The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-03-08
the creditors, The one clause scorned Il
repudiate and resolved to ~ u

PRESERVE INYI0LATE TIE PUBLIC FAITH
land credit-the other earnestly urged th,
: adjustment therein stated, and followed
lit by q clause, which indicated In par
( how it was. to be ldone-by the lagisla
ltive department g using every effort to re-
j duce the expenditures Of the government
and return to the methods Of frugality,
ECONOMY, and moderation practiced by our
forefathers, and approved by former genera.
tions Of Yirginians in the palmiest days OF
her prosperity" They saw no peculiar
j magic In the word, I" fifty cents on the one
hundred dollars" that they should thwart
their "resolYe to preserve inviolate the pub
lie faith and credit; !; they felt as they
declared, "that they were so true to the
past glorious history Of Virginia, and SO
proud Of her good name and fame amongst
The nations Of the earth, that they would
scorn to repudiate her Just obligations"
The men who composed that Convention
1 in this State) knew nothing to prevent the
payment OF this debt, but inability. Nor do
I. They knew, and you and full we'll
know, that the condition OF our State is
very different from what 1t was when the
debt was made. Then we were rich; now
] WE ARE VERY POOR.
Then we held within our bounds one of
the finest countries in the world, stretch
ing from the ocean to the Ohio, with
q variety Of soil and salubrity Of climate
(which belonged to no equal area OF which
we have any knowledge. Through it was
the shortest. route from the Mississippi
Valley, with its eXhaustless resources,
to the sea, by which we owned one of
the grandest barbors on the continent.
Il IL -snI 81. la
goods. High education held wider
sway than in any other country, save Scot
land only. Our colleges and universities
were more numerous and of better grade
than those of any State in the Union, from
which annually were issuing ingenious
youths, who were in turn establishing
schools, from which were going out fresh
and increasing forces to add to the brightest
ornaments as we'll as strongest power a ma
ton can have. Behind us was history the
like OF which has never been surpassed in
whatever constitutes human glory, and Of
which our people were Justly proud.
| Now our condition is very different. War
came, and with it all its woes. It came be-
cause the honor beneath which these great
blessings were born and grew had been as
sailed. Its fortunes were against US. We
were defeated. Our territory was rent. Our
government was for time taken from us.
Our property was destroyed. Almost every
;oot OF soil was pressed by
THE FEET OF CoNTESDING ARMIES.
Our very social organization was broken
up, and those who had hitherto been slaves
were clothed with citizenship, bringing
about state OF things harder Of solution
than even loss OF property. The very frame
work Of society had to be reformed-a thing
far more difficult than the simple restora-
tion Of wealth.
No true man and lover Of his country
complained Of these things. He felt that
the honor Of the State, though preserved at
such cost, was not expensive. The wager
of battle had been joined to save it-they
did not mourn that it had been saved at so
great sacrifice.
The very same question is offered to us
again in another form. The duty presented
in 1851 to preserve our State integrity was
not bit more binding than that presented
in 1878 to preserve and keep sacred our
promises. Indeed, it would be far more
eredltabIe to US to keep our faith in this
hour Of poverty and trial than it was to
vindicate our honor in the heyday Of our
power and prosperity.
And why should we not do it? The loss
Of property is no reason for the denial Of
our honest obligations. The creditors who
trusted and lent us their money, which we
used and now enjoy, did not make the war,
nor take or destroy our property.
THE WAR WAS OF OUR OWN CHOICE,
for another cause, and with different
Power. We cannot plead that as affecting
the sacred obligation OF contract based
upon entirely different grounds, and with
totally different persons, and for different
purposes.
The obligation Of the contract for this
debt in its creation is unassailed and unas-
sailable The war and its fruits have no.
thing to do with and can in no way affect
that obligation. Even the interest could
only be affected during its continuance, as
between citizens OF belligerents. Which Of
the creditors now holding the State bonds
occupied that position to the Common
wealth?
| Nor does our condition during recon-
struction times any more avail. II is true
we were thrown into military district, and
so continued for several years, dominated
over by the Federal Government in q man
ner few proud people have ever suffered
before. But we looked for restoration of
our State Government with the longing that
prisoner looks for the coming Of the morn
ing. We petitioned for it and most eagerly
embraced it at the first opportunity, clothed
as it was with many humiliating and pain
full incidents. We got it in time. And what
ever may have been the status Of our obli-
cations during the
TINE OF OUR THRALDoM,
they were revived in their full force by the
resumption of our sovereignty.
It would be very poor relief were the
ideas OF those to prevail who argue that we
were Conquered and that the conqueror be-
came bound for our debts. II that be true
the other and correlative Is also true that
the territory and property and industry Of
the conquered are mortgaged for the debt.
I know not how others may feel, but
would rather Virginia should settle her own
affairs than have them attended to by the
Federal taX-gatherer.
But neither OF these excuses can now
avail, because admitting. for the sake OF ar
ment, that the debt was thus affected, It was
revived in full force by legislative enact
ment after the restoration OF the States
sovereignty in renewal Of its obligation.
What good, then, does 1t do to 60 back
to the mast and quarrel over its haps and
mishaps? Why rake up its bones to annoy
and disturb Let the dead past bury its
dead. The living present is about US, and
before us a future filed with life and hope,
il we will 20 forward like men to meet it.
We cannot do it by cumbering ourselves
with so many memories that We might as
well let die, and so many sorroWful and
angry thoughts that ought to sleep.
Those who ill office now are clothed with
A HIGH AND HOLY TRUST.