Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-20
Rad Faith Justified.

The Chicago Tr4bsre has discussed IN
manner entirely original the question OF
the reserved night Of Virginia TO withdraw
from the Union. Here is specimen OF
our Chicago contemporary arguments;
Tho Disy,1'ch saws Virginia found IN
1851. As Patrick Henry had foretold IN l7SS;
that the bolt Of Federal authority had
shut her in the Union
Certainty. What else could Virginia
expect? The most eloquent and power
full orator Of his time told the NrginlahS
that such would be the consequence OF
ratifving the Constitution, but they
adopted il nevertheless"
But why did they adopt il? They did so
because they were assured that PATRICK
HENRr was mistaken. Andin order to rem
der that assurance doubly sure and 10
make il absolutely certain that he was in
error when he foretOld that if Virginia
once went into the Union she would find
that the bolt Of Federal authority would
shut her in" the Virginia Convention OF
l7ss, which ratified the Federal Consitu-
ton. declared as follows:
"virginia-to wit We, the delegates Of
the people Of Virginia. do, III
the name and in behalf Of the people OF
Virginia, declare and make known that the
powers granted under the CONSTITUTION,
being derived from the people OF the
United States, may be resumed by them
whenever the same shall be perverted to
their injury or oppression
Virginia went into the Union with that
explicit declaration upon her lips and with
the distinct understanding i'll her mind
that "all the parties TO the compact to
use Mr. JEFFERsoS's phrase, recognized the
reserved right which she claimed in making
that declaration. Recollcct that it was the
enemies of the Constitution who predicted
that virginia would never be allowed 10
exercise her reserved right TO withdraw,
and that il WAS the friends cf the Constitu-
ton who averred that she would be per-
fectly free 20 exercise that night whenever
the powers granted 70 the Federal Govern
ment should be perverted 10 her injury or
oppression. And II We NAV be allowed to
say so. the enemies Of the Constitution
still stand arrayed upon the same side. 1t
is flying in the face Of reason 10 contend
that the statesmen Of Virginia in 1888 were
SO foolish as 10 allow Virginia 10 become
party 10 a compact which it was known
was to be disregarded as soon as the other
parties TO it should have become strong
enough 10 prevent her from exercising her
reserved rights. Surely Mr. JEFFERSON
knew what Virginia meant by her declara-
zion Of reserved rights. What said hey
Ten years after, and only ten years after,
Virginia entered the Union, and when all
the facts were fresh in his memory, Mr..
JEFFHEsoS wrote as follows
r ,sosrei. That the several States COM
posing the United States of America are
not united on the principle Of unlimited
submission 10 their general government,
but that bv compact under the style and
title Of Constitution fov the United states
and of amendments thereto they constituted
q general government for special purposes
delegated 10 that government certain def
mite powers, rrSerUiHg each state 10 Itself ne
rcSsditaIy mass of rgh 10 ttt1r O'cn Set-goreT-n-
yalJii and that whatsoever the general gov
eminent assumes undelegated powers its
acts are ,D.G,sthOritliipe, rOid, and Of no
force that TO this compact each state ac-
ceded as a stair, and Is an integral party,
its cO-States forming as 10 itself the other
marty that the government created by TINS
compact vas not made the exclusive or
final Judge Of the extent of the powers dele
gated TO itself, since that would have made
its discretion. and not the Constitution,
the measure of its powers, but that, as IN
all other cases of compact among powers
having no common Judge. each party has
an equal right 10 judge for itself, as well Of
infractions as Of the mode and measure OF
redress"
OF course this language was not intended
to mean that Virginia was one party and
the United States was the other. On the
contrary Mr.. JEFFEEsoS meant that Vir-
ginia was one party to the compact and
leach" of the other States also a party,
and that each of the States had an equal
right 10 judge for itself as well of infrac-
tions as of the mode and measure OF re-
dress" In 1898 there was no doubt as 70
the Specification of Mr.. JEFPEEsoS's Ian
guage. But the enemies Of the COnstitu-
ton have put q new gloss upon it. The re-
suit of the war between the States has read
new meanings into the declarations of the
fathers Of the republic. We all agree as TO
what the true theory of the nature of our
National Government now is, but We in
Virginia do not by any means agree that
that theory was the true one a hundred
years ago; just as We know that slavery is
now forbidden in the Constitution but do
not admit that il was forbidden by the Con-
stitutiOu as this instrument came from the
hands of its trainers.