Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-01-04


and upon that word aud credit means
were got which were spent in opening up
her vast resources. Why then should we
not pay it. The honor Of State ID above
price. 1t cannot be measured by money.
The character of a Commonwealth ranks
her place among nations and is the guide
of the individual growth and destiny OF
her citizens. The law is school master
and it will determine whether the citi-
zens is to be vicious or virtuous.
A generation OF so OF bad legislation,
may change people from high minded
and honorable race into depraved and dis
honest men. Nothing so soon accomplish
es this unhappy end as disregard of SOL
EN- compacts. Upon their sanctity the
whole framework Of society rests from the
sacred bond that ties the family to the
strong and subtitle cord which binds in har-
moLy, otherwise Earring elements in the
unity of government.
This should guide every one who IS call
ed to take part in the councils of the State.
Especially is this true in republican form
of government like ours. Without virtue
it cannot survive: force must soon take
the place of reason. And the man who
thinks he can use such tricks to gain a pet
ty end, will find when too late that every
thing is lost. The hope and only hope Of
Republic Is the recognition of the sanct-
ity Of contracts and the binding obligation
and supremacy Of Law.
Our duty, then, as good citizens, is to
| devise means to pay the Debt; not to find
WAYS to avoid it. 1t will hardly pay it to
criminate some former Legislature by gen
eral charges of bribery and fraud. If any
one has dared to faint the Halls of Leg
| isation with these crimes, let him be
| brought to trial and punished with the
| utmost rigor of the law. Nor will it any
more pay the Debt to weaken the standing
among he people of our highest Court, by
reflections upon it's judgment or integri-
| ty Court of which any State might be
proud-so learned, SO able, and so pure.
Nor does it pay the debt to plead the war,
save as touching our ability. That was of
our choice, and | hear no one who engaged
in it complain Of it's losses, though untold
wealth was spent, and so many lives lost
that Virginia is great battlefield and a
great cemetery. After four years of bloody
| fighting, the regret was, to see the flag
| furled even in the midst of, and in view of
more dreadful ruin. Nocomplaint then of
loss of property; only hope Of victory: No
| complaint of suffering and privatiOn,
though famine stared them in the face
only sorrow for the fall. Were we willing
now to bear one-hundredth part Of what
we then bore, the debt would have been
| well nigh paid, and triumph equal to the
victory Of arms would have signalized the
patriotism and devotion Of our people
But our people are not yet given over. |
| have not seen or heard Of an Individual
| bold enough to avow publicly or privately
| the doctrine of reputation. / hope none
| But ought not those who aspire to rule in
public affairs to be careful, lest in the zeal
of party, they do not let fall ideas, which
make the impression upon the mind of the
| ignorant and unwary, that it is more i'm
portant to study how not to pay, than how
| to pay the debt? If not now, the dema-
gogue. shallow and wicked, will soon be
abroad in the land, attacking like poison
the vitals Of the State. and more dangerous
than an invading army. The latter unites,
the former dissoIves tradition.
Not that the little demagogue long sur
wives. After he has done his work he is
RENTED to his original obscurity, and a
mightier than he rides and guides the
| storm.
| With such ideas in the ascendant, a
| strange picture Virginia would present.
| A statute book full of provisions for the
protection of property and for the enforce
ment of individual contracts; hundreds of
| thousands raised by taxation and spent
yearly for the education of the ingenious
youth of the country, that they may be
| fashioned into good citizens and stalwart
men, and yet the State that has done these
| things, standing fraud. l believe there
| is no danger of such a result, however far
| Virginia may. in moments of excitement
| or suffering, drift from her moorings, SO
bsr second thought will restore her. Her
people are still earnest and true.
There is and can be but one excuse for
the uon-payment of an honest debt-ina-
bility-either for the individual in the
cou of morals or for the State at the bar
of public opinion.
NO graver responsibility can fall to the
lot of men than falls upon us, now enter
ing upon office in Virginia. This debt
issue has hitherto been oversnadowed by
the greater of our return to the Union,
and the salvation of our local self-govern-
ment. These objects have been gained
thanks to the good and wise of our State.
There now stands out in bold relief, not
| only before ourselves, but before the civil
liked world this grave problem of the debt.
Then it was a question of government now
| it is a question of honor. The former can
| not live without the latter.
| Those who now enter upon Office cannot
| say that it is new and uncOnsidered. They
were elected because they professed to
know all about tit was made the sole
issue of the canvass. Even if they wished,
there Is no way of Sinking the responsible
| itY. They have promised to settle the
| troublesome matter once and forever.
| hope and believe these promises will be full
| filled. l know that, standing on high
ground before the eyes of the world, they
| dare not, they will not wish to cast a stig-
ma upon the name and history of our be-
| loved Commonwealth.
There is no counting the loss which its
discussion and unsettled condition has in
ficted on our State. 1t has driven wealth
| and industry from our borders. It has
| created false views of our liabilities and
resources But, worse than all else it has
lowered the grade of public morals and
conjured up spectreS, from which are
stretching the frightful fingers of COM
munism.
Now is the time to end it. Long enough
has 1t troubled the rest of the good citi-
zen. Long enough has it been haWked
In every commercial centre. making the
faith ard credit Of the State equlvocal
long enough has it driven labor and capt.
tai from one the of grandest countries that
the sun visits in his diurnal circuit long
enough has il hampered the growth Of
people painting for higher and wider po-
wer, 1t ought now to be settled; and this
Legislature, fresh from its discussion. has
promised that it shall be settled. Let
that promised be kept There is tme
enough IN the prese session. But woe
to the man, who in that settlement be-
trays the trust or sells the honor of Vir-
ginia. 1t we're better for that man had he
not been born. For when the smoke OF
the excitement has floated away, relribu-
ton, swift and sure, will follow like an
avenging Nemesis.
have an abiding faith. Virginia has
tided over greater troubles before. She
will triumph now.
Count the means to pay her debts, and
prose the inability Of Virginia to meet
them. and there will be no trouble in eff
fecting settlement with her creditors,
honorable and satisfactory to both. The