The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-08-01

National
Government S Debt to to
( Virginia . " =. So :.


BY majority Of only ten votes the
convention ri Virginia, ON June 26
1888, rattfadS the Constitution of the
United States and proposed the
amendmenta which Incorporated the
Dill OF rights into a fundamental law
OF the country writes Frederick ].
Hasklns ihAhe Washington Herald.
The debate mas long and earnest, and
no more important vote has been re-
corded dn the history of the United
States. Mensof the highest patriotism
fought 1t earnestly, because they be.
lieved the new construction threaten
ed the liberties of the people With
out the approval of Virginia, the rati-
fication by New York would have been
impossible, and without New York and
Virginia the Union would not have
been contaminated.
The Commonwealth Of Virginia was
once greater and more powerful gov.
ernmenti than the United States OF
America, even after the adoption of
the Federal, Constitution. When there
We're no funds to build a capitol at
Washington, the rich state of Virginia
loaned the impoverished Federal gov
eminent the money to build it. Strange
to say, our great government, now
rolling in wealth, has never paid this
debt. Virginia gave to the Federal
government the territory from which
the states Of Ohio, Indiana, and Hill
nois are carved, and the States of Ken
lucky and West Virginia were also set
up directly from Virginia. The ma
ton probably 'never will be able to pay
the debt of gratitude it owes to Vir-
sinia for many features 81 of our ma
,tional system, but Wrginians hope
that the government will some day
pay the money it borrowed over a CEN
fury ago to build the very house in
which Congress sits.
June is the month Of State anniver-
saries in Virginia, 1t was on June 20,
ITS, that the Commonwealth of Vir-
ginia formally declared herself an in
dependent State and elected. Patrick
Henry governor. On that day the Vir-
ginia delegates to the Continental Con-
gress were formally instructed to vote
for the declaration of independence of
the thirteen American colonies.
Virginia sent Jefferson to write that
famous Qaper,*and gave Washington to
lead the arntXsthat was to make it eff
fective. On SShe 20, 1861, the people
of the WESTERN, .countIes Of Virginia,
who did not believe in secession,
farxnoaaa so rz.s
June 10, 1863,~tbe State of West Vir-
ginia-was admitted to the Union.
Kentucky, another state which Vir-
ginia gave of her free will from hef
territory, came into the Union June
1, 1892. -.
The Virginia convention which de-
cided for the Federal government I'M
der the Constitution by vote. of 80 to
70 was a forum for masterful debates
by giant minds. James Madison, the
father of the Constitution, was it's
principal advocate, backed by John
Marshall and Richard Henry Lee. OPP
,pos1te TO him were the mighty Patrick
Henry, the firebrand of the Revolu-
ton; George Mason, who wrote Vir-
g1nla's bill of rights, and James Mon
roe, who was one day to be President
under the very Constitution which he
fought so bitterly. Henry, who had
said Give mo liberty, or give me
DEATH" declared that the new Consti-
tuition gave too much power to the
President; that it "squinted at mon
archy.' He demanded. to know by
what right the national convention
had said eve, the people," instead of
I'VE, the States"
Madison and Marshall met every ar
gument and counseled union and har-
mony. Their views prevailed; a month
later New York also ratified the new
plan Of government. North Carolina
and Rhode Island dropped into line
within the next two years, making up
the union of the thirteen states COM
plete. Virginia gave Washington to
be the first President, in fact, four of
the first five Presidents were Virgin
1ans elected from Virginia, two others
afterward elected from other States
were natives Of Virginia, and one
Vlce-President who succeeded TO the
Presidency was Vtrginian.
Virginia is the Oldest Of the Ameri-
can States in point of settlement, the
exposition now going on at James
town celebrating the completion of
three centuries. Virginia, Massachu-
sets, and South Carolina were the
leaders in the movement which
brough brought about the separation
from England In the struggle that
ensued Virginia furnished more troops