The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-09-28
Hon, J. Randolph Tucker.

The letter addressed by Hon. J. Randolph
Tucker, to the committee appointed to not-
f. him of his nomination for reelection to
Congress, is brief and significant. Like all
utterances of Mr.. Tucker, affecting national
interest and national questions, it is honest
and reflects the sentiments he conscientious
ly entertains. 1t is because of the candor,
the sincerity and the fearlessness of his decla-
rations, his intellectual force and unblemish-
ell private and public character, that we re-
gard Mr.. Tucker as 4 dangerous man. His
ideas of government, his views of public pol
icy, and ali his methods of thought affecting
tenets of political faith. contain seeds of
revolution. He has never sought to adapt
his views to the consummations of history. He
groups among the obsolete dogmaS and mus
ty folios of past era, and drags to the sur
face doctrines that have long been buried in
the gore of war between brothers. He resur-
reefs the primal cause of desolation that
left its crimson footprints on every doorsll,
and draped in mourning and pierced with ag-
ony every household. lie tlaunts the ''bloody
shirts in its most fearful aspect, and throws to
the breeze the banner Of State sovereignty,
stained all over with the murdered hopes of
a brave, yet deuded and misguided people.
We address ourselves to the consideration
of Mr.. Ticker as public man, with the ut
most respect for aim as private cltlzen.-
We do so from il sense OF duty to the people
of Virginia. in the hope of arresting their
attention and stemming the mad tide that is
rapidly fastening them on, we fear, to a sea
of troubles. too tempestuous and turbulent
to be controlled when once they have rushed
amid its angry pillows. They seem thought
less of consequences. They do not appear
to consider cause and effect, nor to be i'm
pressed with the logic that ''like causes pro-
duce like effects" They are charmed with
the harmony of sentences, the fervid flash of
words. the magnetism of mannerism-forget-
full of the ideas which are carried along with
all this pleasing surface exhibit.
10 our mind, there is 4 fearful significance
in the present temper OF the Southern people,
lead on as they are by the brilliant intellections
and false and fatal doctrines Of their public
men. And among all the recognized expo
nents of public sentiment in the South, we
regard Hon. John Randolph Tucker as this
most dangerous. TO more clearly justify the
conclusion we quote from his letter of accep-
tance the following pregnant paragraph:
'Imean no empty compliment when say that
1 am proud OF the honor of representing such a
peoI lie in Congress. To merit their esteem has
been and shall be my earnest aspiration, for feel
assured that in the honest and faithful purpose to
restore the shattered principles of Federal
Constitution to their original vigor and integrity
and to secure to the administration of our public
affairs return t. honor and truth and fidelity to
the best interests of our people, I shall not only
meet the hearty support of this great district
from the Allegheny to the lowlands, but will thus
do my whole duty as citizen of Virginia and Of
that Union of which she is an integral member,
in re-establishing the ancient landmarks OF our
liberties and in the promotion Of the peace, pros
perity and progress of the American Republic"
We give the entire paragraph to show
what glitterng gcneralities are hedged around
a most fatal sentiment. and to appeal to the
people of his district to carefully consider to
what they are committing themselves when
they deposit their ballots for their brilliant
representative.
What is logically implied by Mr.. Tucker,
in the expression, ''for feel assuredthat IN
The honest and faithful purpose to restore the
shattered principles Of our Federal Consti-
tuition to their original uigor and integrity2"
70 answer this query, we must first cx-
anime into what has been shattered" Mr.
Tuckerand men of his inclination of thought,
in the school of State Rights poll
tiles. with the resolutions of '9S and 80 as the
truthful exposition OF our theory Of govern
that our government is bnta confederation of
sovereign States limited partneship, to be
dissolved at will, and nota perpetual union.'
They 1ntagonize the idea OF nationality,
Ind do not admit the paramount authority of
he Nation, i'm all matters affecting govern
nent. This idea of State sovereignty, carried
llong with it the right of sccession-the SOU
reign right to determine what relation the
State would maintain to the government |
i was this principle" that was shattered"
tripped OF what Mr.. Tucker thinks are its |
Original vigor and integrity" Its the only |
principle with its train of fallacies, that
las been ''shattered,- and ii is this Mr.. Tuck |
n would have ''rcstored." This means revo- |
ution, the reversal of the accomplished facts
f the war, the rescindment OF the 18th,
4th and 18th amendments to the Constitu
ion and the substitution of a fugitive slave
lause in the organic law. This is the ''orig-
re are to be governed by the logical infer
noes of the expression.
The South. generally, adopted Mr.. Tuck
rs theory of government, and i'm 1861, at
empted to put it into practical operation.
tate after State undertook to exercise the
,vereignty it was claimed they possessed.
nd organized into q separate autonomy, in
ependent of the national authority to which
ley originally belonged.
The Moth had been educated in differ
1T construction of our political SYSTEM
hey believed with Hamilton, Washington
I'd Adams, that the Union was designed to
, ''perpetual,' and that no petty sovereign
es, warning with each other, should ever eX-
whe re national authority was originally
,signed. The practical assertion of the
,ctrine of State sovereignty ia the acts OF
cession, brought the two ideas-tat of Ma
onal unity and State eoycreignty-in con-
CT, the war between the Stasas followed,
II the result we all know.
1t is very plain, therefore. that the ''shat- |
red principles which Mr.. Tucker is going
earnestly seek to isrestore to their origi-
j vigor and integrity" is the single idea of
ate sovereignty. A principle or an idea |
nveys diversity of thought and sugges-
IN. There are only two cardinal ideas or I
irciples admissible in discussing the Con-
tuition and our system of government-that S
presented by Hamilton and Webster and +
ay and their followers on the one side, !
national supremacy, and that
lintainei by Calhoun, Hayne and jeff. :,
wis, and their disciples, announcing State a
Nv bo h,,f