The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-07
:. s,s n, rHoa first Phss.]

order, md peace? Have senator's SO soon
forgotten the result or disregard OF law as
experienced Ia France? Legislators tnoIe'
as here. proclaimed themselves aoose
courta. Judges, and kings, and suplcGt
only to-. the people. The people
heard, believed. aud acted. lnet ,a ano
ished the courts, dismissed tne JaIis s.es
executed the king, and ent6ronea tIc1', nN.s
What was the result to the legislator! houI-
spierre's head rolled upon ,ne same W v,yrA
which drank the royal blood OF LOUIS AVi
What was the result to the ropie1 farls
was Pandemonium vultures Hooked TO
Jvons, and the bowling Of corpse-fed dogs
,rss the only noise that broke the stiffness OF
La yende. Would senators inaugurate hero
the scenes there enactedf There must be
general obedience 70 law, or there will I've
anarchy. Z believe we have had enough
violation Of law for our generation. l
believe our only safety is to be found
within Its citadel. IL powerful and
free as We once were we might rely upon the
sword. but the conquered have no support
other than the etaG OF justice. shall not DC
one Of those TO break It. We know the law;
shall we obey It.? The Senator from Au-
custa says not, and assigns as reason tncre-
Tor that the court, in deciding that the pound
OF f:csh must be paid, ignored the people or
Virginia and sympathized with Shylock.
This language seemed to me singuiarly in-
appropriate as coming from the Senator
from Augusta, because, having been judge,
he should know that upright judges, such as
decided this cause, decide according to the
law, without regard to the parties; and
more especially did 1t seem inappropriate as
coming from the senator from Augusta when
we recall his unfortunate connection with
l., No tor 1.o
had voted for the funding bill, but that he
had done it because he WAS mised by the
Governor and Auditor as to the resources Of
the State. Now, let us compare this state
ment with the senator's published rccsrd
upon this most disastrous bill:
On Thursday the ed of March, 1871, Sen
ate bill No. 274-the funding blll--came up
in tie House Of Delegates as special order.
Mr.. Woodson moved to strike out all of
the bill after the enacting clause in the LIST
section down to the 9th section. The result
Of this motion, il successful, would have
been 10 limit action for the time to the crca-
ton of sinking fund and remit the rest of
the question to the people. The Senator
from Augusta voted nay, thereby refusing
to permit the people to discuss, 10 examine,
and to vote upon this bill which he had re-
ported as chairman Of the Finance Commit
tee.
On Friday the Gath Of March the bill came
up as special order. Mr.. Popham offered the
following resolution:
"Resclred, That Senate bill No. pa, enti-
tied 'an act TO provide for the funding uud
payment of tho public debt be, and is
hereby, committed 70 the Committee for
Courts of Justice, with instructions to asccr-
tain and report whether the public sccuri-
ties. or any part thereof, Of the Common
wealth of Virginia he liable to interest for
the period Of time embracing the late war,
and that said committee is hereby empow-
cred to sit during the session OF this House"
Upon this resolution, under the opera
ton Of which the State should and could
Lave been saved several millions, the Senator
from Augusta voted nay, thereby declaring
himself IN favor OF that most Obnoxious fra-
furc in the bill, the compromising of interest.
Did the Governor and The Auditor LEAD
the Senator estray in this yoteI This resolu-
1ionwas adopted. Mr. Manhood then moved
to reconsider the vote. Upon this motion the
Senator from Augusta voted yea-still de-
tcrmined to give the bondholder not only
Ills debt, but the war interest thereon.
Monday the. 9th Of March funding bill
came up. MIR. Turner moved TO insert in
the BODY of the certificate given for one-third
OF the debt: THAT the State OF Virginia is
not and will not he bound in any manner or
form for the payment, now OF ut any future
time, Of this certificate or any part thereof,
but this is without any prejudice to the
rights Of the holders thereof TO demand pay
lncnt OF the same of the State of West Vir-
ginia." Upon this resolution, under the pass
age of which Virginia would have been re-
,.aS fr,lu fha ff Z ho
Senator from Augusta voted May" and
spoke as follows [Whig, 27th March, 1871 F.;
Judge Cochran al, coated the bill and op-
posed the amendment, saying that he raised
his voice for Lhe last time on the subject
There should be no uncertain voice Oh this
subject of pIightcd faith. AS representa-
tive of the great county Of Augusta, which
under the new assessment would pay more
taxes than any county in the State, hi
wanted 1t understood that her people were
for paying the State debt to the last iarthine
(and the National debt, too, he added in re-
ply to question:. He argued that nothing
could be gained by adopting the amendment
O: Speaker Turner. The courts Of the coun
try would intervene and enforce pay
mcnt if the debt was due. Late &C.
ton Of the Supreme Court showed
this. This proposition WAS Reputation with
out any OF It's fruits. How can it be ascer
lained that we owe two-thirds and no more
lie glanced ut statistics to show we owe
more. 1t we arc going to rcpudiate ".
should secure Its benefits. He deplored tina
he who had been elevated to the speakershiI
o. The House should be the first to tarnisl
the fame Of Virginia by u proposition to re-
pndiate. lie spoke OF Mississippi, the etfec
of reputation upon the standing and credi
OF that s ate, and of the humiliation that still
clinss to her people. The same fate will at
tend every man who advocates Reputation
i'll Virginia. lie may gain temporary popu
iarty, but disaster and shame will eventually
overtake him. The honor OF Virginia must
he protected; 1t must not be bartered away
for gold. One Esau sold his birthright for
q mess OF pottage. The gentleman from
Rappahannock seemed anxious to follow his
example. The honor of Virginia was the
heritage OF every one of her sons, and j,
must not he bartered away. He spoke of the
widows and orphans of the State who had
nothing but State bonds. Heappealed to the
coioged members to so against Reputation
should this question be carried into the next
canvass; he, for one, would chouse potica
death rather than advocate it. He would dc
no such dirty work as reputation, even
should he be chosen by the people to do it
Virginia must look to her credit, and main,
tain it. He regarded reputation as the poor
es, means of escaping from obligations. II
we would attract immigration and capital We
must assume this debt and pay to The last
farthing."
Since reading this argument of the Sena-
t~r from Augusta have not been surprised
at the passage Of this bill. Hard must have
been the heart and heavy the head that could
have resisted this appeal to the honor and