The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-11-26

Ink MI EAiiOHT AND CONJCHE fOo NEs
sIr no SUFFER- AN INVASION OF YOUR Po- !:
srrrc Az: CONSTITUTION: HOWEVER MINUTE
THE INSTANCE MAY APfExR,,s go PASS BY +.
A DETERMINED 1'EssssvERfNd RE-
srsrANCE. ONE PREcEDBNr CREATES AN /
OTHER. THEYsooN AceUMULATE AND CON i
srrTtTE Law. WHAT YESTERDAY WAS
FACT, ro-D,sY Is DOCTRINE. EXAMPLES
ARE SUPPOSED TO FoHrIFy THE MOST DAN
aERous MEAsUnEs.AJun to tie English
Nation.
How directly IN conflict with the above ex- !
hoststion of that Distinguished anonymous
writer. who little over i century ago, threw In
to the English metropolis shot after shot OF his
profound argument. aiming at the venality and
corruption Of thu leader. Of that 'lay, is tho
verdict given by the people of Virginia, on the
3rd of November. against the preservation OF
the State Constitution. Only knowing that it
was the recommendation of Il partizan Legisla-
turc that was aioue notorious FORTS reckless e1-
penditnre OF The peoples money, the voters OF
Virginia marched in almost solid column to
the polls, and, without knowing the extent OF
their action, launched their protest against the
entirety Of the Constitution as It stood. The
whippcrs-in expressed their delight a. they
witnessed this invasion Of the established laws
OF the Commonwealth. AID the people echoed
the cry ''Down with this offspring Of Radical
Legislation. Right or wrong. it was fostercd
MI fOf l,.rH Inv Ham, .WHaf rssrNf IN 20
we to question the expectancy Of acting as the
party demands, We send our representatives
to Richmond, and they tell US that the Consti-
| tuition must be torn to pieces. It bclooves us
to obey. We are not allowed to think and act
for ourselves, The path is laid out before us.
1t is our privilege to follow it, or hcnceiorth be
contcnte,rto live outside OF the pale Of social
| recognition. We have not examined the mat.
ter. 'ris not orr province to do so. All we
know and all we care. is that the heads have
decrced it and there is no alternative but to
sanction it," No investigation Of the merits
or dement's of the amendments, wa. sought or
given. Partizan dictatorship secuted argu-
! ment. Party discipline substituted calm anal
ysis and the lash of the leaders wheeled into
line the few strs.glcrs searching for re.eon and
precedent. A blind adhesion to the mandates
OF the masters hal wiped ont the degnas Of
their political faith; the right to f.rp opinions
aud declare individuality had been sacrificed
on the alter of the lcnagsoy,ie' aggraadze-
n,ent. The tenets Of their creed had .bceu can
celcd by the commands Of the Captains and
their whole identity merged into y monument,
under which they groaiied, aud across which
was written PARTY" And yet they call this
a free government. Every man, we are told,
lis his own sovereign, Invested with the right t.
apprAve OF condemn any and all measures
ftoaehiag OH his personal welfare. What dis
g,,stins parody OH; our boastcd freedom Of
thought and action, was tile demonstration q
the abject slavery Of the people 81 .virxini:
lgiven on the srl OF November. Il there vo
ter in Augusta county vito wishes to abolisi
our present system Of Public Sel.oolsy for tt
that end is the probable tendency Of. tn
amendments. Cain amy sane man give = rcas
on for taxing our people five Thousand dollar:
more per annu,n than It now takes to s,istai,
our county organization? ana yet, t; accomp
lis this they have drag sed out the corner ston.
of their constitution and inserted in its stead 4
substitute that wifi iilocnatc the whole system
Of laMs.
Invade the constitution aud Yer, tcn,oiisl
the bul~ark erected to protect the weak ant
control the xtrcnS aud siciaiis; attack the ori
!. gin of all laws and you stEik. blow at the
! very key stone OF the political structure aud in
vite horde OF faiidals to complete the Dc
strneticn by tearing II. pieces its less iIHportan
parts; rcnd in twain the heart Of authority
whence the arteries that supply the govern
: meat issue, and your open tho .ayenues o'e
which are coursiilg tire ssiiiof details, and sub
stitutc for the p,iss lie blood. the bl.ck enet
gore, pregnant with the rust OF the knife a
the core: LISA fearful precedent thst the peo
pie of Virginia have established, and for ner
to have blindfoldcd their reasons. and qi.ietl,
consented to he led by blin'd 1igots, is an III,
flattcn,ig commcntHry'on their claim to self
!, government. 49,
Examples are supposed to fortify the mos
dangerous measures and it rcmsins to be seeI
whether or. not the Legislature will bcstow up
. on the report of the Orkney Springs cabinet
the rebuke it so justly merits, OF. by its sdop
tion virtually abolish the State ConstitusiaM.-
Judging the future by the past, we have. it'll
to hope form its action. Already the flood
gate has Baen. lifted from its position and i
will require but little effort to raise it higher
overtlood til whole political Held, and riddl
the net work Of laws.
VIII the people of Virginia calmly fold tllci
, hands and mcekly bow their heads to receive
the foot of the schcming politicians whose stu
pidity is only equalled by their au,lacty? Q
will they rise to man. shake of their sliackles
proclaim their freedom and assert their right t
settle ak questions in which their interests ar
| involved, ali their best judgment may suggest
and 10 longer be,ti,c servite tools Of thos
whose ireonpetency to lead them has airead!
been proven? II this is government for thy
people, then III Gods name LET them have :;
voice in its administration. It is sustained b.
their money it is intended to represent thei
interests, but let them be*are how they trii!
with it's yitals let them consider when The,
thrust their arm into il, side tlkzt they are ailn
iny u blow at their own life:
4 We await with no little interest tie xction o
the Legislature upon the recommendation Of
the Orkney Springs Convention. aud sisaAerel,
IL -.