The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-12-12
Rnl,uplld llspatrll.
WEDNESDAY. !. DECEMBER u, 1877.

WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER -. 1915
Repudiation---M Mississippi Virginia.
.webaye before ,is-two volumes reiassns
To the lie and speeches of the late s. 3.
pxxsrrss, OF Mississippi, Que OF the most
gifted and noble civilians that ever hyeu y, Q
the nation. An interesting part OF It gives
his views and expresses his horror OF MIS-
sisssppt repudiation. That rcpadiatlooni was
as bad as 'rreepudiation can be. We never
heard 81 any that was less obaectionaoie
than the word bad could mako 1t. During
The discussion OF the subject In MISSISSIPPI
the pcop,e Of The State were greatly agltated,
aud for a time repudiation-the " enforced
comfy ,, Of that sime--carried the day. bue
tho heroic PRExTsss- and his honorable ana
brovs. companions kept OPP their>war WIFI
unasepinr energy, and finally restst.ess
force. and in time came the decision OF the
supreme Court against it and the ultimate
curse OF the land upon it.
Invfryinia we have o sort OF Reputation
war. II is, conducted upon the side OF those
who imperil the public honor pretty much rs
twas imperilied in Mississippi--'with similar oil
demaaogical appeals, similar false phiioso-
phy and ;law, with n similar crusade against
The rights OF the public creditor. After the
Supreme Court OF Mississippi decided in
favor OF the rights Of the public creditor
there was the same kind OF attack upon that
Court that there was upon ths Court OF Ap-
peals OF Virginia after its. decision IN FAVOR
of the .constitutionalityt o! the funding act.
Mississippi saw the day when she lament
ed in sack-cloth and ashes the terrible war
OF the repudiators, and many OF those
Notwithstanding = had more OF hohor
than others Of their colleagues repented In
the evening OF their lives oftheir part In
the lamenlabIe crusade as the blackest chap
ter OF their lives. But there are shades OF
difference between theVirginia craze and
that Of Mississippi. The ultra men assault
ing the public credit in Virginia. become
quite furious when they are called repudia-
tors, protesting that they are "no such
thing they, are only forcible readiusters,
or fighting for. I" enforced equity ri. e.,
thew propose that the Legislature shall say
how much OF the public debt it will pay,
and the bondholders shall be forced to take
that rs complete settlement OF their de"
mands. ,,.,'.,,,..,'. ...,,.g.. ..,a ....s.i; "a
!, Governor KEMPER, in his message, defined
this sort of settlement very clearly. He
said: H., ~. .-....,..rs II, n. .<ras
"Any attempt at readiustment by the em-
ployment OF coercion or menace would de-
feat itself; but il either party to acontract
could succeed by such agencies in Wrestling
from the other the surrender or abatement
of any preeSisting right or security he
would be taking the goods of another
against his will by putting him in fear -.
This is BLACKSTONE definition. Trans
latins it into popular Eerbiage to it
the proverbiai idea OF obtaining an adYan-
tage. over one by exciting his fear-what
would we say? Why, that it was "high-
way robbery" We think that was the def
milton given to it by General JAMES a.
WALKER, and this, it will be remembered,
excited great deal OF anger amongstper-
sons WHO had been considering how they
were to settle the pubic debt BY the agency
OF this very passion Of fear. Arough illus
tration of this strategy was given BY penn
Tertiary convict who complained Of being
wrongly imprisoned for merely borrowing
a little money from a man. But some
cross-questioning brought out the fact that
he had to knock down the lender four times
before be gave consent! '. -. 49,. =.
It is very. conmon way OF settling
claims, or rather demands, where the side
enforcing the equity OF the matter has the,
pouer. Such cases are apt. to suggest gro
tesaue illustrations Man is the only ami
NAL that, laughs, and be always finds some
friction-wheel Of leYity to ease the passage.
over every rough or grieyous thing in life.
The, device Of an equity determined upon
by one party to acontract without the con-.
sent Of the other and without the interven-
ton Of an umpire, may be Ikened to the
act OF a famous outlaw Of o boaCman long
ago known on Dan river, who stole ten
geese from farmer, and tied bag to the
neck Of the old gander with this inscription
upon it: -. ,.- !, ar. ..
pray, Mr.. Page, don't get in rage.