Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-12-17
West Point and Secession.


When Mr. Calhoun was Secretary Of War.
in 1922, believe, he caused 4 text book TO
be introduced into tho course of studies nj
West Point, known rs .Rawle on the Com
stitution." This Rlwle was a northern law>
yer of great ability, one Of the very few who
scom to have understood the true nature OF
the terms and conditions of the compact bo-
tween the States constituting the Federal
Union. His ntaries on the
Constitution of the United States"-breathes
the very essence OF State rights, and the
right of SEQ ssion is distinctly set forth by
him. When We remember that only soveu
years had then elapsed since Now York,
Vermont, Connecticu., aud, perhaps. other
northern States asserted this right. and
threatened to exercise il or mako dshOnOra.
BILE terms of peace with Great Brtsin unless
the wsr was stopped. we can understand that
Mr.. Calhoun was not violating northern sen~
timeut in introducing Rawle on tho COnstI.
tuition at West Point. II there remained ss
n text book til 1861, and Mr.. Davis aud Sid
uey Johnston, and Gen. Joe Johnston aud
General Lee, aud all the rest of US who
tired with Virginia from the Federal UDiUu.
aero not only obsyipg tho plain instincts Of
our nature and dictates of duty, but We were
obey ing the very iHoulcations We bad
ceiyed in tho National School. It is not
probable that any of us ever read the ooDsti-
tuition or any exposition of it except this
work OF Rawle, which we studied in our
graduating year at West Point. know
did not.
+ l ,m told tka, in 1881 the tex. book va.
changed aud the cadets are now taught Qua
of treatise on the constitution which
teaches that secession is n crime.
And if any one of the present generation
should resign on the secession of his native
State. he will be 10 danger of being lawfully
hanged Dabmcy Il Aaury, in SOnthern
HStoricol PoPers.
WELL KEPT FARMS "A we'll ordered
farm, we'll chosen stock, comfortable build
iDgs. q neatly kept garden. roadway or en-
trance way, gates well hung, fences well kept.
shsde trees, ornsmental shrubbery, paint
without, wbiteWssh within. all these srs
worth more to farmer in money value than
q few hundred dollars carefully scraped to-
gether aud jeslously boarded aud loaned to .
needy neighbor on interest. No investment
pays as we'll as money judiciOusly spent in
farm improvements. Draining wet land will
pay so TO 100 per cent. on its cost every year
good stock will pay equally we'll good roads
will turn their cost every year; gate will
save its cost in short time o good fepco
will save its whole cost in one night; . we'll
kept garden, a neat lawn, orchard and shsdo
trees. which need not cost 500, have added
ten times that amount to the value Of . farm,
and the comfort and self-respect gained
through the outlay for them, aud from theif
possession, are worth more than the cost.
For the information of any of our readers
who may anticipate writing for the press, We
give the following pertinent suggestions from
the RAltimOre Sun
Take q good quality of letter or fools
cap paper, write legibly, with ink, in as near
an approach to book form as possible, upon
Que side of the paper only, and page as you
go on. If writers would take a. much pains
in preparing their Mss. as printers must take
! in setting them up there would be much
more read than at present Newspapers and
magazines often prefer BIS. written upon
slips say the width of note paper. ss conn
positors are able to handle the narrow paper
more rapidly"
A FACT WoRTH KSowISG.-1 was 50 un-
fortunate as to spill on the marble top OF one
of mine hosts vashstands enough ink to make
circular spot of three inches in diameter
| I wiped out the ink Immediately, but the
stain. ike the "damnd spot" on Lady Mac,
beth's hand, would mot out" then aPPhed
about one cents worth of citric acid dissolved
in about half an ounce Of water, and 10 ! the
= iasz than fnuP min.