Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-26
AtSea.


whilst there is life there Is hope. We do
not despair OF seeing the Chicago Tribune
acknowledge that Virginia and New YORK
reserved In i7SS the right TO secede from
the Union; for that paper has twice laid
before its readers 30 much OF Virginias rtti-
fying ordinance OF 177S IS tends'to show
that she did reserve that right In the abb
sence OF the possibility OF explaining It away
upon any other theory, our Chicago contem.
porary SAYS that the Virginia Convention
meant merely 10 assert the right to "slter q"
our form OF government. This Is absurd IN
view Of the facts, first that the Constitution
which was objected TO contained definite pro-
visions for its own amendment, and, second,
that It was entirely unnecessary TO assert The
right OF "the people OF TIE United states q"
ssa whole to secede, seeing that those words
embraced II not all the people certainly
majority Of them, and so those people need
cd no paper guarantees.
1t is for history to settle this question. 1t
II useless to inquire how the northern peo-
pie understood in 1861 the Virginia ofdi-
never lack for iustiiying pleas. What we
want TO know aud all we need to know is
what the Virginia people OF 1888 understood
their conditional ratiiyng ordinance to
mean. We quote II once more:
V,rqiRia-fo nit: We, the delegates Of the
people OF Virginia. do, I'm the
name and in behalf OF the people OF NIr-
Cjnia declare and make known that the pow
ers 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.
PATRICK HENRY objected IN the conven-
ton that ratified the Constitution TO those
very words "the people OF the United
States" Mr.. MADISON explained them away
as follows:
"Who are parties to it, rthe Constitution y
The people. but not the people as composing
one great b0dp; bit the people Us composing
thirteen SOUeregntles."
This directly contrayenes the Iribune's
argument.
We shatnot leave our Chicago contempt.
rsrY a leg to stand upon. PATRICK HENRY
bad more to do with imposing the condition
of ratification contained in the Virginia ordi-
nance than any other member. Let him say
why be desired that condition to be there
placed. The friends OF the Constitution, II
is iutimsted in Mr.. HENRY'S language, had
denied that the states would or could be
compelled TO remain in the Union. Where.
upon Mr.. HENRY said:
To sll the common purposes Of lecSla-
tiOn II is a great Consolidation OF govern
ment but when II works sorely on our
necks we may have the consolation OF know
ing that u is q mixed government You
are 10 bind yourself hand and fO0t--fOr
what? To be unbound? You ore to 20
into dungeon for what? TO come OniY
Is there no dagger when you so in that The
bolt OF Federal dathOTlfy triH shut yOu m "
That's the esd Of argument. Yirginiafound
in 1851 as PATRICK Henry had ioretold in
17SS that "ne bolt Of Federal authority"
had shut her in the Union; that she had
gone into a dungeon supposing that she had
the right to come out at will, but learned
when IL was too late that bolts and bars in
the shape OF the army and navy Of the
United States made her fast within That
dungeon. Virginia having forged the cham
OF the Union, tried to prevent the people
from hesring its clsukng. She declared that
she had forged no chain; that all she had
done was to tie Virginia to the Union with
slkcn cord. COutempOraneOus history
iestides that that was what she intended to
do; bat stern facts tell US that she was
woiully mistaken.