The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-07
THURSDAY, JULY I, 1910.
MccABE AGAIN IN ACTION.

ing TO have been citizen OF virginia
at the time, wrote to the New York
Sun from Pittsburg that Virginia
never legally so to speak, seeded
and that her ordinance of secession
.'never was submitted to and approved
By her people He went on TO re-
peat some backstairs gossip as to
what really happened that reads" as
Captain w. Gordon McCabe pictur-
,caoueiy expresses it, "as If uttered in
"a barroom by some staggering Be-
badil deep in his cups
The sun contained yesterday let,
ter from Captain McCabe In which he
reviews the story of the Ordinance
and exposes with merciless severity
what he aptly describes as the "abys-
NAL asininity" of tho SUMS Pittsburg
letter writer. 1T is amazing" says
Captain McCabe. when the official
record is so easy of access, that even
1.-THE cheapest of cheap patriots should
have the nerve to print such nom
sense; and. yet, If one may argue from
7some recent experiences. this silly stuff
will be eagerly caught up and repeat
ed as historical authority especially
by sensational spell binders and by
not a few of those constructive vet
Grams whose reading is largely con-
fined to war myths and the perfervid
literature advocating an increase in
pensions"
=, S,.ix.a !, ~ fo1tc
about Nirginia's course touching the
war of secession. The record is one
that establishes forever not only the
good faith sof this State, but the i'm
mortal courage of its people. Virginia
did not care to leave the Union. It's
people We're Union" people. What is
known as the Virginia Secession Con-
vention was held for the purpose OF
taking under consideration the prob.
lens and dangers OF the war" under
the terms of an act passed by the
General Assembly in January, 1861.
which provided not only for the cleo
ton of delegates TO that body, but
that the people should declare by a
separate vote whether the action or
the convention should be deemed final
or referred back TO the people for rat
tfcation or rejection" The election
was held in February and after a
keen and bitter campaign between the
'out -and-out Secessonists" and the
'union men,. the latter won by an
overwhelming majority. and the ques-
ton of submitting the action of the
convention to the people for their
ratification or rejection was decided
ili the affirmative by vote of 10o,5s6
to 45,161.
The General Assembly that passed
the act calling the convention
also passed resolution with only five
+. dissenting votes out of total of III.
| declaring that 1--WE are unalterably op-
posed to any attempt on the part Of
fthe Federal Goyerhmqnt''to coerce the
Exceeding states into reunion or sub
mission, and that We will resist the
Same by all means in our power" On
convention refused to submit an ordi-
nance of secession to the people. Two
! days later the convention rejected a
lresolution declaring that the Federal
Government ought to recognize. the
u independence of the seeded States, and
] two days later still sent three COM
missioners to Washington 10 assure
Mr.. Lincoln formally that if he would
ionly be patient for brief space long
Ter and preserve the status quo as to
Fort Sumter as his Secretary of State.
Seward, had already solemnly pledged,
Virginia would stand firmly by the
Union. Her love for the Union was
deep seated and sincere, and she de-
termined to prevent, if It Were posi-
BILE, it's disruption" On the same, day.
however, on which the convention first
refused to submit an ordinance of Sc
cession TO the people, the convention
also made this formal declaration
THE people of Virginia recognize the
American principle that government
is founded on the consent of the gov
erned, and they N.ll never consent
that the Federal power which is in
( part their power shall be eXerted for
the purpose of subjugating the poo
4 pie of the seeded States to the Fed
eral authority"
Meanwhile, as Captain Mccabe
3 shows. Lincoln vacillated, Seward
broke his plighted word with
Shameless duplIcity." the status quo
at Fort sumter was disturbed, Lincoln
issued his cali for $4,000 troops il
"put down the Rebellion" and vir-
Einia was summoned TO furnish hel
quota. The Union majority in the
Virginia convention melted away, ar
ordinance of secession was passed OF
April ~ by vote of IS 10 So to be
submitted to the people for rauhca
H tion or rejection on May %. the dat,
fixed by the act of the General AS
sembly calling The convention, and OF
May 20 by vote of l2S,SS4 to 32,ia
7he ordinance was ratified by the PEG
+ pie. The vote against the ordinanc,
@sas cast almost entirely in what Il
~ NirY,i t,tu 1fai =,