Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-02-26
riOV.LHH'S FIRST MESSAGE.
He Recommends u Commission
10 settle the Debt Finally OH
the IsiddIeberger Bill.
COMMONWEALTH or VIRGINIA, }
OFFICE or InE GOVERNOR, :
February II. 1856.
10 the GencrH lSscmbIv

vi tio pcHcldl Assembly Oh II
ginia such matters as ] may deem
eXpedient.
My purpose in this cOmmunica-
ton is to call the attention of the
Legislature to the recent decisions
rendered by the Supreme Court Of
the United States, which seriously
effect the rights and interests of
Virginia. For, while we believe in
the sovereignty of the State, and
that under the Constitution OF the
United States she cannot be sued
by citizens Within her limits or
by those without ; and while we
recognize no distinction between
the State and its officers, because
the State "acts by its legislative,
executive or judicial authorities"
and can act in no other way, we
are also firmly persuaded that con
slant conflict between the courts
and the State is an agitation to
the body polite, and should cease.
Our financial condition, already
sufficiently embarrassed, will i; is
feared, be still further complicated
by them, and it behoOves all de-
partmcnts of the State Govern.
ment to labor and confer together,
so that, if possible, a remedy may
be provided. The people Of Vir-
GINA, after long and acrimonious
agitation of the debt question,
reached in 1881 and 1889 the settle
ment which has since received the
sanction of both political parties Of
the State. From the position thus
taken the people will not recede.
1t is unnecessary at this late day
to recall the history of the debt
legislation Of this State or to refer
to the bitter political struggles
which resulted in the triumph of a
sentiments which found expression
in the settlement made in 1881 and
1882. Suffice it to say that that
settlement reflects still the over
whelming will of a majority of the
people of the Commonwealth; that
it was reached after long and ex.
haustive agitation that any re-
newal of which would be injurious
to the interests of the creditors and
of the State aud the representa-.
tiyes of the people stand pledged
to its maintenance and should in
woke every resource Of law neces.
sary to enforce its acceptance by
the creditors, so that they flight
not as one that beats the air."
1t is believed by many, and |
indulge at least the hope, that if
dispassionate representation was
made to our creditors of the con-
dition of the State before, during
and since the war, of all her resour-
ces and taxable values at the time
the Virginia debt settlements were
entered into by the Legislature in
1865 and 1866, in 1871 and in 1879,
that it would be made apparent to
the creditors that the debt re-
cognized by these several acts in
vOlved a recognition OIL the part Of
the State ola larger volume Of in
debtedness than was actually with
in the ability of the State TO pay.
There are duties resting upon the
State and recognized by the Con
stitution Of the United States, of
a dignity of higher than the obliga.
tons to her creditors, such as the
absolute necessity of controlling at
least so much of the revenues as is
necessary to the support and main
tenance Of our Government, our
free schools, our charitable institu-
tions, and the administration Of
justice and the sense of the more
imperative nature of these duties
largely contributed to bring about
the settlement of 1881 and 1882.
Virginia from her geographical ,
position became the battle-ground |
tor four years Of contending hosts. /
Her soil was exhausted to supply /
armies. Houses, barns, farming
implements and fences were DIES. |
troyed her industries paralyzed !
the wheels of her commerce stop
ped ; the fires in her furnaces ex-
tinguished her heroic sons fell be- /
meath shot and shell, or were en-
feebled by exposure and disease /
her beautiful capital city was swept |
by fire and her boundaries changed /
so as to show two States where |
only one had previous existence. !
Free schools were established andd
freedmen made voters. The State /
was without banks and practically |
without currency. Her citizens
when returning TO their various
avocations in 1865 in most instan.
ces had to begin their business
lives again. The land was before
them, but it WAS confronted by
change in the labor system, while
stock of all kinds had to be pro-
vided. The funding bill Of 1871 |
mOrtgaged the life blood of the
State and threatened destruction
to the schools; the bill Of 1879
went down when made an issue
before the people and Il majority
of the voters of the State demand
cd its repeal and decided it should
be replaced by the settlement Of
1881 and 1882. The party in whose
hands the reigns of government
has now been placed, was restored
to power upon a pledge not to dis
turb that settlement, because the
voice Of Virginia speaking through
a majority of her votes so ordered
it. Whatever differences of opin
ion existed among our people at
the time Of the passage of that
settlement have IN the main dis
the people of the State
without reference to party distinc.
ton, are Of one mind in their re.
ISOLATION to uphold and maintain in
all Its integrity and by all lawful
means the settlement thus declar.
ed. 1t may DO well to observe that
the various acts heretofor mention
cd, which undertook to deal with
the rights and interests ofourcredi-
tors, were passed without direct
conference or consultation with
them. We would suppose that
people so jealous of their good
faith, so sedulous to preserve their
good name as Virginians have al
ways been, would not propose
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