The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1869-07-02
THE QUESTION LAID BARE.

IN part OF the following from th
: Columbus tGa.) Enquirer there is NOR
!, solid sense and logical argument tina
: we nave before met with in a Souther
, exchange. 1t is the first attempt wor
: thy OF the name that we have seen to
wards interpreting the meaning of til
rising "natlonal" Issues;
I'll the proposition to adopt the mo
narchieal form of government become
prominent one in our day, it will b.
because OF It's advocacy by the bond
holders, and their resort to it to pre-
vent reputation. We will not be mucl
surprised if they force TIE issue of
monarchy and perpetuation of a debt
or republic and the reputation OF it
Does any Southern man doubt as t.
when side he would espouse in an is
sue oil the kind? Depend upon it, the
question of monarchy can only in thi!
way become one for the people, ant
when 1t is thus presented we have moi
doubt that it will result in the re-es.
adjustment of the first principles of the
government and the relief of the coun.
Try from burden of debt that now Sc
greatly embarresSes it."
"A monarchy and a perpetuation oil
the de5t, or republic and the repudi-
alton of it."
There the issue, as it will affect the
North, is presented in a nutshell.
Which side shall Southern man es-
pouse? Neither, il he consults his own
| good and his self respect. As far as
our own suggestions so, they certainly
| would be for the republic and repudia-
tion; provided, always, that we be given
sufficient guarantee that true republi-
| will ha
| stored.
The nondescript thing that rules us
to-day is not Republic, and we pre-
fer, to its rule, that even Of the Sultan
| of Turkey.
AS for the re-establishment of the
first principles of the government, they
who entertain such hope, have very
little appreciation of the meaning OF
recent events.
The principles of government once
overthrown and trampled in the dust,
by violent revolution, are never re-
established.
Vain were the efforts made after the
great wars of Sylla and Marius to re-
establish the principles of the Roman
Republic. The restoration of the Stu
arts to the throne of England was not
and could not have been the restoration
of the principles of the government of
Charles ]. And yet Charles IL. took
possession OF his ancestral throne I'M
fettered by single pledge.
A similar result occurred In France
when the Bourbons were restored at
the point of the allied bayonets. Vain
were all their efforts to re-establish the
old regime.
In all ages there have been found
men who, consulting their wishes more
than their Judgment, have entertained
the hope of restoring what had been
swept away by the hurricane of revolu-
tion.
Even in case where despotic power
was in the hands OF would be resiorers,
their efforts have been attended with |
signal failure.
Necessarily so, for revolutions not |
only destroy, but they create.
The man or party that attempts in |
such periods to restore the old order of |
things is met not only with the difficult
ty of revivifying dead institutions, but
of dealing with the new elements that
came into beng during the raging of
the storm. Hence the task of restora-
tion becomes an impossible one. And
why should we expect it to be other
wise? All that we see around us is
subject to continual change. We dwell
Upon shifting sands. Forever chang
ng ourselves how can we hope to es-
ablish institutions that shall not be
subject to the great law of the universe
The law OF change? Since we failed
10 preserve intact the Institutions of
,ur fathers, what reasonable hope have
We that we shall prove equal TO the far
more difficult task OF restoring them P
lany man of fortune finds difficulty
II preserving his fortune. How much
more difficulty in restoring his fortune
yhen he once loses it? Indeed he can
ever restore it, but he may build up
ew fortune in its place.
As with men. so with nations. The
orthern people may possibly prove, I
fter one more civil war, competent to '
uild up "a form of government chat
ill meet the demands of the new or 7
er of things. A for restoring the old q
-as for even galvanizing the dead past
Ito life again-that they cannot do G
ow then can the paroled prisoners of a
he Northern people expect to do for I
lelr conquerors what their conquer
rs cannot do Tor themselves?
No individual in the South, outside g
lunatic asylum or newspaper of +
&c, expects or processes to perform !.
~ such role. But the editors who v
axe the attempt are named legion L
rotessing to be the teachers and lead Y,
s of the people they ought to be ston- u
to death, either for their ignorance e
their hypocrisy. Mobile Tribune. al