Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-03-27
A Noble Page in Virginia's
History.

HISTORY.
Despite the blunder of Secession,
against which this historic Valley
region was almost unanimous, there
was something poetical in the self
conservation with which our Valley
population sustained the COnfeder-
ate cause without consideration of
cost or sacrifice. AS the Valley is
indissolubly associated with the ex-
plots Of Ashby and the NapoleOnic
achievements of Stonewall Jack
son, so will its devotion and sacri.
fees be celebrated in song and
story.
Indeed Of all of Old Virginia
the same eulogy may be proudly
pronounced. A wearied Confeder-
ate-vearled with sickness caused
by ,Xp.-ure and hunger in the
mountains of Highland just before
Jackson fell like a thunderbOlt first
upon Milroy and afterwards upon
Banks and Fremont and Shields,
heard the reply made by a Nir-
ginian nation to the pretenuous
claim If South CaroliDian to
eminence for his state in inaugu
rating the work of Secession. There
was a calm dignity in the reply,
which, in substance was, eyes
South Carolina made the war, but
Virginia is carrying it on. Your
state went out of the Union in a
pet, ike a spoiled child, bat Nir-
GINA unmoved by the passion and
excitement that then dominated
the whole country, North and
South, waited until her honor was
challenged, and then abandoned
the government she had created
with the dignity and majesty of
an old queen
And Virginia suffered grievously
for her magnanimity in making
herself the battle-ground of a war
for interests altogether foreign to
her advantage. For her sacrifices
werc terrible both OF precious lives
and Of property to be counted by
millions Of dollars. Yet as the
chain Of time lengthens aud we get
far enough away from the war and
its Incidents, the truth of history
comes more and more to the Illus
tratiou of The unselfshness Of Nir-
ginian's part in the war of Secs
sion. Recent publications, whose
authenticity is vouched for by the
reputable newspapers that make
them, reveal that while Carolinian
Governors and officials aud
Georgia Governor in the last
agouies of that terrible six months
preceding the collapse at Apo
maftOx. were considering measures
of safety for their communities and
for themselves, Old Virginia was
Offering 10 flag of truce but was
following her own Lee to the ca
tastrophc Of which himself and his
mother state were to be the
victims.
While cotton states contrived
Secession and war, Virginia begged
for peace and for the maintenance
of the Union that her great sons
had created. When war came she
deliberately vert to the help Of
those that made the war. 1t was
not wise, but it was chivalrOus.
Virginia acted upon sentiment IN
the interest of people seeking
seldshly power and wealth. When
the crisis came Virginia was still
courageous and selfsacrihcing, and
when the catastrophe came, Nir-
ginia was its chief and uncomplain-
ing, unlamenting victim. These
records Of the war gradually, slow
~, come to the public eye. Vir-
ginians feel no pleasure in the
revelations of the sel6shness OF
others, bat they take pride in the
evidence that their own state was
true TO the unselfsh martrydom
with which she went, regardless Of
her own convictions, and regard
less Of her own obvious interests
into fuinOus war in behalf of other
communities.