The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-09-17
One Dead Duck.

OF its wisdom and force. An old Peters
bsrg friend Of ours has sent us few copies
OF the Indey OF 1867, now the lndeI- AP-
peal, of that city, then edited by Colenel
! WILLIAM E. CAMERON, and the theatre on
which he made bis fame as brilliant writer.
| In glancing over some OF these old sheets
we have been wonderfully struck with pas
sages in some of its leading editorials, and
when we contrast their expressions ana
sentiments on the debt question, then ut
tered and enforced by Colonel CAMERON,
with those which he is now uttering in his
speeches on the stump and his editorials Tor
the press, our establishment exceeds the
language Of full expression. Would any
one suppose that Virginian who at, that
time was vigorously in favor Of paying a
State debt of 500, 0O0,0 900 sad per cent. IN
terest could now be opposed to paying
So, 100000 at only per cent. interest /?
Yet such was Colonel CAMERoN's position,
as will appear from the following extract
from one of his editorials Of 2lst OF March,
1867: -..
1.-THE State Of Virginia, rich in talent, IN
energy, and in muscle, with an expanse OF
fertile fields, possessed by four Kingdoms
OF the Old World, with the position to com
mand trade controlled by but one State in
the Union, with every prospect aud every
germ OF manufacturing greatness, contain
ing an unlimited water-powcr, material
wealth untouched as yet-coal to run the
furnaces OF continent, iron to build the
machinery for worlds factories, and hav-
| ing within her borders the elements OF
every branch of material prosperity, is held
| to be so poor by her law-giyers that she IS
represented as staggering hopeless'y and
helplcsslv under an Insignificant debt OF
| fifty millions of dollars"
Now, let the reader Of this paragraph
.smark the phraseology and note the appli-
cation !" Of this language, as good old Bish-
| CD EARLY used to say when he wanted to
| impress his congregation with text from
the Bible. Twelve years ago-iust when
the State had emerged from fearful civil
war-Coloncl CAMERON conceded our debt
to be as much as fifty millions Of dollars
and considered that an insignificant
sum to be paid by Virginia! We have
meyer paid ono dollar uf thut lfty million,
aud the interest has rapidly Increased mil
\ lions since, and yet CAMERON is laboring
daily to convince the people that 100000
OF debt, with interest at only three per cent,
| is now more than the people can bear! The
interest to be paid under CAMERoN's teach
| ing in 1867 would have been 100000 per
annum-under. the present MCCULLoCH bill
1t will be only 1890, 1000! What wondrous
change has come over the spirit Of Colonel
CAMERoN's dream OF bgh-toned honor and
patriotism in twelve years. time!
But the above is not the only remarkable
revolution that has taken place in Colonel
CANERoN's mind in that single decade. In
1857 there was pending before the Legisla-
ttre proposition to assign one third Of
our debt to West Virginia at per cent,
and we to bear The two thirds at 6 per cent.
interest. This proposition-the substance
OF which was finally adopted to protect Vir-
ginia from the assumption of the whole
debt Of the State-was highly disgusting to
the present champion Of reimbursement, Col
onel CAMERON, and he wrote flaming edto-
| rails against it. In one OF them he said:
.'If West Virginia will bear its fair pro.
portion that amount will be ready for next
years payment. and will reduce the next
| assessment that much; il not, we must bear
| that wrong, as we have so many others, for
our own and honor's sake"
The old linden wanted them to pay all of
the debt Of the State as well as all the per
cent. interest thereon, Just "for our own and
honor's sake" How considerate was CAM
| ERoN in 1867 =! and how strict bis integrity
| and elevated his sense of honor! He must
have been at that time "bloated bond
holder" or puffed-up " banker or bro
ker" to have carried at one time fifty mil
lions OF debt, at 6 per cent. interest, Wild
such ease in his pocket.
But the Legislature Of that year was
rather slow in readjusting the debt as IL
has been since, aud CAMERON could not ho'o
This temper with any sort OF moderation
and he let fly one OF JOBS thunderbolts at
q delinquent Legislature, as follows:
"Days, weeks, and months passed, ana
nothing has been done to meet the emer-
qencv: no provision has been made to pay
the outstanding interest; no definite plan
has been submitted save one looking to
curtailmept which is but the germ OF that
renudiation SO Indignantly discountenanced,
and ,oeauw lille tue delay is being construed,
wrongly, harshly perhaps, but very natu-
raIly. by Virginia's creditors as an evidence
that her legislators and her people are grow
ing habituated by time to the appearances
of the monster which wore at first blush so
hideous mien as to be hateful to all be-
holders"
The g hideous monster" here spoken of
is thatioi "repudiation," whose inien at
that time had grown so s: hateful! to all
bon dHoldsfss1 but which does not now
seem te disturb fpr one Instant their equa-.
nimiby, nor, bring one sNbiush'' Of shame to
thsifSnSrsd ehesks. t.,s, a. ): - rs
.In 1887 adjustment Of the debt MAJ che
leading aassri orof 'thy day tasta Sits now
' not = 4 boz
tohi.ssSt,sss qaa spss " ii dbks 6ss
|sidaaR 5i,st'resa ssIs,:s
Of that GAsx y hscas faaa its full accomplish
nentS a''l''iaa si1
Flffsfs OF s TINT tue
House, in OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES pirginia's
faffmETnus far 70 assIRfs O. AQ6tj0p OF THE.
States obligations aAAsSa ID estimate the
lsshass Cal Ina Ia siS,a Sgissact sst droas
ihs oId dsbf. and Day IaaassssasaoasS . ..
inaind aEzaslsA HDssaaT asbrds, to reduce
the sgsasasasss& each bond 33t per cen6 ;Ty
ESiy5ug sssE efeIswasTTuTr
seH sskIgFda4a6sse5d sAlti sseEs lgsslss
: q s .,s5I n ,II!;