Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-01-19
Senator JOilnsfon's Reply 10 General
N;.sEo,IG'!5 6leZziirSs0.

Senator Johnsfon's Reply 10 General
E;.sEouc'!5 hzaZlicsfo.
The following is tho reply OF lion. j. W.
Johnston to General Mahono Oh the tuti,c! O.
the debt end financial oondiioa Ct the Safe
UNITED STATES SENATE CHAMBER,
January II, 1851
The lato address of the State committee of
ito rcad justcrs in Virginia a1d the published
Interview OF General Msholc, lis chairman,
ta7o attracted attention; and while they d. not
Fcom to havc produced the Of CT hoped for,
they, nevertheless, invite reply. propose
to rut in an answer on behalf OF my State and
people, brief and temperate, and shall vouch
the record fox all say. And, before going 10
to details. it is proper that | should eivo q
sketch of evcIts reaching back to the formation
Of tho Alexandria Constitution, as it is called
Tho State Of West Virginia having becu ftrm-
Cd. Francis II. Picrpoint. wEo claimed to BE-
Governor Of Virginia, removed bis heaGquar-
tcIs TO Alexandra. There o convention was
held for the nominal purpose Of adopting o
constitution for Virginia. 10 which bu! few
counties wero represented. This body made
what is known as the alexandria Constiu-
tion," and when the surrender took place, Pier.
point moved bag and baggage over to Rich.
mond, took possession Of tho public buildings.
end proceeded to act as Governor over all Vir
giais. When his reign was over, the clrpet
bag government of II. Ii. Wells vas insugu
rated ald it remained until it was superseded
by military rule. In 1867 an election was held
for delegates to form convention, which body
WAS largely republican. 1t met 10 Richmond
10 December. 1867. end formed the constitution
now il ioIco in VireiDia-altcred much, how.
ever, by several amendments. Tho scledul,
&c !ompapying it required that it should DO sub.
mlttcd to vote Of tho people, but this was not
done till the summer of 1869. Tho constitution
ws9 adopted Except some disfranohising clauses
which were stricken out,) aud the first leeisla.
turo under it assembled in October, 1869. The
military, however, romsintd in c)ntrOl, and it
was not until January, 1870. that tho State vas
admitted to representation 10 Congress aud tho
government turned over to its own officers occ.
ted by the people, under constitution also
ratified by them. From tho surrender to 1870
the people had little to do except to obey car
pct hoggcrs and generals. and may b. truly
said to hayo had no hand in their own govern
;nent.
It's orly ti1co January, 1870, that the p:o
pic Of tho State Can be held responsible for tho
conduct or Its affairs. sGd thoY mus be Iiscd
Ny "uHt luUS lafO OVuO S:lC) TUT llUU, an j
by the circumstances, troubles, difficulties aud
embarrassments under which i. was done.
Whom Tho war was over, by some means or OH.
or. the hopo was epgandered in tho people Of
Virginia that there would BE- q rush both Of
capital ard population to the State; that lands
would be il dcmlnd, and would readily sell a.!
high prices. and industries aud 6uSiocs5 woull
speedily revive. Tho cuIrll e. was at is most
redundant period also. SO that 10 VirsiGis il
was the era OF Inflated currobccs AID iu1 .ted
hopes likewise. Bat theis expectations were
not rcallzae. Congress contracted the clrrcncy
and cot much capital DOR many settlers reached
our territory. IL is true Tic carpet Dagger was
abroad there as we'll as clsnwhere 10 tho South,
but he was never anything but 2 curse where yer
no went In addition TO these troubles @ STAY
law had bson tassed by The Virginia SEQ s.ion
Convention. which prevented the collection Of
debs $. ord which remained 10 ioJco ill The year
1870. When it vas repealed at last, it lot loose
vast l!od Of debts, with great accumulation
OF interest, upoa tho paopic oil OF orco.
There had not borD linlc sILcI lha surroodar
to aGeumulato much personal property horses,
catsl', sheep and hogs take limo to groW-sud
So when tho people WCr, called upon 10 pay
their debs-la many casca doubled by Interest
THY had nothing 10 do i. With except land
aud there vas great DEL moro OF that in tho
market than could be sgl. There could bo but
ono rcsu1t-much loss, much bankruptcy, much
poverty. Nevertheless, when the poopIo Gid,
IN 1870 obtain control OF their own government
they addressed themselves hravoly 10 tho work
Of rebuilding tho STATE. Not only undivided
properly had been lost, bat tho Sia:u ts,ois
had been either lost or wastcd. The separation
OF West Nlrgiai1 pioaUc1d difficult ir5hlem
az TO the State Debt. The constitution Of West
Virginia had this rroVisr, viz: "Au tquitatlo
proportion CT the public dobt OF the Common
wealth OF FlrRlola prcr to Iha 1T day of Jan
uary, 1861, shall b, assumed By hi, State, aud
tic legislature Shall ascertain tho same az on
quotation thereof by slnking fund spftici Ut
TO pay tho fco:ulae Interest aad redeem the
principal willil thirty four years" The en-
stituli2n CT Virginia Ind this clause. w: Tic
General Assembly shall provide By law for id :
iu5liCg with the Stat. OF West Virginia tic
proportion Ct the public debt of VireiLi, a,d
West Virgipis. AID shall provide that such sum
as shall be REQ iVcd from Yves. Virgi5i, shall
be applied to tie pigment of tho publ deb: Of
tho State.
The Legislature OF VrsiG;a, dcsiriug to *
tcuto thcso pr Visions Of 5at;; na, u;iHns pass
Cd 0 Int II gclu len to- de'irg arbitration 10
West Virginia. TIL taii.d. how, vcr, and 90
actual scnl9ta 2nt bctwe on The two a,cs socmtd
difficult to oh sir. The l. glsIe'uco of V ;in
ID set aside (aish Tie c,nsent CT the creditors,
as witnessed by the taste with which they 90
copied tho provlAiors of Tic Funding bill OF
1871, } ono'tbird OF the d, b, OF West Virginia,
dctllring at tho same time that Virginia Yves O
hu5teo for tho creditors. and you'd pey them
whatever sum Woa. Virginia paid her. What
situation did the Legislature which mat 10 %
tober. 1869, uud tho new constitution, liod
itself Ia?
lo govcrum1 nts Iii :, !tvo been 10 regular on
Grafton for gears, with Hll tho machinery 10
good order, with tho rtcJ:d, of tho past from
year 10 CT TO guide them, it is easy enough to
c5tlmatu both rcc.iIt3 and Expenditures Pre-,
vlous sts?ssmon.s Of property and previous 70
ceDts into tho treasury enable them 10 say what
can b. reasonably expected ia the way of rovo
nue.. 50 tho past Expenditures furnish Glso
guido, Du. Eifrlbia nd Dano re- thooa tb;ncs