Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-02-12
The Monday Meeting.

meeting 10 send uelegases " 'A0 A''~"
mond Convention.
Promptly at u O'Clock the court va
Gated. and in a few minutes The spacious
court hall was crowded TO its utmost
capacity. Jacob Lantz, ESQ, was call
ed to the chair, and Capt. Riddleberger
proceeded to explain the object of the
meeting. He then read the resolutions
and stated that the first four were the
same as adopted IN the summer OF 1878.
He spoke about an hour and a-half on
the resolutions to a packed house. and
at the conclusion the resolutions were
adopted by reclamation,
Resolved by the people Of Shenan-
doah County in general meeting assem-
bled to consider the Public Debt OF
Virginia, .c o,,
LIST. That the, are in favor OF such
readiustmont Of the obligations OF the
Commonwealth as, in the language OF
the conservative convention which met
in Richmond on the Slh of August 1871
will bring the payment of interest upon
eur entire indebtedness trith'n the reSol'-
ces ofthe State derired from the freeen'
rate oftarction and do equal justice to
all classes of our creditors.
I'd. That they are Of opinion that the
people of Virginia have right TO INSIST
on such rediustment for the following
reasons: At the date OF secession IN
1861 the interest bearing public DEBT o.
VIRGINIA amounted to about S33, 600, OOO,
including the debt owned by the sink
inc fspd. At that time the value OF the
propertv of the State was fully Sl5O,-
100000 90 of which some 5000, 10000 "
worth was assessed for taxation, where
as now the assessed value Of all the
property of Virginia, none being exempt
from taxation, ameunts to only SON.
600. 600 90.
The assets Of the State in interna!
improvements at that time amounted
to over $4,000. 100000. whereas now
they amount to less than $500, OOO, w
The value Of the interest OF the
State in Banks at that time amounted
TO at least s3.5O0.000.00, whereas now
Virginia has no such interest, 1t having
been utterly destroyed as a result OF
the war.
At the date ofsccession Virginia had
an energetic and industrious population
of white people and well regulated
and remunerative system Of labor,
whereas now. some 100000 OF her
population composed principally OF
whites are severed from her by the Tor
nation Of the State Of West Virginia
an act of political malice fer which she
was in 10 wise responsible. ARD
while she has been thus berett OF TINS
large and thrifty population by force
and against her consent there has oeen
left TO her pauper population OF slaves
enfranchi,ed 10y the same power when
ls TGd qXT nd A as Hgp ff taa9 t 4I nfl
frsnchisemeut other slaves. the labor
Of a very large part OF the State has Dcen
completely demoralzed. lands which
were valuable have deprecated to such
an extent "a to be almost worthless,
and some $3.50, 10000 OF the pubic
revenues have TO be expended annually
in various ways for the care OF unlestu-
nate colored persons who were formerly
taken care of by their Owner>.
At the date of secession Virginia was
rapidly pushing to completion a system
ofInternal Improvements, which, when
completed. would have given her a
commercial position second to That OF
no State Of the Union, whereas now'aS
the result of the war, all her main lines
of Railroads are bankrupt and in the
bands of receivers appointed on the APP
plication of foreign boadholders, and are
operated in their interests and to inc
detriment of her people. AT the date
of secession the General Government
imposed no direct tax on the products
of the State, whereas now, the produc-
ton of Virginia pays tax to the Cen
eral Government amounting to some
$4,000, 100000 annually. Notwithstand
mo the foregoing facts. and the othel
grieyous losses which The people OF Vlr
Sinia. individually and collectively sus
tanned by the ravages OF terrible civl
war waged for four years upOG her sol!
they find that they have an interes
bearing State debt at this time OF SOM
$4,000, 100000 including the debt owne'
by the sinking fund and literary fund oil
which the arrearage Of interest aggre
gates over $4,000 O00.c0. And thi
state of affairs exists because Legisla
ture of Virginia in 1871. elected durin
the time of the decentralization inclden
tomilitary despotism, and made up large
" of uneducated negroes, and otallen
and strangers unacquainted with the re
sources and necessities of the State an
hostile to b er people, ass rmed TO acju-
the public debt, and under the speclou
pretence OF setting apart to West NT
pinia enc third thereof, added lnteres
TO principal and created a new debt 10
Virginia bearing the same rate OF inter
est equal in amount to The interest bear
ing debt before secession and as a
indueement to the bondhoider TO accep
the terms imposed bartered away to hin
the States control OF her revenues 10
n generation. such an adjustment {
the debt was in conflict with principl
of public law recognized as sound b.
Jefferson and others OF the fathers, tina
"phere by general end national caiamH
nothing is made out Of lands rhich u,
ossiqned for the payment Of interest 1
ouqit not to run on during the time Of sucI
calamity :" and in depryiDg the State 0
her power TO exercise essential prerOg
atives ofsovereignty, it was IN confic
with the spirit ofrepublican Institutions
The people Of Shenandoah, therefore
are not only of opinion that the people
of Virginia have a right to insist on re-
adjustment. but that the representative:
of people in the next General AS
sembly should demand it as soon as
practicable.
3rd. That they recognized as the just
debt Of the present State Of Virginia
two thirds of the debt as twas at the
time of secession, And that Virginia
should not be held TO pay interest on
any part of the same during the war,
nor during the period Of military re-
construction, when she was denied the
power and privilege of managing her
own concerns, ofleyying taxes, of pro-
tecting her people and Of providing the
means for the payment OF interest.
4th. That the discrimination made be-