Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-14

tho proclamation OF the 10Th oil Aprli,
1851 the transfer OF the construction OF
fine Constitution from tho bench to the
bavonet the silence OF the laws by the
arms Of the United Statea Not until
tbe compact OF the Constitution was
beyond the reach OF surgery
he the summons of the North to armed
war against the South did Virginia de-
clare that an order OF things "outslde
the Constitution was no compact Tor
her.
TO OVERTHROW EVERY SOUTHERN CON-
MoNwEALTH.
That union OF the purse and the sword
which was the theme OF such imprisoned
at the North, when tho OBJ
;ect was TO divide the South against AM
drew Jackson, was welcomed with avidi-
tv when the object was not, the protec-
t;on of n bank, but only the overthrow
of every commonwealth OF the South.
II WAS elsewhere than in Virginia tnat
the value of the Union had heretofore
been computed.
II was with the secession OF New Eng
land that Hamilton threatened Jefferson,
unless the debts OF the States we're as
snmed by the General Government.
The purchase and admission OF Loulsl-
ana were held to justify the secession Oh
New England, aud for the very reason
that the admission OF any new state
into the Union altered the Federal com.
pact TO which the Commonwealths OF
New England had acceded, by altering
their relative weight therein. The en-
bargo. the non-intercourse act, and the
bostilities with Great Britain were
deemed iustifable grounds for dissolu-,
tion of the Union and the Hartford
Nation" which assembled IN Con
cress to draw the necessary pa
pers, was only restrained by that
glory of New Orleans, which was n VIC
tory over New England quito as much
as over old England. The annexation
of Texas was considered a ground Tor
separation of the States, and for reasons
which we're once more based on the
federatiye character of the Union, and
the alteration of the relative importance
of its members. On the LIST OF Fen
ruary. 1850, Mr.. Hale offered in the
Senate a petition and resolutions asking
that body TO devise without delay
some plan for the immediate, peaceful
Of the American Union.
And Chase and Seward voted for Its re-
ception. 1t was New England who
taught us the memorable words, tamil
cably if we can, violently II we must
And what were the invaslons which
she could not stand without the threat
and preparation Of disunion The
measures which doubled the continent
of free government and gave the Missis.
sippi TO us to be our inland sea and
Mediterranean of commerce. And Nlr-
einia! When for the first time did she
recoil with Just and natural horror from
the tate which was prepared Tor her?
Not until she had no other alternative
than to make good her right to free gov
eminent out of the Union, or to submit
to "freedom and dagger " in it. Like
the desert.bIrd who "unlocks her own
breast to satisfy her offspring, Virginia
had partitioned and repartitionet her
own territory TO feed the Union-and
this was her reward That enemies aud
accusers who had counted so critically
the profit of the Union, who at every
step Of its progress had weighed so nice
" It's commercial value, who had shout
ed so loudly that, unless 1t was union
which was profitable, it was no union for
them that they who had been preach
ing and practicing disunion ever since
there had been q union ; that they shonld
have been the executioners of the State,
which had served it best and loved it
most, was the curious revenge of time,
HAS NOT PLEAD LIKE A CULPRIT.
Virginia then took her stand against
the prostration OF every guaranty Of the
Federal compact and the complete
overthrow of the terms upon which
alone she had acceded to it. That she
honestly thought this her enemies con-
cede; that she Justly thought. and SO
far as the argument of reason is con-
cerned, incontrovertibly thought, it,
history will finally determine. The
South has not to plead ike culprit be-
fore the world 1t was the name and
not the truth of freedom which was
victorious against us. l await with con-
fdence the final verdict, because of an
abiding faith, that every appearance Is
to reality as the gourd to the oak.
Virginia stood for the liberation OF
trade, for free association with the world.
Far better than all anti-slayery agitation
was this agency to unbind the letters OF
mankind. She took her stand against
the blind egotism OF narrow self-sufii-
cheney, which would isolate each COM
munity from every other and tear asun-
der all the bands of sympathy where
with nature joins the populations of the
earth wherewith and whereby nature
fortifies that mind of man which is never
strong by its single strength. Twill not
confne this idea by my own poor words,
but give it rather in the words of New
England, speaking through the lips OF
the purest champion OF her cause,
one might say its conscience
:" Free trade !" exclaimed DR.. Chan
ming "this is the plain duty and
plain interest of the human race. To
level all barriers to free exchange to
cut up the system OF restriction root and
branch to open every court on earth to
every provi1ce-this is the Office of en-
lightened humanity. To this a free ma
ton should especially pledge itself.
Freedom of the seas freedom Of har-
bors, and intercourse OF nations free as
the winds-this is not dream of phi
lanthropists. We are tending towards
it, and let us hasten it. Under a wiser
and more Christian civilization we shall
look back on our present restrictions as
We do on the swaddling bands by which
in darker times the human body was
compressed. The growing freedom of
trade is another and glorious illustration
of the tendency of our age to univer-
salty"
STOOD FOR THB FEDERAL UNION.
Virginia stood for the Federal Union
union, as the name imports, which is
created by treaty and reposes on the
terms Of that treaty. An involuntary
federal union--a federal union ex-
torted by force is a solecism. Every
government, it is said, should contain
within itself the means OF its own pre-
servation. Therefore, a federal union
should contain the means of preserving
the only basis of federation. the rights
OF the component States. A fede-
raj union which could readily
he Turned into consolidation
would be provided with the means