History defiled here

May 4, 2010 1:47 am

ALL THE DIVERSE opponents of Walmart's plan to build a superstore in the Wilderness battlefield got a vicarious boost Friday when a judge allowed a handful of them their day in court. One Spotsylvania and five Orange county residents, along with the area preservationist group Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield, now can proceed with a suit which alleges that Orange County supervisors improperly permitted the retail giant to come squat on hallowed ground.

The chances of the preservationists' ultimate success are anyone's guess; ours is that Orange supervisors and Walmart will prevail. There is no law against public officials making myopic decisions or against grand gaucherie by corporations. Property rights, however, are constitutionally guaranteed. If Orange's political leaders--representatives of the people--made technical errors, they are probably easily correctable. Walmart's business plan--essentially the script from "It Conquered the World"--doesn't include scenes of defeat. Nobody is going to wear out Bentonville with litigation.

To be sure, a triumph for the tag team of provincialism and corporate power-lust would be a defeat for America. But it shapes up to be lawful and democratic--making it a self-defeat.