The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1870-01-29
Virginia Restored.

Ihc announcement of the fact was the
signal for great rejoicing ut Richmond
A salute of a hundred guns was fred in
honorso the soyent. Several thousand
persons were present. National flags
We're raised on the capitol. Governor
Walker maac a speech congratula,ing
the people and predicting glorious fu-
tuie for the State. jgsf
A oolored conservative made a speech
to the same effect.
Concession after concession was made.
and Virginia is admitted, upon terms, to
the Uiiion, of which, free soyerei n,
she contributed so largely to establish,
and which she adorned. The Another
of President" the houe and the grave
of Washington; subjected TO terms, aud
permitted to return, to her allegiance to
( her ccnquerors!
!. Alas! days of yorc, notions, of State
rights, obligations Of contracts, reooeni.
tion oftrights, of sovereigns, spirit Of the
Constitution, alas! all these, where arc
they Echo answers, They are glim-
mering with the things that were The
genius of this Union, methinks, must
hover around the grave of Washington;
as the whole theory aud fact of its exis.
tence is associated with his name; aud
yet how unnatural, how passing strange
this spot, hnllowed with its associations,
identified in its wreathed memory of pa.
triotism, would be reduced to the status
of territory. Stripped of her SOW
eroign rights and prerogativcs and hum
bled conquered suppliant, Virginia
pleads of her couquerors, and is read
nitted by their su8erance, TO the posi-.
tion of her rights.
Changed, changed be thy device, Vir-
ginia, aud; instead of defiance and tri.
umph, express in bcauteous and eloquent
symbol, the language Of spppliancc and
appeal.
Instead of the attitude of erect ricto-
ry, thy heel upon the tyrnnt's neck, pros
trate, prone upon the earth assume that
of supplieation, kneeling bring the re-
cord Of thy devotion to the Union of the |
past, hear in thy arms, and resting on
thy bosom the urns, wherein the ashes
of thy sons, the Presidents are stored. |
And around the eloquent device, bo
engrayen no longer the proud motto,
aThus to tyrants!" but changed, alas
let the cireumscrirtion read 1" Vae Ec-
fes ~ Wo to the conquered
How times change, aud relative posi-
tions alter | The sovereign, the peer of |
yesterday, becomes the suppliant of to-
day 1.-The wrong of yesterday is the
right to-day s
Pointing to the establishment of this
Union of States, this compact of SOW
ereigus, like thine own Washington,
athe first in war, the first in peace" re-
hearsiag the history of thy country, of
which you may say, "quoruns magma
pars fa," let these plead for thee, yir-
ginia, and thy sister States, once thy
equals, now thy eoDqaerors cannot resist
the appeal. They may impose condi-
tions, revolving to the logic of the past,
but still they will admit her.
Where is he now, who talks of love
for this great Union? Are not all its
tendesest, hottest, brightest associations
wieathed around Virginia are not its
relics, its archives, deposited with her,
does not its great father sleep meath her
soil And yet, these lovers and perpet-
nators of their Union, would revel over
humiliation, would reduce her to con-
quered territory, would turn the spirit
and tenor Of its Constitution, into an In
strument of rufian force, and apply its
keenest edge to her bosom.
Methinks this love for this great
Union, is the canting hlasphemy of the
holy name Of patriotism The spirit of
this Union has departed, and its love is
CHANGED TO an unholy thing Mono love
this Union Those States which have
coeroed their sister States, love not the
Union, but they love the tribute Of sup-
pliance and of wealth cxtorted from
them. II. -,
F.