New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-26
ROURBOVISM BOILING.

The BOurbOns of Virginia are In state OF
wrath. 1t does not please them to find
sovereign State controlled, even in tho matter
of paving its honest debts, by the National Gov
ernment, which Virginians claimed that they
had destroyed in 1861, and afterward tired
hard for several years To destroy. 80 IN old
times some fiery +. +. V. would look with un-
utterable wrath upon Northern mudslll
clothed as policeman, if the minion OF the law
attempted to prevent the scion of chivalry from
swindling somebody in our Northern cities to
be caught swndling was small matter. but
that 4 gentleman should be restrained, in
anything he pleased to do, by ii mere mudsill,
was intolcrable. Virginia, however, will be
Obliged to recognize the fact that the law Is no
respecter Of persons, and the Constitution OF
the United States cannot be set aside with i'm
punity, even by the first families of Virginia.
The latest scheme Of the BOurbons is to call
State Convention, and solemnly resolve the old
State out of existence, leaving no corporate
entity To be responsible for the payment OF any
bonds or interest thereon. This is after the
Memphis pattern. The rcpudiators of that
Tennessee city went to the State Legislature
and got an act passed repeating the charter of
the city, so that the corporate body which had
contracted the debt could be said TO have ceased
to exist As Virginia is in Democratic opinion
n sovereign State, even in robbing its creditors,
it needs no permission from anybody to cease
to exist it can disband, according to this
theory. and resolve itself into its constituent
clements, mt its own pleasure. But the ques-
ton would even then arise whether Virginia, or
any new organization of the same material,
could claim any of the rights and powers of
State. If it is State at all, il is Virginia and
has a debt; if it is not the State of Virginia, it
is entitled TO no representation in the Electoral
College in the Senate, in the House. 1t ia
safe TO say that the BOurbons will not try this
experiment, nor will President Cleveland let
them. The electoral votes of every possibly
Democratic State will be wanted in 1858. The
power of a State to abolish itself, without con
sent of the United States, would not be con-
coded.
In some fashion, however, the Bourbons in
tend to resist the authority of the United States,
if they can. What does the President propose
to do about il The duty of enforcing the
la VS. is now intrustcd to President Cleveland.
and it appears to be essential, rs the first step,
that he should ascertain whether his own At
torney- General is loyal, and will do his best to
enforce the laws, in spite of his somewhat dis
graceful appearance as counsel for regulators
a few weeks ago. Next. the President Will
have to decide whether he will encourage ana
countcnance those who defy the Constitution of
the United States by appointing any of them to
Office Men can be found in Virginia to hold all
the offices, who are stanch and uncompromis-
ing debt-payers. The Presidents will either
choose such men. in any future appointments
for Virginia, or he will make the cause of the
regulators his own. Dodging and trickery
were possible when the Democrats were out of
power. Now il rests with n Democratic Pres-
dent to enforce the law. and to show whether
he will tolerate defiance of the Constitution.
There will be ample time hereafter to con
slider the difference between the Republicans
and the Bourbons of Virginia, on this as on
other questions. Suffice it now to say that the
measure which the Supreme Court sustained
in its decision two years ago, and which four
of its members still sustain In different aspect
affected the remedy rather than the right of
creditors, while the later acts which the Bour-
bon Legislature passed in 1884 distinctly re-
and deny to the holder of coupons any remedy
if, after he has rendered them, his property is
wrongfully seized by an officer If the State
should now set itself to bring fairly before the
Supreme Court the question whether Virginia
should be obliged to pay the whole of debt, and
West Virginia no part of it. there would be more
equity III its claim But the Bourbons do not
pretend desire to pay what is rightfully due
they avow purpose to repudiate altogether
and the question Immediately in order is
whether the President will sustain and encour-
age them in defying the Constitution of the
United States.