Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-21


II there were no public documents going
10 show that the people OF Virginia always
up to 1861 claimed The right TO seccdc from
the Union facts could 10 sdduced which
would establish the point beyond ali con-
troversy. In 1861 not one OF the southern
States issued any declaration Of indie
pendence. as the colonies had done in l11G.
Why not? Because there was no occasion to
declare their independence OF the United
States Government when each OF them hsd
AlwSvs possessed the right 20 secede from
the Union at will. Virginia, Tor example.
had in everv Code Of her laws which bad ap-
peared from 1889 to 1861 kept prominently
before the eyes OF her sons the following de-
clsration Of perhaps the most distinguished
body Of VirginlaOs that ever assembled. Her
convention that ratified The Federal Consd-
tuition adopted the following:
"Nirginia-to wit: We. the delegates Of
The people Of Virginia. DO, ~ the
name and IN behalf Of the people OF Nlrgin7
declsre snd make known that the powers
granted Under the Constitution, being de-
rived from the people 81 the loiicd states,
nav De resumed 10y them whfnsocvcr the
same shall be perverted 10 their injury or OPP
preston"
The Chicago Tfibnre copies The above de-
clarat,on II ON the Dispatch and comments as
follows:
"Thefe ia nothing the matter with the
above resolution. IL declares that The poW-
Crs granted under the Constitution are de-
rived from the people Of tlc United >tsies
(not from the stajcsl, and u follows that
they msy be- resumed hy them ,tbe people OF
the entire United states. NOT hv the separate
States whenever t1cy are perverted. TINS
amounts to nothing more than the provision
Oi the TtccTli Constitution Tor national
constitutional convention, With view 10
the al option ~ an amended or Nho'iynew
Constitution wh-neyer thu people 50 desire.
il the people desire '0 resume the powers
grsnied I'm The tcn,iitruop ana establish
new organic Ian all itcv ned TO do i 10
elect members a state isgl~lltIres and
congressman wNh instructions 20 provide
for calling constitutional convention. The
right Of the pcop'c 10 smerd TIE present
Constitution or ofdg'n "a new one j. I'M
Questioned. aud q choice D., offered OF two
method, ~ reaching either result seceS-
sion bv the states Is different matter al
together and a'soUiciy without warrant
The Virginia resolution osserfs the doctrine
Of nationality. not ssce,sieul~pl. The Dis
patch editor has mixed up tins resolution
with the kentucky ard Virginia Stale soy
ercignty resolves adopted ,eu years later
The history % the ratification Of the Com
siitution, and tie debates Ia the Virginia
Convention ihat ratified it. ca0 he cited 20
prove that the Tubuue'> explanation is IN
consisten, with The fats Of The c'se. Think
Of the wisest NirginiauS That ever assembled
asserting their right 10 withdraw from the
Union by and with the advice aud consent
cf the other states, Virginia claimed the
right 10 secede from The Union whenever the
powers granted under the Federal Constitu-
ton should Doe perverted to her injury or op-
preston. She couldn't Dee oppressed or tn
jured by minority No oppressive or IN
furious law could be- passed ny minority.
80 long as She had anaiority on her SIDE, II
was Impossible for hor 10 De oppressed or
injured. II was her right Is a single
State 10 secede that Virginia asserted
in The convention that ratified the
Constitution. THE absent are always
in the wrong" 30 are mnoritics; and II
was 10 protect the minority, not the ma
iority. that Virginia asserted her right TO
secede. Recollect. TOO, that In 1883 there
were No United states 10 the sense IN which
we now use that phrase. The language
qloted above refers to the powers granted
t. the people not already united but 10 be
united by the Constitution. 1t was not then
known how many States would ratiiy the
Constitution.
D H. fs,f.f 1ftt ffa
States 10 secede was asserted by our Con-
Nention. that body expressly stated that 1t did
20 ''in the name and m behalf Of the people
OF Virginia" In other words, Virginia
claimed The right to secede for herself and
all the other ratliying States.
PATRICK Henry raised this very question
in the Virginia Convention that ratified the
Constitution. The word "people used In
the preamble TO the Constitution no under
stood 10 mean that this was TO be " one great
consolidated national government II he
could have Convinced the NIrgInla Conyen.
ton that he was right, be would have de-
ieAted the ratification OF the Constitution.
The vote on ratification in Virginia was
very close-ouly ten majority. Mr.. MADISON
faid in reply TO Mr.. HENRY:
"Who are parties toit. lhe Constitution
The people. t'it not the people as composing
one great body; DIT ne pee pie az coipo'iI3
nsrteen s0reTeiWbes."
"Thirtecn s0UT1gntles." What has be.
come OF these thirteen sovereigntiesi They
have been crushed out OF existence by the
use OF the very power which thew denied 10
The Federal Government and In their stead
we have Mr. HESBY's cone great consolidated
National Government" A distinguished
southern statesman says that though Mr..
Henry fought to the last against r,tllcstion
he did not again bring forward this objec-
tion for the reason, no doubt that II had
been fully answered" by Mr.. MADISON.
The New York convention ratified by only
three majority. Isn't Il certain that New
York would have refused TO ratiiy ii she had
not thought she had reserved the right 10 Sc
cede! Accompanying the oTdinsnoe OF rati-
fcstion was the following declaration OF the
New York Convention:
1.-THE powers Of government may be
reassuaed by the people whatsoever II shall
beoome necessary TO their happiness"
the powers Of government could be re-
assumed" by them whenever II should be.
come necessary 10 the happiness OF toe PEG.
ple OF the other statesy To state such
proposition is 10 expose It's sbsnrdity. The
New York people meant just what the Viz
ginis people moant-to assert the right 10
secedo from The Union.
Tue cankers Of wsr-not OF long peace
have blinded the eyes OF the northern peo-
pie. They DO not wish to 20 down to pos.
terlty as The perpetrators OF an unspeakable
wrong upon the cOn6dIng people OF the
South Who thought they were dealing with
friends and With reliable men when they
went into The Union on condition that they
might sseede al will.
We have not noticed the Trbune's a.
tempt 10 liken the conditions OF ratification
A.. L.. A..