The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-15

| Judge Beverly l.. wexford, or TINS city,
| has recently delivered an address before
the literary societies Of William and Mary
| College, for a copy of which we have to
thank him. We have read nothing for
( long time that gave us such unalloyed
| pleasure. 1t is q complete statement Of
| Virginia's relation to this Union, traced
| chronologically from the foundation of the
colony to this time, and we do not hesi-
tate to say chat it is the simplest. plain
/ est, and most complete demonstration Of
| the right Of secession that has ever been
made. presented in a narrative form that
is most delightful.
we make this extract from It. He
says:
IF the history Of this country had
| been written and taught as the facts OF
| history roquired--as history Of the coll
ony Of Virginia, and Of Massachusetts,
and Of each Of the other colonies as
| separate and distinct province up to the
! period of the Revolution. and, then, with
| a narrative OF the events OF the Revo-
| lutionary war d fair statement OF the
| composition and limited authority Of the
Continental Congress up to the final adop-
| ton of the articles of confederation by
the accession Of Maryland. In llsl, with the
| text Of those articles Of confederation and
| Of the treaty of peace with Great Britain
acknowledging each colony by name as
an independent state, then of the criti-
cal period which interviewed until the adop-
ton Of the Constitution Of the United
| States, with the fun text of that Con-
stifutiOn. and the naked facts as TO its
ratification by the several States, each for
itself--if history had been 50 taught and
so written, there would have been no
such general misconception among any OF
our people. or in any part of our country
as that which found voice through the
lips Of Mr.. Lincoln after his election az
President. that the States never existed as
States, except as constituents of the
Union, and that they occupied TO the Union
the relation of counties to the States"
Judge Wexford says further on in his
address:
1T has been said Of a great lawyer
that. when he had good cause to MAIN
tain, his simple presentation Of the facts
bearing upon the issue, in his mastery
grouping and array of them in their
logical Sequence, was equivalent TO q
demonstration"
Tho Judge has followed the method of
this lawyer. and he mas presented the
elementary facts referred to in the ex-
tract from his address. which we have
made. in their historical and their logical
order, and he has made chain Of evidence
which il is beyond human power to
break. Il IS a demonstrauon--no a strong
case for-but a demonstration OF the right
Of secession. And he was well rounded
It off by quoting from a recent publica-
ton of Henry Cabot Lodge. a United
States senator from Massachusetts, the
following concession by him-to-wit:
THAT there was in 1883 not a man in
the country, from Washington and Hamil-
ton. on the one side. to George Clinton and
George Mason on the other who did not
regard the new system as one from which
each and every State had the right peace
abl~to Withdrawal right which was very
likely TO be exercised"
And speaking OF the Virginians of the
past forty years the Judge says:
Accept not for them. my young coun-
trymcn, any such half-hearted defence as
that they believed themselves 10 be right
hut standing four square 10 every wind
that blows. viudicate ~ tcric truth whom
ever occasion presents itself, and challenge
Tor your siros the reverence good men
owe and delight 10 pay to heroic virtue, in
defence of God-givon right and discharge
Of God imposed duty"
II there were not anc ther sentence in
tho address but this. 1t would be a most
welcome one to us. But 1t is a complete
performance of what no VI, cd his hearers
TO do.