The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-01-08
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,x,a,, Y,o,, Tl,e m y READ just?


WY Don't they Read just
% & why don't thevs That is the que 's''
5..i,n yye have al, Executive sit1esfe, pa
a s and practical. II tho Legislature
ss M shssracter,zei by these virtues,
.sSs aii,,rs 81 che Com onwealtn can ee
Asrm onloasiy and happily arransed y s, 9
r,,snth. what grand thing that .Woul y 70
for yirginta and for all her people n 9, :
.u,pch better that would be than to have tue
pubic mind agitated and aggravated py
Dartisan quarre.s and demagogicaI urad ls
The peeple could rest, aud sereneiy set aooa.
the work OF domestic economy, re'le icy !, :
from apprehension aud from the dis.urp-
ance 81 the tleiusiye promise OF RELIEF rom
puhlic tlishoaor, which is sure to ir''strate :
the general quiet and impair the genera
welfare. A lurking hope, inspired by s sll'l'
an idle promise, gives nobody happiness
ANY intelligent yirginian who might per
nit himself to be persuaded that the puoiic
debt could be avoided BY the public DIS
honor would derive no real happiness
from Che thought. II would be IKE the
memory Of a transgression more terri
bic to the transgressor than 1t couia
be to one wrongcd By the transsression.
No man who could be a party to puOlilc
djshonor could ever again be the owner of, OF q
heart at peace and Of that moral serenity
which is only the property OF innocence e
He would be transformed in disposition
and in feature, and would never IND 1t III ms
conscience to approve bis own act IN the
hours OF quiet and scquestration when I: no
thing stood between him and bis Cod
All. there can be no public serenity-n
domestic peace--in q community whose
pubIjc honor Is stained by reputation. 1t
is thing no community can contemplate
without shame, and it is thing that is un-
necessary, and which cannot take place IN
Virginia without gross delinquency and
faithiessness on the part OF those who pave
charge Of the public welfare and the pulblEile
credit. !. 4e., .sl
Governor HOLIDAY said the other Jay
that no public man in Virginia bad been
known to declare himself in favor oil repu'
diation. This is something that we may be
proud of. There are, indeed, some pubic
men who call themselves . forcible readjust-
crs.'' We cannot we'll sec how any forcible
adjustment which takes anything from the
public creditor without bis consent can be
less than Reputation of ut least that part
1of the claim OF the creditor which ls
taken from him by this s'forcible adjust.
ment.'' Nevertheless, the denunciation OF
;. Reputation by a man who goes for forcl
bile readjustment" shows at,.least that nc
has some conscientious scruples that make
him ashamed to deGraud the public creditor
out of his whole claim. Good morals teach
us that honesty is thing incapable OF sub.
division. We can't be half or three quar-
tiers honest and the rest Of our moral sell
dishonest. That is not possible. Dishon'
sesty once admitted TO the heart soon gets
the whole. d. ;iHsr tEa i-ss@ go zir
II those who are induced to daily with
Reputation under the deIusiye names OF
: !" enforced equity y and "forcible readlust-
ment y can ultimately find no qualification
in it, what may be said of-those right-think-
ing men who would regard almost any pub
lie fate preferable to public dishonor?
81 Alb, mo peace can come to Virginia from
her public discredit. Peace and consci-
entious approval can come to the people OF
Virginia through no disposal Of the public
obligations saye;their honorable settlement.
Now, as they all say there are no repudia-
tors, let us all show to the world the fact
by avoiding all appearances Of faithlessness,
all show OF dalliance with dishouor, by
meeting the public creditor manful!y and
fairly. There is no reputation in the
Executive mansion. We pray God there be
none in the Capitol. II the Legislature
wants peace and public honor the Gov
:ernor is with them, and both concurring
in this disposition, the way out of trou-
;ble-the way to settle the matter OF
: the public dcbt-the way to get it out OF
the arena and to leave the people freed
from the angry discussion OF contenl-
plated public wrong (Which must be ever
angry)--is easy and susceptible OF prompt
ascertaiument. Virginia is still noble and
proud, and, thank God, she.h the ability
to preserve untarnished her honor-honor
(which sJ,e bore from fisc field Of battle.