Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-03-05
THE STATE DEBT.

the old State forever gone, since she cOulQ
nav the debt so easily and does not do it.
Ia her defence l would like to have an
swered the following questions or PROPOSE
tons, which may be alleged in excuse of her
conduct:
1st. When one power conquers another
and completely dcs royS its government
does that power relieve the suhjugated
power of its financial obligations, and as
same the responsibility itself? Is not this
the law of nations?
2nd. Was not Virginia Il sovereign and
was she not so acknowledged, except rs to
certain rights delegated To the central gov
ernment for distinct and specified purposes :?
Since her destruction and reconstruction
does any one claim any such Thing now :?
Whv2 Because the last vestige Of soyer-
eighty passed away when Lee had the con-
federates' muskets stacked upon the fields of
AppomattoX. Since then she would not
nresume to raise an issue with the United
States government; and why? Because
armed soldiers invaded her territory, de-
stroyed her stock, laid waste her fields,
burned her houses and fences, repressed all
resistance and dismemhered her territory
without her consent and without compensa-
ton, destroying the property of her people
and reducing them to such poverty as has
been unknown 10 any people for centuries.
TO, show the completeness OF the destruc-
ton of old Virginia this coEquerng power
drove out her Legislative bodies, expelled her
governor, and that there might be state Of
government formed entirely suited to the
wishes and fnncies of the conquerors they
then created new voters, unknown to her
former government, who might organize a
new government and Il new State suited to
their purposes-such Il government as was
not wanted by 4 single honest Firginian in
the State. Old Virginia, upon The estab-
lishment of this new organization, ceased to
exist When she went down did her debt
not go down with her? There is another
State with different boundaries, with differ
ent citizens and q different government, oc.
cupying part OF tho territory which former
ly belonged to old Virginia. This new
State is new Virginia and should have been
80 called. In no sense is she responsible for
the debts OF old Virginia. suppose on the
organization of this new government, she
had thought fit to assume the name of New
Virginia, would there have been vestige
Of her left?
Now is it not the extreme OF liberaity on
her part to propose to assume any of the
obligations OF the old State that was des
troyed ? Should the creditors of old Vir-
gina not be grateful for her liberality? She
is proposing to do what no people, under
similar circumstances, ever proposed to do
before. You not only give her no credit for
this liberality, this large heartedness, but
condemn her add hold her up to contempt,
for not paying all the debt Of old Virginia
which she cannot do without such taxation
as will burden heavily her citiZens,-so
much so as to make them leave the State,
if possible to sell their lands and to cause
the emigrant to steer clear of her borders.
For no one puts the indebtedness of old Vir-
ginia at less than $i5 900 900, and more rea-
sonably at SCI 100000, when all the pro-
perty of the State, personal and real, public
and private, is about $500 100000. 1t is
therefore clear that even if the new State
steps in to assume the financial obligations
of the old State, she will assume q burden
which she cannot bear. So she had as we'll
let her creditors understand the true state
of the case.
Gov. Lee is wise in taking steps to have
the creditors informed us TO the position the
State occupies, but he does not go far
enough. They should he instructed in the
following facts
lst. That newVirgiGia owes no debt.
"a. That if she SO desired she cannot pay
the debt of Old Virginia, nor the interest Of
it, without such taxation as would prevent
immigration. perhaps break up her schools
and make her citizens wish themselves in
some other State.
3rd. That she should have at the very
least, as liberal terms as her sister southern
States, should she oll." 10 assume the obi
cations Of the Old Stale that ceased to exist
in 1867. Especially AS she Suffered more
than any of them and the profits Of her diff
ferent industries are smaller.
What was it that defeated the democratic
party and put the State under the heel OF
Malone? Tie true reason | have never
seen given in tho papers. 1t was the effort
Of the democratic party TO make the people
believe that this destruction of property,
this ruin of tho old State and all on which
the debt was based, wrought no change in
the financial obligations of the people, and
that the debt Of the old State was of the
same financial obligation as their private
debts.
Though | have never voted any other
but the democratic ticket, though in defer
ence to the public sentiment of the outside
world voted to sustain the McCuloch set
Element, I have always believed that the
United States government was responsible
for this debt. Even if she had not destroy.
ed the old Slate, equity would demand from
her an amount eqnal to the debt for the ter
Titory which has been forcibly wrenched
from her.
Now, Mr.. Editor, do ycu not think ii wiser
to hold up the above facts to public view,
than to be eternaIy raising expectations in
the minds OF the creditors that cannot be
realized, than TO BE- pEaling about Virginia
honor, especially when it is not involved,
and doing as was done q short time since,
swearing that if the men Of the State would
not pay this debt, that the fair daughters Of
the State, like the mMlrons OF ancient Rome,
would come forward with their jewels, pre-
cious few of which they have, and deposit
them somewhere, heaven knows where, l
do not, to save the honor Of their State.
If Virginia has mind to assume these
obligations, why cannot she exercise the
same financial ability with the other South
ern States. Their public debts have been
settled on the most liberal terms, and with
out discredit, as is shown by the fact that |
most Of their 8 per cent bonds sell at pre-
MUM