The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-03-05

Editor of The Times:
sir.-The article in your paper Of yes
terday morning headed Virginia and Sc
cesslOn.' and in answer to cOrrespon-
dent Of the Boston C.ass Transcript IS
We'll put FOR as you truly say while
Virginia was not unanimously I'm favor
of secession yet Wnen u became evil
dent that the war would come in spite
OF al Alrgiulas efforts 10 prevent II no
people ever became more united in favor
OF any one thing than did the peop.e of
Virginia then become united in favor Of
secession and the Confederate cause. For
after It's convention passed the ordinance
of secession on April H., 1851. IL was SUBJ
m.ttcd 20 a vote of the people for ratin-
cation or rejection on the 23d Of the next
month. and the majority I'm favor OF rati-
icauon was 1900 in the state. and in
Frederick county I'm which IS Winchester,
whcr0 the Boston Transcript correspOn-
dent endeavOr to make 1t appear that
the people were unionists, the vote stood
at that election for secession 1 ,503 against
St $50. or more than four 10 one i'm It's
favor, and that section generally voted
heavily I'm favor Of Il. Thus Clarke
county. which touches Frederick IN east.
gave 5J3 votes for secession and only
three against. Warren county only cast
two ballots against IL. Shenandoah and
Page went unanimously in favor of H.
The two West Virginia counties of Hamp-
shire and Hardy, which bound Frederick
on the west both went for secession
the former giving over 400 majority for
10 ana the latter between 200 and 80. And
the county of jefferson, another West
Virginia county touching Frederick. gave
sl3 votes for the ordinance 10 365 against
and that exclusive of It's soldier vote
which was about soiidly in the afirma-
tive. The only counties in that section
which went against secession were
Berkeley and Morgan, both now in West
Virginia. In the State of Virginia. as II
is now constituted, every county and
city went for secession most OF them
either unanimously or well-nigh unani-
nous. And even IN those counties and
cities where there was any opposition
worth mentioning IN none Of them did
it come anywhere near being "A majority.
LOudOun gave the largest union vote OF
any county I'm the present State Of Vir-
ginia, namely, 726, but the vote for seces-
sion there was l,6ll, or more than two
TO one. The opposition 10 secession in
Virginia al that election was mainly in
what IS now West Virginia and chiefly
IN the northwestern and Ohio river coun-
ties there. For those West Virginia coun-
ties which border on the present state Of
Virginia together with those In the central
and southern part of West Virginia all
went for secession with very few excep-
tons And as / have already stated.
the majority IN favor OF secession In the
entire state, as IL then stood. including
Wevt Virginia. was $1,000 which is a long
way ahead Of any majority Virginia
has ever given before or since. And even
OF the comparatively small number OF
those who voted against secession some
OF them afterwards voluntarily cast in
their lot with the great bulk OF the peo-
pie OF their State. General Jubal A.
Early being conspicuous examp Q And
as II was in Virginia 80 II was in every
one OF the other seeded States. an over
whelming majority OF the people OF each
OF them were on the side Of the Con-
federacy. and some Of them Ike South
Carolina and others OF the cotton States.
were practically unanimous on that side.
Tennessee had in IL a stronger union SEN
timent, by long odds. than any other
State which seeded and even In II the
vote at its election June s. 1861. stood for
secession ioi9l2 against 1925. consider
ably more than two 10 one. And IL can
be judged from that vote how the other
states were which seeded w.
Richmond Va. March 3. 1890.