Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-04-17
ANNIVERSARY
OF SECESSION.

F;ftv-four years ago today mem
hers of a state convention voted vit,
o;nia out o f the federal union anu
1ni+ed the Old Dominion with the
late Southern Confederacy. Inc ms nus
tory which preceded and followed TINS
sten is ancient, but it brings to mlna
MANY incidents in connection WIN 'ls
aoys which tried mems souls anu
through which some of our oloer 'i'i
zens passed. ,5,r
According to the terms unoer
which Virginia joined the federal ua-
ion, the right of the state 70 wiz
draw from the compact whenever fei
interests demanded such an act was
reserved. Massachusetts had aAso
entered under similar terms ana II
was a day when state sovereignty
was regarded as an IDEAL TO "hie"
every other sentiment or CLAIM was
subordinate. ,oco
While signs were ominous In looo'
the majority of the people OF virginia
intending the portion Of the olo
s+ate now known as West Virginia
was opposed to secession. In No7eln'
her Of that year the state showed us
aversion to withdrawing from the
federal compact and so expressed II,
self by giving a majority lol pen
and Everett, the constitutional union
candidates for President and wee
President. South Carolina later Sc
coded from the union, and tremendous
pressure was brought upon Virginia
TO ioin the Confederacy. About this
time delegates to a state convention
were elected on the issue union OF
disunion," and majority of the del
eeates selected were averse to seces-
sion.i In Alexandria George W..
Brent was elected over William G.
Cazehove, the iaon-union candidate.
Whea the convention met John
Janney, of Loudoun county, pro-
nounced union man, was chosen pres
ident. A vote was taken on the Sc
cession question during the first week
in April, 1861, when it was seen that
the pro-union element was decidedly
in the majority. The vote was 45 for
secession and 80 against. After other
states had seeded and the steamer
"Star of the West" had been fred on
by Confederate batteries in Charles
ton harbor and the federal govern
ment had called for $4,000 men with
which to crush the South, change
came over the spirit Of the dreams Of
the members Of the convention, and
on the evening of the 18th Of April,
1861, dispatch to the Gazette was
received from Richmond stating that
the convention had voted the state
out of the union. 1t was placed
upon the bulletin board where it was
read with regret by some and de-
light by others.
General Robert E. Lee had not
been a secessionist from the first.
During the spring of 1861 while in a
store on King street, opposite the
present Gazette office, he said, "1'nl
one of those dull people who fail to
see anything good to result from Sc
ccSSion."
But, like his noble ancestors, he be-
lieved in state sovereignty, and when
Virginia cast her lot with the Con
fedcracy he believed it to be his duty
to follow her,
On the 23rd day Of Nay, 1861
people of Virginia by a majority
ratified the action Of the state'conven'
ton. Early the next morning, while
the stars were still in the skies, the
federal army moved on Alexandra
and captured the city. The southern
soldierS-or the bulk of themes
capped capture, Colonel Ellsworth, q
the New York Fire Zouaves, was xii
led in the Marshall House by James
Jackson, the proprietor, after the for
mer had removed Confederate flat
from the building, jackson was slau
by soldiers who accompanied tn
colonel and a ball was set in motioI
which enrolled on until its momentum
finally halted at Appomattox fou
years later.
NEWSPAPER
ERRORS IS