Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-04-19
THE LAST OF THE LINE,
From the Richmond Sintnl

edlcts went forth, where never known. but
each result hurled out fell as IL Jagged poir- |
nard stabbing new and tearing nhea}ed |
wounds i'll the breast of the Mother State. |
The Junta ruled Virginia. the Dictator ruled |
the Junta. The map Of the Commonwealth
was scroll i'll his grasp. and his finger in
dcXed the bristling environments OF the lib
critics OF her people. while he knitted the
state to cast slices among the scramblinG
van of his Noracious army of placement
In that secret court free thought was en-
bargoed, alyd issued not save with the 1inct
of the Dictator, while the manly and indie
pendent spirit which dared speak was bran
| ded with opprobrium aud stigmatized trail
| tor.
In the barter Of men rights freedom had
its price.
At the demolition the command was given
and Capitol offices were gorged the COM
mand was given. and counties and cities
were clutched: the command was given.
and railroads were turned conduits TO his
Golfers the command was given. and schools
of little children were levied upon TO swell
, the tribute; the command was given and men
and women stricken of reason by the will of
God were stricken of protectors Ivy the will
OF the Dictator, and wrecked intcllects coun-
ted TO swell theas in the awful bank
ruptcy of liberty and right.
When the wild blood oft cannhal king
of the Occidcnt ruShes fastest in the increase
OF the passion of victory he rcars to his ulo-
~ monument of the skulls of his victims.
In the gut Of domination the Dictator of
Virginia ordered rarer memorial of his tri-
umph, and dead and dying minds capped
the pyramid of his glory. SO it was that ut
the new era OF progress the keen gain of
civilization over barbarism WAS made
manifest, for the dried skulls gave the say
age but ashes while the dead minds swclled
the acclmuations Of the Virginia rulers ne
gotiabIc ucre. .tsylumed maniacs had be-
come articles Of barter and sale
All this had been done and the resources
sumcd up, but they were not sufficient to re-
ward the rctainers Of the inncr-cour circle
Virginia had been drlined her treasury
stretched to its utmost tension new offices
had been created, and old Offices packed
The Ruler and his Junta now looked for
other sources of revenue. There were
but three left untouched, which in the histo-
~ of the world had been held sacred and
beyond the reach of Legislatures. Emprrors
and kings, i'll the rigid sway of autocratic
domain, had trembed al suggestion of lay
ing implouS hands upon Them and through
lroubl6us decades they had rested un-
harmed.
Three subjccts--thc church. the grave,
and the judiciary Ii was possible for the
iron hand which had dragged from the sut-
tcring lunatc the kind watcher over his
wants-it was possible to wrest the preacher
from the pulpit and install new ministers to
, proclaim IL gospel interlincated with the
abascd doctrines Of this progressive teacher.
1t was possible for the hand which had
wrcakcd from cities their guaranteed rights
and taxed them TO yield pelf to his crea-
turcs--it WAS possible now by the same
-, right and power Of law to penetrate the
graves Of the dead, upturn the inulned
ashes, and with greedy grasp wrcst silver
. namc-agn from mouldcring casRes to swell
: the heaping treasures fcasting To englutment
I his avarlcious eye. II was possible for the
! hand which had wrenchcd from station
the guardian Of the education of children
, land placed over them a scrvior to whom
, spelling was Il sealed mystery and grammar
! Il terrible phantom-it was possible for him
!, to hurl down with sacrligeors torceth high
. affairs ofjustice and pollute the bench with
judges TO be toyed in his fingers as puppets
, moved ut will. Justice. the protection of
old and young, the lone widow and the
tatheresS child, the bulwark circling palace
pendencc OF power and principalities, the
last vindicator Of man in this world and his
guide to the great heyond--it was now
; possible for the sweeping hand to eject
heavens vicegerentS, and tumblin@ down
this firm foundation hold partisan orgies
, over the the ruined palladium OF a peoples
rights.
The Church. the grave, the judiciary He
f ordered the last because first, That in his
grasp, all else suhugatcd. Owning Il Lceis-
, laturc to make laws. Il court to enforce
, them. his would be 4 power boundess and
!, binding 1T his bidding the State and spec
f pie He demanded the Judiciary.
, In court days when retinues were most
regal and subjects kissed the earth before
the advancing sovereign, two men stood al
ways nearest the king--thc lavorite and the
jester When princcIy gifts. lightly rot. fell
from the monarch's hand, they dropped first
+ upon them The smile Of the iavoritc was
brightest as the clouds hung heaviest over Il
peoples hopes. The laugh of the lester was
loudest when ii drowned the groans of the
throttlcd masses. And so Nirginia'4 richest
, gifts were dccrced. Claiming like earliest
kings weapon of thlnderbolt, us lightning
, striking the highest object, he aimed his first
blow ut the highest mark, and 50 began the
Judgment Of the judges. The mountebank
Tested the while and the l;lvorite laughed
at the jest. Virginia turned aside and
; wept. In the ages when the centuries were
younger the iavortc danced before king,
who in his pleasure gave her whatsoever she
asked. and the head fthe pronhct and law
giver was her prize.
Once again the cycle of time had rolled
aroundi History had repeated itself and
again the favorite was gifted with the head
of the law-gver, and the land known as
the Old Dominion was the kingdom of the
King.
The first act of the Junta and its Ruler
was the removal of Richard c. L. Moncurc.
Judge of the Supreme Court of Virginia
This man had served his State long. His
purity shone like a well-trimmed light and
his simplicity was beautiful rs that ola child
which knows no sim
In the coterie of those who moved with
the Dictator there was one whose nood in