Valley Virginian

The determination of the present Radical Congress of the United States, to exclude the Southern States from representation; while the people of these States are oppressed and burdened with Federal taxation, has given rise to just and universal complaint upon the part of the people thus outraged--and we trust has aroused the indignation of all good men living North.

Our complaints are reasonable and must be so regarded by all men who respect the history of American independence, and reverence the sanctity of the Constitution, for the supposed preservation of which the United States Covenant has just emerged from four years of bloody war. Now that the Constitution and laws are said to have been fully violated when the government, if left alone, would be more firmly established than ever before, we find its rulers, and pretended friends, deliberately setting themselves to work, to undermine and destroy it. The enemies whom the government has just [unclear]; who declared themselves as grieved, and defied her in the field. Now [section unclear]. [Unclear] the legislative branch of the government has been for the time entrusted, have defiantly, and treasonably, combined themselves together, to subject the liberties of the people and do treat that Constitution which each of them has solemnly sworn to uphold and defend. If the grievances of the South were imaginary [section unclear], there can be no question that they are real now, and no government conducted upon the principles proposed by these bad men can long succeed or sustain itself. Look to the Declaration of Independence, the grievances there enumerated, are then literally a catalogue of our wrongs; except the forms are infinitely greater in degree. Let us refer to a few of the principal charges against that [unclear] King George III.

[section unclear]. "He has suffered to render the military independent of, and superior to civil power."

"For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us."

"For imposing taxes on us without our consent."

How true a picture this presents of the wrongs of the Southern people; and yet who can fail to recognize in them ample justification for the course taken by our forefathers--who declared at the same time that among the unalienable rights of men, "are life, liberty and the pursuits of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just power from the consent of the governed." These same revolutionary fathers, as soon as the present government was established, engrafted into the Constitution as one of the cardinal features of that instrument, that representation and taxation should go hand in hand together, according to population. And yet in spite of all these plain facts, this Radical Congress are deliberately at work to remodel the government upon principles which were exploded a century ago; and which are opposed to the fundamental idea upon which this government was originally constructed.

They may succeed by these desperate means, in retaining for a time power in their own hands; which is doubtless all they look to, and care for; but can anything but evil come from this infamous work? These are not new questions--tyrants and bad men have attempted the same schemes frequently before. In this Country and England however, these are ideas which have been so fully ventilated, and rendered so odious, that for nearly a century no man had been found so wicked and reckless as to avow them, until the meeting of the present Congress. But we will conclude by giving a few sentences from a speech made 100 years ago, by the celebrated Lord Camden, one of England's profoundest jurists and ablest statesmen, delivered in the House of Lords, upon the bill to tax America.

"Nor, my Lords, is the doctrine new; it is as old as the constitution; it grew up with it; indeed, it is its support; taxation and representation are inseparably united. God hath joined them, no British Parliament can put them asunder; to endeavor to do so, is to stab our very vitals. My position is this--I repeat it--I will maintain it to my last hour--taxation and representation are inseparable; this position is founded on the laws of nature; it is itself a law of nature; for whatever is a man's own, is absolutely his own; no man has a right to take it from him without his consent, either expressed by himself, or representative; whosoever attempts to do it attempts an injury; whosoever does it commits a robbery; he throws down and destroys the distinction between liberty and slavery. Taxation and representation are coeval with, and essential to, the constitution. I wish the maxim of Machiavel were followed--that of examining a constitution, at certain periods, according to its first principles; this would correct abuses and supply defects. * * * There is not a blade of grass growing in the most obscure corner of this kingdom which is not--which was not ever--represented since the constitution began; there is not a blade of grass which, when taxed, was not taxed by the consent of the proprietors."

To-day is the anniversary of the biggest "rebellion" on record, but it differed from our little affair in being successful, which makes its "treason" respectable and ours "odious." We hear of pic-nics, fishing parties, &c., and people generally are preparing to enjoy themselves. The Grand Jury meets to-day, and some hundred witnesses have been summoned to appear before it. Ain't it "treason" to hold Grand Juries on the immortal Fourth? We understand that a number of persons desired to read the "Declaration of Independence," but on examining it and consulting very "loyal" authority, they concluded it was a treasonable document and instead of doing so have, either determined to go a fishing or obey the summons of the Grand Jury."

[Republished by Request]

Let that banner down, 'tis weary,
Round its staff 'tis drooping dreary;
Furl it, fold it, let it rest,
For there is not a man to wave it--
For there is not a sword to save it,
In the blood that heroes gave it;
And its foes now scorn and brave it--
Furl it, hide it, let it rest.

Take that banner down, 'tis tattered,
Broken is its staff and shattered,
And the valiant hosts are scattered
Over whom it floated high.
Oh, 'tis hard for us to fold it,
Hard to think there's none to hold it--
Hard, that those who once unrolled it,
Now must furl it with a sigh.

Furl that banner, furl it sadly;
Once, six millions hailed it gladly,
And ten thousand, wildly, madly,
Swore it should forever wave--
Swore that foreman's sword should never,
Hearts like theirs entwined, dissever:
And the flag should float forever
O'er their freedom, or their grave.

Furl it, for the hands that grasped it.
And the hearts that fondly clasped it,
Cold and dead, are lying low;
And that banner, it is trailing,
While around it sounds the wailing
Of its people in their woe.
For though conquered, they adore it--
Love the cold dead hands that bore it;
Weep for those who fell before it,
Pardon those who trailed and tore it;
Oh, how wildly they deplore it,
Now to furl and fold it so.

Furl that banner, true, 'tis gory,
But 'tis wreathed around with glory,
And 'twill live in song and story,
Though its folds are in the dust;
For its fame on bright pages,
Sang by poets, penned by sages,
Shall go sounding down the ages--
Furl its folds, though now we must.

Furl that banner, softly, slowly--
Furl it gently, it is holy,
For it droops above the dead;
Touch it not, unfurl it never,
Let it droop there, furled forever,
For its people's hopes are fled.

By An English Woman

Gallant nation foiled by numbers,
Say not that your hopes are fled;
Keep that glorious flag that slumbers,
One day to avenge your dead.
Keep it, widowed, sonless mothers,
Keep it, sisters, mourning brothers;
Furl it with an iron will,
Furl it now, but keep it still.
Think not that its work is done.
Keep it till your children take it,
Once again to hail and make it
All your sons have bled and fought for
All their noble hearts have sought for,
Bled and fought for all alone.
All alone! aye, shame the story,
Millions here deplore the stain,
Shame alas! for England's glory
Freedom called and called in vain.
Furl that banner sadly, slowly,
Furl it gently for 'tis holy,
Till that day, yes, furl it sadly,
Then once more unfold it gladly--
Conquered Banner! keep it still.