Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-21

Union the thirteen original States 1nig ~,
have, that those States included IN s tne
Louisiana purchase COULD claim any ~. -.
were purchased with the money anu were
consequently the property o.. the federal
Government. TO this contention. WI.
BENJAMIN replied In past q folloWs. l re
said: +,,,.
II shall not pause to.comment on ms
repuIsivc dogma OF party which &c
serts the right OF property In free noIh
v,hita mon in order to reach its cherish
ed object Of destroying right or pro-
pertv in slave born black men. Sun less
ahall detain the Senate in pointing OUT
how shadowy the distinction between III the
condition Of the servile African ana tilat
to which the white freemen or my otdee
would be reduced, II ~ ,inaeea' ue 49,,
that they are bound to this government
nv ties that cannot be 1egitimately sever
ed without the consent Of that very ma
fority which yields its powers Tor the1r
oppression. simply deny the tact on
which the argument Is founded. denS
that the province of louisiana, or the
neople of Louisiana, were ever conveyeo
to the United States for a price as pro-
pcrty that could be bought or sold.
TO PROVE HIS ASSERTION.
And he then went on to prove his as
then said:
THE rights of Louisiana. as sovereign
State. are those of Virginia. no more ana
no less. Let those who deny her rlght
fully refute the claim of Virginia to the
same right. In spite OF her express -
States when she consented to enter the
Union; and, sir. permit me to say, that'
of all the causes that justify the action
Of the Southern States. know none OF
greater gravity and more alarming mag
nitude than that now developed or the
right of secession. A pretenslon SO mon
strous as that which perverts restrlcted
agency, constituted by sovereign States
for common purposes. into the unlimited
despotism Of the majority, and denies all
legitimate escape from such despot1sm.
when powers not delegated are usurpec.
converts the whole constitutional 1aorlc
into the secure abode Of lawless tyranny,
and degrades sovereign States INTO pro-
vincial dependencies.
After showing in a conclusive way that
the right of secession did exist, and that
that right was first threatened by Mas
sachusetts. and the other New England
States, in answer to the contention that
such a right would make the Constltu-
ton "a rope Of sand. he said:
But. sir, if the fact were otherwise:
If all the teachings Of experience We're
reversed. better, far better. a rope of sand
aye the t1imsiest gossamer that ever
glistencd in the morning dew than chains
of iron and sfackes of steel; better the
widest anarchy. with the hope. the
rious breath Of freedom, than ages Of
hopeless bondage and oppression, TO
which our enemies would reduce us.
CRY OF REBELLION"
An answer to the cry of rebellion"
so f1ippantly raised by the Republicans,
he said:
rebellion, the very word is a confess
sion. an avowal of tyranny, outrage, and
oppression. It is taken from the despot's
code. and has no terror for others than
slavish souls. When. sir, did millions
of people. as a single man. rise in or
ganized, deliberate, unimpassioned rebel
lion, against justice, truth, and honor"
In answer to the cry of traitors and
treason, so freely indulsed in by the
TRAITORS: treason. :. Ay, sir. the peo-
pie of the South initiate and glory in
just such treason as glowed in the soul
in living fame from the impassioned lips
of Henry: just such treason as encircles
With sacred halo the undying name OF
HIS HOME IN RICHMOND.
It will interest you to know that du-
ring Mr.. Benjamin's stay in Richmnd,
which. as We have seen. was the whole
the house No. 9 west Main street. where
Colonel Cutshaw resided so long, and
occupied the same room so long used by
ring the last days Of the Confederacy
he was. for q. week. the roommate, Of
that great and good man &c, Of God, the late at,s
friends. and have, often heard DR.. Hoge
refer to Mr.; BENJAMIN as one one !, OF the ne
eleverest and :. most c9mnpanionaoie men
THESE OUR IDEALS.
Concluding Judge Christian said: "And
So my fre1ds and eHmsadeS we gather
portraits Of our leaders-civil and mill
fonn Gqr ga TErnsg as our renra
sentative men; they are our ideals-the
men we consecrate and set apart. And
we are content that the world shall
We're; and the character of the principles
we espoused and fought for. by the con-
duct and the characters OF the men who
represented and led us in that struggle.
We invite a comparison between them
and the representatives of our, .quondam
eneies p9 }b
walls OF fame-Davis on the one side,
Lincoln On the other; Benjamin on the
one side, Seward on the other; seddon on
the one side, Stanton on the other: Lee
on the one side, Grant on the. other;
Joe Johnston on the one- side. Sherman
on the other; Stonewall Jackson on the
one side, Sheridan on the other; Stuart
on the one side, fitzpatrick on the other
and we proudly say to the world, Look
on this picture and then on that and
judge between us.
con behalf of this camp. gratefully
accept this portrait. NOT only as a recog-
milton OF the work and services of the
great original, but. as an expression OF
the loyalty and devotion of the noble
men and women of the Hebrew race,
who have done so much to make our
beautiful city the representative city of
the South
BIG FIRE ON FRISCO BAY.