The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-08-11
STATES RIGHTS
THRESHED OUT

Survivors OF the Eighth Virginia
Regiment while they were gathered
about the graves of their fallen
comrades on the battle-ground Of
Manassas July p, 1910" BY Wal
ter Neale. Neale Publishing Com
pany. New York and Washington.
Not many weeks ago we crossed a /
lance with Walter Neale about his
quasi Historical novel. The Betray-
al" which didn't at all strike our
fancy and on which we heaped many
adverse criticisms. Being a young
man OF boundless energy and abund- |
ant spirit. he came back at us with
an animated rejOinder which vigor-
ously sought TO uphold his views as to
the points AT issue. one likes the way
the chap refuses to take water.
And now we have Mr.. Neale on our
hands again-this time in the capac-
tty OF an orator claiming the ear of
Confederate veterans and seeking, by
all the means at his command. to re-
suscitate that forlorn and cruelty |
abused mummy, the doctrine of
States rights.
When MIR. Neale goes wrong he can
be about as picturesquely and luridly
wrong as any man we ever saw, but |
even his errors at least have the vir-
tue of attracting attention.
And in the speech under review il /
looks to us as il he is about 90 per
cent right in what he says, especially |
as we heartily agree with him when he |
almost Historically inveighs against /
the proposed income tax amendment. |
though ou~ political editc- is of the |
other way &C thinking.
Mr. Nea.e. aside from being an ag- |
gressive thinker and profound stu |
dent. has the courage of his conVic- |
tions. He does not hesitate to bowl |
over celebrities of the past and pres
ent or to amend the "lapidary inscrip- /
tons" of persons long considered |
great and good While it is not fair !
to call him an iconoclast, he certainly !
hits some of the erstwhile heroes with !
a blackjack and then sandbags them |
into what he regards as their true col !
ors.
And be il confessed. many of us
Southern people rather chuckle to see /
him do il when he tackles the ques-
ton of the Sovereignty of States. /
There are times. in sooth. when the
authors literary audacity almost
makes us gasp but belated truth. long
crushed to earth. more than once has
looked weird when il regained its
feet. And where an orator is speak
ing from the heart, with courage of
convictions making him as bold as a
lion, he assuredly merits a respectful
hearing, even though he lacks eu-
phemy and euphony and sometimes
reasons from false premises.
At times, too. Mr.. Neales very
fierceness OF speech makes the mes
sage more potent-driVeS it home
with sledge-hammer blows when deli
cate diplomatic touches would count
for naught.
without being so indiscreet as to
commit ourselves as to our individual
opinion of the matter, we quote the
following as a striking sample Of Mr..
Neale's modus scribendi:
John Marshall indeed left but lit
tie of the Constitution OF the United
States for others TO destroy. If a
Bchool-boy OF any part of this monar-
chy were asked TO name the most in !
famous OF all American traitors he |
probably would mention the name OF |
Benedict Arnold. New England man. ]
II I wers asked that question. in reply /
Irshould name John Marshall. a Vir- |
ginfan, than whom no greater traitor |
CARROT. There have been men who by |
rreachery have destroyed several ma
tions, but 1 venture TO say that John /
Marshall by treachery has destroyed |
more nations CHR. Neale pertinac-
eousty speaks of each OF the Ameri-
can States as nations all through |
his book-Ed) than any other man OF
recorded time. Not by the armies of
Sherman and Grant was the Consti-
tuition Of the United States but by the
political opinions of Alexander Hami-
ton judicially rendered by John Mar
shall"
Time and again. through the course
Of a century, the question of States
rights has been threshed out. The
literature on this subject is album
liant yea, superabundant - and
would easily fill one OF the big barns
IN the Valley OF Virginia And all
Of 1T convinces us that the South was
and legally right in her views
of the Constitution which. by the way,
he author designates as "the treaty
Df 1855" But we are glad Mr.. Neale
5idn't go into the subject at more
length. Indeed, he is TO be COM
mended for the skillful way in which
ne has condensed his points, for his
entire Grafton covers only 14S printed
pages, yet it brings the speakers ar
yuments well home.
1t will be impossible in this column
20 follow the thread of the discourse,
which, however, is we'll worth read ,
ng in its entirety. Here we shall
over the waters gushing from Mr..
Neale's historical fountain of know
edge And, just as nearly all news
paper people do, we shall dwell most
on the unusual features of the book
The author assuredly does not
dealiZe the Revolutionary soldier and
ne maintains that the great majority
II the colonists were opposed to cast
ng off the yoke Of great Britain. He
speaks of the anti-Eng
ish element as the rabble" and the
'ebels." Says he in one place; I'VE
shall see that the American Kingdoms
become republics, but we shall also
lee that the rabble did not bring
Ibout the change. We shall see that
he rebellion never reached the pro-
portions Of a revolution, for we shall
ee that only small part of the peo-
lie of the American nations wished
o depose their King" Il
Mr.. Neale cites many figures to a
how with what reluctance the States L
upplied troops for Washington's Il
rmy. He speaks OF the fighters as
paper soldiers men who didn't ii
for actual service. The Ii