The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-09-17
Notification.

1t may not be considered polite to ques-
tion the soundness or the appositeness
of any proposition that may come from a
Bourbon source. The ''best people, ought
to be incapable of wrong-doing or sug-
costing a thought or idea that was
not self-evidently correct. Yet in this
age of free thought. theoretically at least,
the common people will, occasionally,
speculate, and venture upon criticisms not
at all agreeable to the self assumption and
and self-importance of the s'salt OF the
EARTH Hence inquiry is occasionally
heard from the masses as to the meaning
of the notification resolution of the Dem
ocratic Convention, which reads 1.-THE
question of the State debt Las ceased to he
one of dollars and cents. 1t has become
one of State sovereignty. The question
is whether the State of Virginia shall be
arraigned before the Federal Courts, con-
trolled by Republican judges, adjudicating
upon the sovereign rights of the State in
the interest of the bondholders, in defiance
of one of the plainest provisions of the
Federal Constitution. This resolution
refers to the decision of the Supreme
Court of the United States in the Virginia
coupon cases, where the fatal legislation
of the Virginia BourboLs as to the debt
question was exposed and the responsible
ity Of the defeat of the Riddleberger debt
question located on the Bourbon party. 1t
Omits, however, to mention that the Re-
publican judges were equally divided, and
that the Democratic judge gave the cast
ing vote in the opinion which this nullifi-
cation resolution essays to condemn.
What do the people of Virginia think
of parcel of Bourbon politicians meeting
in a political convention for party pur-
poses, and brazenly proclaiming to the
world that they will resist the decision OF
the highest judicial tribunal in the world /:
Nothing could more effectively expose the
spirit and purpose of that party than this
bull against the Supreme Court The de-
mand is that everything must bow to the
necessities of few desperate demagogues
whose incapacity to understand the legis.
lation which settled the debt question, in
vited the Intervention of the Supreme
Court, and because of the bungling enact.
ments of the Bourbon Legislature, was
compelled, by the very terms of the Consti-
tuition, to render the decision that the
resolution quoted arraigns.
Are the people of Virginia prepared to
again resist the Federal government +:
Are they willing to trust u party which
thus formally places itself across the de.
crees of the highest judicial tribunal in
the world? 1t involves resistance to Fed
eral authority i'll the pledge it gives to
such further legislation, and as a part
thereof, to the protection and indemnif-
cation of the various officers of the State
for all official acts done in obedience to the
law'' of the State, which were enacted to
do that which the Supreme Court says
they cannot do.
The people of Virginia have had enough
OF notification, and if John w. Daniel,
the author of the resolution, and the
Bourbon leaders, want to engage in any
more of it, they will be permitted to dc
so, without the countenance or aid of the
masses of the people, who mean to obey
the laws and bow to the opinion of the
Supreme Court, whether It is just what
they want. or think it ought to be, or
not.