The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-10-10
Secession Taught Mt west Point.

Editors Dispatch: Pleasc publish the
following. .. u. IL. NJ.
"In the random talk OF Glr. Butler, for
which he was so severely castigated by Mr..
Blackburn, he uttered so many specious
and indecent things as made it impossible
for his antagonist to notice them all, nor
did he fail TO repeat one Iavorte and re-
iterated falacy which has gone too often
and too long unchaliengcd-yiz., that the
graduates OF West Point who took the part
of the seeded States in the late war had
been educated at the expense OF the nation,
and deserved to be hanged for their trca-
son against the flag of the country that had
educated them," &c.
This has long been a subject for the pecu-
liar eloquence OF this old man. When he
was in New Orleans he used to say that II
be had hold of one OF US, or when he got
hold Of one OF us, he "wculd boil him in
OIL" OF course he expected some one else
to get hold of us first for him to boil.
Now, Mr.. Butler knows we'll tnat west
Point is maintained. as are all other proper
ties Of the Federal Union. by the revenues
which are drawn from all the States-yery
unequalIy, tits true; but the excessive bur
den in this case fell on the seeding States.
He knows that Virginia has not only contri-
buted her own full quota to deiray the eX-
penses OF her sons at West Point, but she
has done great deal more than defray
merely her own share, and he knows that
she is to-day contributing more 10 those eX-
penses than all OF the New England States
together, which States have conferred Mr..
Butler upon humanity (?). And we feel
pleasure in leaving to history to decide
whether VirSinia's sons have reflected Fir.
cinia's full quota OF credit upon the national
academy.
He knows all this rs we'll as anybody, but
I will take this occasion to teach him Wllal
he may not know: That General Lee and
General Johnston, and every other Officer
graduated from West Point prior to 1861
were educated at West Point in the States
right doctrine, and taught that State had 4
legal right to secede from the Union, and
that when State thought proper to eXnr
else IFS right OF secession no lawful power
or right existed in the Federal Union to CO.
cree that State; therefore, when southern
officers retired from the Federal army te
aid in the defence OF their people and State:
they were not only following the plain die
tates of their feelings and conScienceS. bu
they were obeying the incucations they
| had received in the academy OF the nation
itself. Not one OF us who resigned on nc
count OF the secession OF our States evel
| had doubted that he was acting III accord
ance with duty and with law.
| In 1861 the West Point textbook on Tho
| Constitution, which had been used since
1922, was abolished, and I am told they no"
use one which teaches that secession is
crime.
No one who witnessed the humiliation o
Mr.. Butler in the recent debate can feel les:
| than pity for him.
After Black burn ceased his denunciatior
the wretched old creature sat trembIin4
with fear and dec:epitude, a certain pallt
and fiabbv obesity seemed to indicate early
dissolution, and he presented pltiful pic
ture OF penltentlal woe.
Let it not be supposed that he Is capable
Of conscience Or OF remorsc, but lie cyl
IDENTIFY felt the circumstances surrounding
him were exceedingly uncomfortable ant
oppressive, and regretted the predlcamen
in which he had placed himself. Ills trick
all returned to confound him; his evaslon
and falsehoods all exposed and his mean
ness denounced, he realized that his la
effort as leader had proved the most sig
nal Of all his failures, and there seems no
thing left to him now but to prepare for HI
| Journey to that undiscovered country wher
he will SO soon find out for himself whethe
boiling in oil or plain old-fashioned roast
ing is the peculiar retribulion OF especlI
| Sin T.