Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-06-04

But the people OIL the Soutn ana not
believe that he would he able to prove
stronger than the party which elected
him and the result showed the correct
ness OF that conclusion. for about
eighteen months after these words
were written, without any lawful
right to do so, he issued his cmancipa
ton proclamation.
Judge Richardson fails to state that
President Lincoln justified his action
by the issuance Of this Emancipation
PROCLAMATION as war measure, when
! ,hc country was under martial law
and that this was done only after the
southern States. including Virginia
, mad refused to consider his pleas for
, peace and had proceeded in their work
of secession and the destruction of tho
Union founded by that prince Of staten
men and leaders, George Washington
of Virginia.
BY their action, had 1t been success
fltl,, the hallowed bones of the Prcsi.
dent of the American Republic woul.i
have rested upon tho Confederate
! States soil and with them would have
been those of the Sage of Monticello"
Thomas Jefferson, the writer OF the
Declaration of Independence. Such u
contamination was unthinkable by
every loyal citizen of the United
States of America. That leading soutl,
erners realized this is confirmed by
the following statements accredited
, to this distinguished juris,. He is
quoted us follows
But, still the people Of Virginia
chung to the Union, in the formation
; OF which her sons had contributed Sd
! much, and for which she had made So
many sacrifices The Virginia Convan
tlon had repeatedly vo;cd down all
resolutions looking to secession The
right to withdraw from the Union was
universally conceded and it bccanlt
only question OF cXpeliicncy. Every
honorable effort was made for conc;li
, atlon ana compromise, but, on the
10Th day of April, 1861 The newly in
stalled President called upon Virginl.
. FOR her quota OF $4,000 men TO invade
! her sister States Of the South. In tha.
year Robert e. Lee had said: L can
| anticipate no greater calamity than
, that OF dissolution of the Union. am
| Wiling to sacrifice everything but
honor"
[ TO our mind, no grander specimen
, Of manhood or ADLER Virginian, IN
| spired by noblcr purposes ever lived
III this country than Major General
Robert e. Lee of Virginia.
! He must have fought losing bat
, tie with well-nigh broken heart. His
mind, his heart led him otherwise,
but he bowed to the advice of his
friends and tho mandate of his moth.
er State. What lie regarded as honor
alone decided him in the contest aud
he engaged in death struggle tina.
challenged the admiration of the civil.
! med world. 1t was evident that the
demand that they fight their sister
! southern States decided them in this
contest.
We have read Judge Richardson's
plea with more than passing interest.
i'll that the Dam cratic Party contend
eli for Stntes Rights in 1861 and this
same Democratic Party in 1916 AMI
In 1920 eliminated the very States
Rights for which it contended in
1861. AS result tho old Republican
Party under President Warren G
Harding is now cntrenched in power
with all of the power for which Il
contcnded from Grant to Roosevelt
. President Woodrow Wilson aided and
supported by minority North ana
a majority South eliminated the last
Vcstige OF States Rights in the enact
ment OF the Prohibition Amendment
to the Constitution and the Woman's
Suffrage Amendment in that Same IN
strument. Both belonged to The rcsrry
cd rights of States.
But why comment further. Recent
legislation at Washington under ,h..
Democratic chieftain was in the ma.
is party man. 1t wound be inter .sL.
. ing reading to have his views openly
expressed relative to these events
| and to emblazon in large letters
! his final conclusion concerning tLese
, even,s in American history, wlic;l
! have revolutioniZcd this Republic and
placed us in the attitude OF undoins
the work Of. the Fathers enacted near
, ly two centuries ago.
POOLING THE PEOPLE