The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-28
iRepudiation Repudiated.

To the Editors Of the Boston Oaats Adcef'-
tiser:
It is gratifying to find Alexander H. Ste
pbens and one or two other southern gentie-
men yenturing. to paint reputation IN lts
true colors. Men OF some character, OF
both parties, in most OF the. southern
States, are, at the best, reticent on tnls
subject, and though they may NOT Gu
courage this swindling by virtue OF SOW.
reignty, they are afraid to oppose II. w
cannot, therefore, but respect tine 'eollase
and independence OF General Daphsy
II. Maury, who has written 10
newspaper letter that ouSht 10 ps poI T.
fished in every journal IN the couI 1e.cr ~
Years 400. and will be read everywhere with
o,,;to ss mnch interest. General Maury re-
cde;vc,I his present military title in the Con:
federatc service, but he was graduate OF
West point. was brevetted for his gallant
conduct Mt Cerro Gordo, and feels evidently
that a man may have been rebel "itnoat
losing fine instincts or the conscious nohor
OF gentleman. /, - 80.
General Maury is a Nrgnian by blrth,
and has right to speak for his native stare.
and he says that reputation "Wiil MAKE
every honorable son of her soil, wherever
he may be- hang his head for shame that
he was born in her borders" he says
that Virginia should announce f0n, IN tnls
wear Of her bountiul harvests and remune.
tive markets, that she will pay every cent OF
har debt, without " scaling" or !" adjust
mcnt." and that this she must do, or drive
from her soil " every cmigrant who values
national integrity and humiliate every
proud native of the State" "Forty
millions of Frenchmen," he adds, "have
paid $4,000, 100000 in four years, without
one plea for abatement or indulgence.
while 1000. 900 Virginians have owed S30,.
00O, 900 for twelve years, have never paid
one dollar OF principal or interest, nave IA
tigued Christendom with plants about
their poverty, and now in the very climax
OF an unexampled prosperity are urged oy
certain politicians to repudiate their dept!
Should this people ever be deluded INTO
crime so Infamous, swift and sure VIII De
the retribution which will follow IN the
ruin OF all that has made Virginia great and
prosperous"
This language has the ring of the true
metal. Repudiation OF its debts by a soVe-
reign State on the ground that.it is not con-
yenient to pay them, and that payment can
not be compelled, is simply an infamous
crime" as General Maury stigmatizes 1t
nothing less The men who have enSl-
neered the Reputation measures through
the States that have adopted them are sinh
pIy swindlers and sharpers. and have edu-
Gated their Legislatures and conventions
down to their own level. a State that thus
defrauds its creditors has no more claim to
be recognized as State among civilized
nations than Algiers had when in her soye-
reign capacity she was pirating on the Medl-
terranean. ..- ..i' .f
It is great thing for General Maury to
have held fast by his integrity under circum-
stances Of frightful and almost universal
decentralization ON this subject. This de-
moralizatior is not confined to the southern
States. 1t prevails to such an extent that
even in the city OF New York respectable
banking institutions permit their names to
he used in connection with scheme by
which couple of volunteers, repre-
senting nobody but themselves, pro-
pose to prevail upon the government
OF Arkansas to go into disgraceful bank
ruptcy, and to compound the bulk OF its OBJ
legations Of nineteen cents on the dollar.
This, too, though Arkansas is abundantly
able to pay every dollar she owes, and has
never indicated the intention OF repudiatins
her obligations. .s..a 90. -
I hope that the press Of the United States
will give General Maury the credit he is en-
titled. to, and that all speculative schemes
based on the idea of inducing State to de-
fraud her creditors will receive from the
press the condemnation they deserve.
.. g.. ROGER SHAGREEN.
ToUor Hose Aupust o. 1877, .-