subjugation of their
country. 1t was their happy fate to die in
the discharge of the hottest duty of man
kind, their eyes eheered, even in death, by
the sight Of the banner of the free; and their
voices raised, for the last time on earth to
send over the field OF conflict and blood one
more proud hurrah for the SOUTHERN Con-
FEDERAcY. Their remains repose in the
bosom of that land they loved SO truly, in
defence Of which they yielded up their lives
Their spirits have returned to that awful and
bcnifcent Power whose creating fat called
them into existence Their names are writ
ten in characters of living light on the I'M
pcrishable roll of earth's illustrious sons
'On fames eternal camping ground
Their silent tents spread, . -
And glory guards, with solemn round,
The biyouac of the dead "a
Even in the hurried preparation of these
remarks, some consideration peculiarly and
especially connected with che State Of Vir-
ginia, its past history and position in the
Federal Union, its fate in the late struggle,
and its present condition have forced themsel-
yes with painful and intense interest upon my
2nd h MfFgg isaas has beer Tha raat
leader Of our armies, during the war Of the
revolution, drew his first breath upon her
soil Seven natives Of this Commonwealth,
four of them for period Of eight years, each
have occupied the Presidential chair of the
United States. In every department of the
government on every field of human enter
prise open to its citizens, Virginians have
nobly illustrated the character of their State,
and have shed undying honor on the mother
who bore them. The blood that flows in
the veins of her children came down from
the men who laid the foundations of the
greatness and glory Of the American Repub
lie. cit is the blood of race who have
never spared it when their country's cause
demanded its sacrifice In 1888, with an
uncalculating generosity which has never
been eIualed on CHS earth, Virginia, in or
der to remove all causes Of dissension among
the States then just emerged from the con-
file. with Great Bri in, c,ded gratuitously
to the old confederation her imperial domain
northwest of the Ohio river, from which the
States of Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana
and perhaps some others have since been
formed. At all events that territory now
contains population of seven or eight mil
lions Of people in the enjoyment of all the
elements Of peace, prosperity and power
Many of its inhabitants were emigrants or
the children Of emigrants from Virginia.
And in the late struggle, hundreds Of thous
ands Of troops from those States, in the ar
mics Of Mcclellan and Pope, Burnside and
Hooker, Meade and Grant, Sheridan and
Sherman repaid the munifcence Of the grand
Old Commonwealth, by invading her terrific
nv, ravasing her soil, spreading death and
desolation throughout her borders, ssand
tearing her limb from limb
$50 the struck eagle stretched upon the plain,
No more through rolling clouds to soar again,
Viewed his feather ON the fatal dart,
And wing'd the shaft that quiyered in his
heart
Keen were his pangs, but keener far to feel
He nursed the pinion which impelled the steel.
Whiethe same plumagc that had warmed his
nest,
Drank the last life-drop ofhis bleeding breast"
Eight years ago the State Of Virginia was
an equal member of the American Union,
having representatives in both branches Of
the national Iegisturc. Her people enjoyed
under her own State laws every conceivable
safe guard for the protection of life, liberty
and property. Now all is changed. We
are in the Union for purposes OF taxation,
but out Of it SO far as Representation in Con-
gross Or the control of our State Government
is concerned The supreme authority OF
what was once the State Of Vuyinia, the
home Of Washington, Henry, Madison and
Jefferson, is now lodged in the hands of
military officer deriving his authority to gov
ern this Commonwealth from the rcconstruc
ton acts, as they are called, ola Congress
in which the people Of this State had uelth-
er voice nor Representation.
Without troubling you with tedious details
of the political situation, it is clearly appar-
ent, think, that the rescue Of Virginia and
her sister States Of the South from the domi-
nation of radicals and negroes can only be