The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-11
Mr.. GOODIES ADDRESS.

X. y SACctAt~oos
The address OF Hon. John Goode, de-
1iye-ed a, lakewood yesterday, and which
IS published elsewhere is q valuable con-
tributicn to history. Mr.. Goode IS one
of the few survivors Of the Secession
Convention Of 1851. and he has put IN
form, to be preserved, his recollecdons
of the proceedings Of that Convention
and the conclusions Of an eyewitness
who is both competent and worthy to
pass Judgment. Mr.. Goode lived through
the struggle which followed. and through
the reconstruction period. and was one OF
the prominent actors Of the times he
is now man. old in years ana expert
ence. but his disposition has been sweet
ened by age. He is loyal citizen OF the
United States. he Is amiable and ne as
a,npretudiced- We know OF no man better
able to pass judgment. He knows the
facts OF history: he understands the con-
ditions under which Virginia TOOK up
arms: he understands the principles for
which she fought: he understands the
constitutional question involved. and ne
saws C6l1DeGaLely anu ScASS'%AAS>~O-S-' '
that those who took up arms IN the
South's defense We're patriots and fought
not merely 'for what they believed to be
/ right" but for their rights, and he tur-
the- declares that no men ever fought
more nobly in nobler or moro worthy
cause
In making some comments yesterday
on the lecture Of General Fitzhush Lee
In the city Of Indianapolis we said that
while slavery was in one sense the cause
of the war between tho States, 1t was
very far from the truth to say that the
Southern people went TO war simply ana
solely to keep the slaves from being
enlsncipated Mr.. Goode takes up TINS
question and shows, as The Times mas
previously shown, that Virgtnia's record
IS ou,te clear on that subject; that while
81 COLONY she protested from time to time
,r,inst snv increase in the number Of
slaves by direct Importation, ana enacteo
many laws for the prevention OF the
slave trade: that when the Federal Con-
stttution was framed, IN 1857. the slave
trade was permitted TO continue until
7sfS but against the protest and remon-
strange Of Virginia; that in 1s14 MIR. JET
ferson urged the policy Of emancipation
md that Mr. Mason had expressed MN :
self rs being opposed to slavery; that IN
1872 a resolution proposing sfaduai
characterization was earnestly DEBATED IN
+hn General Assembly Of Virginia. He
that General
Bohert n. Lee freed his slaves and that
,nary5 of the best and truest hshtins
men in the Southern army never owned
3 slave and never expected to own one.
In our reference TO General Lees lee
f,,re. we also said that Virginia did not
wish TO secede, and that she did not Sc
cede until she saw that war was newt
able. and that in the war That was TO
come she must cast her lot either with
Che Northern invaders or with her SIS
ter states in the South. Mr.. Goode gives
q, most interesting narrative OF the pro-
ceedinss of the Secession Convention
shows how hard Virginia tried to pre-
vent dissolution Of the Union. and that
she did not finally decide to go out until
the President ordered Genera! Letcher
to call out troops and until she found
that she must fight on one side or the
other: until she found that "she must
,,nite with the North in the work of sub
/ 1ugation or take her stand in defense Of
her Southern sisters
These are the truths Of history and
they cannot DO disputed. They are not
new, but Mr.. Goode has brought them
most forcefully and opportunity to the
attention of this generation, and in so
doing, and in his splendid tribute to the
South and Virginia, he has done public
service for which The Times and all
lovers Of truth heartily thank him.