Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-16
THE QUESTION OF SECESSION.
Reply Of Grand-Commnndcr Will
liams so Mr.. Royal.

The following is a copy of the answer Of
Grand-Commandsr Williams TO Nr.
Royals letter of resignation
Headquarters
Grand Camp, Confederate Veterans,
Department OF Virginia.
Winchester, Va. October IA, 1898.
Hon. William l.. Royal, Richmond, Va
Dear Sir.-I am in receipt of your favor
OF yesterday presenting me Finally and
absolutely" with your resignation Of you.
position as chairman OF the History
Committee of the Grand Camp of Con
federate Veterans, Department Of Vir-
ginia, which had been presented by you
TO the camp in open session, and which
it had declined to accept"
/ am gratfed to note that you recognize
in this refusal evidence Of the conf
dence and affection" Of your Comrades Of
old" and / regret that such evidence
that you enjoyed their confidence and
affection" in your responsible and i'm
portant position did not induce you to
agree with them that there was nothing
| in the action of the Grand Camp upon
the report presented TO it by you, as
chairman of it's History Committee, to
prevent you from continuing to fill that
position. None of your comrades doubted
! that in presenting your views as to what
| should be taught our children as to the
| present status of the right of secession
you were prompted by your conscientious
convictions of duty. Some Of those who
|
exception agreed with you in your opinion;
| others differed with you; but they
| united in voting as they did simply be-
cause whatever their respective opinions
| as to the correctness of the view you
express, they believed that the best in
terest Of the camp, the successful pro-
motion of its important and noble pur-
! poses, made it unwise to either adopt or
reject the body of the report, which re-
lated TO the present status of the right OF
| secession. They united in approving the
recommendations of the report, and, in
adopting them, without change, they lett
the view embodied in the report to speak
for itself without expression of their ap-
proval or disapproval as to it.
The matter calling for practical and
immediate action was 10 exert our IN
huence in the selection Of histories for
the school children of Virginia. The de-
termination of the present or future
status Of the right of secession, it seemed
to US. was not one necessarily if, indeed.
properly, involved in that. About ii there
was a difference of opinion. Some thought.
that while its past status was HISTORICAL
question, its present or future status was
a political question, and, as such, one
whose discussion by US was forbidden by
the letter and the spirit of our organiza-
tion.
When we could agree with practical
unanimity in adopting in toto all the re-
commentators OF the committee, we
thought there was no necessity for, or
wisdom In, continuing a heated discussion
over a matter set forth in the report,
but which the report itself ignored when
II came 20 recommend to the camp the
action il should take, matter
too, which had been ignored in
the report Of your committee, presented
only last spring to the Board of Public
Education, as also in that of Professor
Dabney's committee, adopted by it.
In view of all this it had not occurred
70 us that, in declining to express any
opinion as TO the present status OF the
right of secession, we had as is now sug-
gested by you, placed you, or ourselves
I'm the fearful danger of being regarded as
Rip Van Wrinkle; or, what is to us a
more serious matter, that we 40 not
represent the views on this subject OF the
great body OF the Confederate soldiers"
IL, by this last sentence, it is meant
TO appeal from the action of the Grand
Camp. we are content TO Submit with
out argument
But recognizing that your conclusion
in the matter Of your resignation Is de-
cisjve OF it, have only to accept your
resignation. which 1 understand to IN
clude your membership in the committee
with thanks for the zeal and ability with
which YOU have discharged your duties.
yonrs truly, JOHN j. WILLIAMS,
Grand Commander