The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-03-29
More Of Il.

treated Nv the New York Tribune wher
that journal charged upon them the sins Of
the CoaIitionists, who are its own allies
The 7riJanc's misrepresentation OF the
facts we attributed TO nothing more than
Ignorance. The same paper, In its issue Of
Tuesday, returns to the subject OF the debt
OF Virginia. After quoting certain very
inconsequcntial comments of the London
Daay Telegraph upon the recent decision
OF the supreme Court OF the United States
In the case OF Aatoni Us. Greenho'c, the
Tribune adds:
..yircinia ought 70 be heartily ashamed
OF her neutrality-suspicious. policy
THE only immediate pressing question Is
understood to be payment Of interest, and
sbe Is in possession OF n treasury surplus
OF above million, with another million
Immediately in expectation. She has re-
sources, organization, and prestige sufli-
Client to make her too proud for the dis
honest devices Of reputation"
"Yhe States cannot fail TO safer for each
others acts. Reputation by one shakes
the Standing OK the others-lndeed, 0:
American obligations generally. Virginia
should be ashamed"
Think OF that. The organs OF the Re-
publican party reproVing the people oil
Virginia for rcsorting TO "the dishonest de-
vices Of reputation Pray, let your
readers know that it was Republican Adj
minisiratlon which made the passage OF the
EpDLEpERGER bill possible, and that II
was New Yorker who as President OF the
United States enabled the Coalitionists in
Virginia thus TO "shake the standing Of
the otherv States. The author OF the RID
pLFBErGEI bill was elected TO the United
States Senate by the votes OF oil, or nearly
all, the Republicans, white and black, who
were in the Virginia Legislature at th'
time Of his election. In word, the Tn
bune's own allies, not to say its own party
are responsible for the reputation leSisla-
ton OF the last Virginia Legislature; and
Republican Supreme Court has decided
that legislation TO be no violation OF the
Constitution of the United States.
Under these circumstances, the Demo
Gratis OF Virginia have wisely determined
to let the debt question alone hereafter.
Phey have done their whole duty with
reference TO that debt. No one can justly
charge them with Inconsistency because
thoy decline longer to fight the battles OF
bondholders. Their future policy is well
set forth by the Lynchburg Adrdnce,
edited, we will say for the information Of
the Tribune, by an eX-member of Congress
from this state. That paper says:
ave have all the time asked that it be
left TO the courts, and have over and over
said we would abide the decision OF the
courts. We were taught to believe that the
Republican party North, the Republican
Administration, and the United States
courts, held the legal view Of State debts
and obligations which we hold, and we
were surprised to find all the power and
money of that party, including money of
the bondholders, used to overthrow and
defeat us in Virginia. But It was so, and
We were on this debt issue beaten before
the people, and the whole question went to
the courts; and it seems to Us the courts
have followed the Administration and sus-
tanned the Riddleberger bill, and this being
so, we must bow TO the decision"
We could renew the fight; but
sWould not such a course be folly;
would it not subject us TO the charge OF
being obstructionists, wrongly seeking TO
eyade and o5struct the decision OF the
courts, 10 be waiting to pack courts to meet
future legislation? Would we not be
taking the position. that we charged the
Reaiiusters with occupying in 70 and
's1f Shall we fight the Supreme Court
over our own court, for the bondholders'
party. simply TO comply with our obliga-
lions from which we have been relieved by
the Republican party, the bondholders, the
Supreme Court OF the United States,
and the present Court Of Appeals! Was
ever such political folly proposed? We
will not fight this debt question longer.
The bondholders las far as we are con-
cerned) must look to their President Ar
thur, their party, and the courts they have
aided TO create. We agreed to pay 10y the
bonds. We consented TO the legal obliga-
ton, and if we could have done no better
il there had been no funding agreement
binding the bondnoders-we should legal
Nv have been bound for all. Morally an
Englishman or Yankee bondholder, or
claimant any other way, had little moral
claim OH Virginia or any southern State. 1t
was the legal obligation OF our bond that
they held, which it was our duty to per-
form 10 northern and foreign bondholders.
Morally our institutions OF learning, &C.,
and our own people-widows and or
phans-hqd moral ciaim-the Others a legal
one. The courts have settled our legal Oh
LEGATION and will control it,"
sRecollect the moral obligation the
State OF Virginia was under to pay many
Confederate debts, The creation of which
took bread and meat and horses and cattle,
propertv from those poorly able to eX-
change them for the legal obligation Of the
State OF Virginia. The United States re-
leased the legal obligation. VIII any
party-does any party-propose to per-
form the moral obligation and pay the
Confederate debts? The moral obligation
still remains"
"The real truth OF all this matter is that
there must be an end OF IL. Good policy,
sound wisdom, common sense, dictate that
there be an end Of this distracting question.
The Legislature has practically gotten rid
OF il; it Il now question for the courts
and in the courts. The State should be
willing to abide the decision OF the United
States courts and the bondholders will
have 10 abide it. We are tired OF contro-
versy with any one on the subject. For
the sake Of the State and our parry let us
have no discussions among ourselves. Lei
us have peace"
Words OF wisdom, truly. We commend
them TO the consideration OF the Tribune,
espccially those Of them which recall the
fact that the United States Government
compelled Virginia to repudiate all Con-