Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-17

PROFESSOR r. II. DABNEY.
| prehensve knowledge Of his subject, and
his pathetic portrayal of the character
of manysided genius. The Associa-
ton for the Preservation of Virginia An
tiquities and the Richmond public return
| TO him their appreciative thanks.
a REPRESENTATIVE AUDIENCE.
The audience that heard Professor
| Dabney was representative one Of the
| culture and intelligence Of the city.
| Among those present were Mrs. and Miss
| Tyler, Mr.. and Mrs a. j. Montague, Mr..
and Mrs. Howard Hoge. Mr.. and Mrs.
| j.. V. and L. i. Valentine Misses Stewart,
Mrs George w. Peterkin. Mr.. and Mrs.
Joseph Bryan, Mr.. j. Stewart Bryan,
! Miss i. NJ. Rowland, Mr.. and Mrs w.
c. Bentley. Miss Barksdale, Mr.. and Mrs.
John Hunter, Mr. and Mrs Travers. Rev.
Il. NJ. Randolph, Mrs. Randolph and
Misses Randolph. Mr.. and Mrs. c. +.
| Boiling, Mrs. w. r. Robins Mrs W. u.
| Robins, Mrs II. A. Brooke, Mr.. and Mrs.
| William Lightfoot Mr. and Mrs. John
| Lightfoot Mr.. and Mrs. @. W. Mayo,
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hoge Mr. and Mrs.
| Wexford. Mr.. and Mrs. George West. Mrs.
| Werth. Mrs. Wexford Corbin, Mr.. Frank
Brent; Mr.. Thomas Seldom Taliaferro,
| OF Gloucester; Mrs. and Miss Towne.
Misses Cringan. Tenant Robins Dunlop,
Mr.. Arthur Seldom. Richard Gaines, VIII
! Fam Ferguson, Anderson, and many
others.
PRESENTED BY MR.. PAGE.
The Governor was to have introduced
DR.. Dabney, but at the last moment he
was called away, and Mr.. Roosevelt Page
took his place, and gracefully introduced
the speaker 10 an audience, a great part
of which so thoroughly enjoyed his lee
ture last winter.
Not long ago Professor Dabney pub
lishCd a sketch Of John Randolph. and
his lecture last night consisted partly Of
extracts from this sketch and partly Of
certain passages which, without his know
ledge or consent, were suppressed by the
publishers Qhe University Association OF
ChisagO). who also took IL upon them
selves 20 add an appendix 10 the article.
These facts Mr.. Dabney said he wished
90 pave publicly stated. in order that
readers Of his pamphlet on John Randolph
may know that he disclaims all RESPONSE
blity for what follows the nineteth page,
and may understand that the reason why
certain portions of his sketch seem cloudy
Is that their context was omitted by the
publishers.
Omitting. for brevity's sake. all chrono-
logical account of Ran1Olph's life, the
lecturer, after describing the origin and
nature Of the Constitution. confined him.
self TO a discussion OF RandOlphs opin-
ions on a single group Of connected sub
1ects, viz. the army and navy. offensive
war. jingOism, and officious meddling with
the internal affairs OF foreign nations,
and then concluded the lecture with an
estimate of Randolphs unique personality.
The following is a condensed summary OF
the address:
SOVEREIGNTY OF STATES.
Under the old Constitution. or Articles
of Confederation" which We're in force
from the latter part of the Revolutionary
Constitution, Congress consisted or put
single House. in which each state had but
a single vote The old CONSTITUTION as
serted that the Union should be perpetual,
and plighted the faith Of the states that
no alteration Of any Of the Articles should
ever be made without the unanimous con-
sent of all the States Yet, clearly lhlS
meant no more than Independent nations
mean when they declare treatles oi peS.o
to be perpetual" For, wnen Inc Al
ticles proved unsatisfactory, eleven or the
States. calmly ignoring their phghteu
faith deliberately seeded from Inc Union
and adopted new CONSTITUTIONS lcdN ms
Rhode Island and North Carolina out III
the cold. 49,, e.
The lecture analysed the essential fea-
times of this new Constitution. ana point
ed out that IL contains no pledge that ihe
Union should be perpetual, the states De
ing considered sovereign, as a matter OF
couree The phrase. I'VE. the people OF
the United States" in the preamble, eNl-
IDENTITY meant. 1--WE, the thirteen peoples
~ ,be thirteen States" for the aggregate
"neonle of the United States" never did,
and cannot now, vote on any question:
whatever and has no more existence, eA-
cept i'm "a geographical sense, IMAM the
people OF Europe AS the directors Oh q
Stock company are the mere agents anu
EMPLOYEES of the stockholders, so me
Federal Congress and officials are the
aoents and employees OF their creators
the States. with no legal right TO exercls 80
any powers except those delesateu ~
mem by the States in the Constitution
cIrARDIANS OF THE CONSTITUTION.
10 guard with eternal vigilance wy
liberties guaranteed i'm this celeDIat,u
document was the business OF Jon Jon -
dolph's life. lie was the "atchlui al
pion of the stockholders asalils. , ere
rectors. and defended more conslstsniuS
and ucrsistently than any man OF NE ,, I'M
tbe RIGHTS of the States. HIS poiitlo"i
principles TO which ne Was 'sVt Ca
even when his party had tosseu 'n ,,ni,s
the winds for the sake Oh oiii 80 acsaprSive
,"ar. jealousy of the state governments
words the General Government, anu tne
induence of the executive soNoff ahnt
over The coordinate branches Vi va.
government; a dread on s'a tnun, and ex,
ioatbing OF public DEBT, taNes, "ns ~
d iDa'" .,sd.rness Tor the liberty or the
oi,i1.n. jealousy. argus-eyed jealousy vi
mo natronage OF the president LII =,
Snners have sometimes pevn ioNrnesu
,hais,a p,v"" But he believed In the ca
Ies Siy o9 men to take care Of themselves
pa iehN,t ~ being either coddled or meddled
with by law-giYeis' 1T, l.. .r wish we
ny done nothing but talk, unless,
r ,'lla nv wo had gone 10 sleep. for many
nue. ,llase'' past Give me MY
ysa I,,es care not how dull or stupid:
Ether than one law on the statute book
OPPOSITION TO EXPANSION.
IN illustrate Randoph's hostility "