Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-12-10

rePudlate Just debt. AND finally Inc
= uove!nment ueciueu tnat the QeDI was just,
auu us oDAsaLlons unlmpaireu. NO excuse
3 ior us npn.I:paymenI was or can pc prgeu
saw lIapnlty, resulting from causes Whlcn
lug o!aIe couiu nor control and. IN me des-
Iluellou u asssts On wnlcn Ihe uept was
sontl1cIeo anu lis iuture oischarge was
Oaseo. altoaa4 4lIs-..,rt sssat v. l.il =
. .: .as. nefe arose anotner yasS dlfheu.ty:-
. Aa.gr lug Sontracslon q Ine deot, aNeE IN
ueeu, the OBSTRUCTION OF the assets. the state,
q py and under new organic law. assumed
an aaaitiounl burden, winch required, ana
migne CONTINUE 70 require, immense expen-
u'ture. Inc qestluctlon o. the properly
was grlcYous Dl0w 70 the States prosper
d lcy' Aue ac:uMuiatlons OF centuries We're
swept away, anu o1ten NOT one stone lett
& upon announcer 20 tel the story o. q spot
w, Where wealth ana rennement had fourlshed.
Inc sou, o1Ien a,i1hat remained to the owner,
3 ana wn!cn had Deen IN cultivation for many
generations. was Drought into competition
VIII lHe virgin SOL OF new country, by
contlhen ~ ilnes OF railway. But, far more
serious tnan these, society was disorganized.
anu cnaos prevailed 10 the whole industrial
aliu lapor system ana the most lar sighted
and sagaclous could find no clew with which
TO gnlde US out OF darkness that could al
most pe 1elt. ~ the supreme power OF the
Feuerai arms those who had hitherto di-
recteu the dest,nies OF the State were dis
1rancn'seu, ana those who had been slaves,
and their ancestors for centuries were exalt-
ed INTO citlzenshlp. The like OF this has
never before occurred in history. ~" ~
d When the Convention met to frame the
Constitution under which we now live, they
saw that the public free school system pre-.
vailed IN one form or another IN almost
every clvllized country in the would, and
they, L dooDG not, thought, a tortiori, it
ought to pc established IN Virginia. I" Where
80 many enlightened men had been forbid
to vote, and SO many ignorant men, lately
serfs, had been clothed with the responsible
trusts OF treemen, they regarded, and prop
erly, intelligence and honesty as the sine
qua non OF the success OF republican forms
OF government, as they have ever been re.
Rarded and urgently inculcated by those
who have reflected profoundly, or have OBJ
served or experienced their workings. They,
therefore, made LIZ, s''.'.N'"9
d.: THE PUBLIC FREE-SCHOOL SYSTEM
part OF the organic law, notwithstanding
the impoverished condition Of the people,
thinking, have no doubt, that, 1t would be
easier for them to rise clad with its armor
than to fight unarmed the many foes that
beset the paths of Ignorance and dishonesty.
And whilst they provided thus, according
to their best judgment, for the future in
telligence OF the citizen, they over and over
again provided Tor the payment OF the law
ful Indebtedness OF the State, believing that
with these provisions tending to secure
knowledge and integrity to the citizen he
could overcome the waste Of the war, and
restore and preserve the ancient power and
glory OF the Commonwealth. g
1t is not my business to discuss the merits
or dement's Of the general public free-schoo}
system. Those who framed the Constitu-
ton, land the people by whom it was adopted,
determined that it should prevail in Vir-
ginia those who hold office are bound to
support it, as they are bound to support
every other provision of that Constitution.
Not that the Constitution OF the State OF
Virginia is supreme, and by its fiat dsposes
OF all rights. 1t is not supreme in morals,
over justice, to man who recognizes his
obligations to God. 1t is not supreme in law
as ivrs as Tvs, We are uuuel Inc CONSTITUTION OF
t.0 OHitou9ot"cee-dnu All the assumption
snnnort Tho fnroor 1a az ~ in,t u"''1 ~
Office is not ohlustorv On anv one Tow n nos
a believer in s.hioher !. u, >, ~ ~. = oin.hoJ
win t,,e ras,>ons ;h;1;.;as - e; .."A o.oSnou
T onv faith IN ootbs toLa,, With ae+,i
sarvst;on And Voc ~ nr; :, a..
co,,ld not conscient ionslv On rrr o,,t ths Nc
visions Of the instrnnent yes ", ,mo pr ~
snnport T Womb resign NV office s ." ,hat ~
mioIt he flied bv one who con,J ~ '''"' -
Entertainine these views there hos been
no time since / assumed the dnt;es ~ tbe
Executive that have falterod or i,ss;t,tad
to do whatever Law in NV mower r. ,,ono nc
nuhlic free.school svsta-,, ~, 49,, ~ ..'o
tion and the 10 ws = tondod = - 10 oo"as,Su7
officio the president of the Hoard III 81 E11nca
tion. L have Diver, INV hass afTnr,s ~ o.o,.n;+
with srccoss nj ~ uJss e sa " cfowns
to the present and fnr,r'. ~ Ny ~ e G reausf