Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1829-07-24

, mortal Bard whose brOwS are enclrCled by
a garland which the muses. have woven,
with the laurel Of Pindar, the myrtle OF
Ovid and the vine of Anacreon. That
people, say, preserve, even in the most
distant and discovered portions OF the Uni.
on, the same ennobling recollections of
past glorics to solace declining old age.
the same inspiring anticipations Of future
high desiinies, to excite the emulous ardnr
OF our compatriot youth. Not but that Tam
aware, sir, that every State has its own
annals Of fame, its own peculiar aud local
rolls OF talents, and deservings, yet these
are only the severed rods, the scattered
fragments Of national renown, which will
finally be bound by the mighty chain Of
Federal Union. Are Washington and
Jefferson less the children of our common
country. because Virginia claims them by
virtue of prior parentage? And, on the
other hand, what Virginian would permit
his right to call Franklin his countryman
to be disputed, because Massachusetts
boasts her being the place of his nativity,
and Pennsylvania. Of having received and
nurtured him as son by adoption!
There once was temple where re-
nowned people Of antiquity, brought sue
cessively all the vanquished gods of the
nations they had subdued. In our coun.
| try sir, the grateful hearts of freemen are
nObler temple where the memory of the.
great, OF the ilustrious, in peace, by wis.,
dom, by arts-in war, by noble daring. by
deeds OF eternal remembi ance, are pre-
served misunderstanding hy inheritance.
not in right Of pr:mogeniture to the cho-
sen few, but like the estate ola good and
just father, in equal portion to all the
children of the great American family
through the unbroken series of successive
generations.
The ceremonies Of this day, sir, amidst
the numerous associations they were so
we'll calculated to excite, have brought to
my remembrance what read, in nv bow
hood, many years since-will you listen
to that "reminiscences of early studies with
the same patient attention you have 50
kindly granted Yes, you are willing to
hear me, will proceed After dedicat-
ing their capital to the gods OF the Repub-
Inc, the Romans, say their historians, hum
bly, entreated their tuletary divinities to
consent to being transferred to the new
abode prepared for their reception. All
were willing to 60 save HIM who stood the
sacred guardian of boundaries, and HER
who presided over youth. The ora Gle.
consulted in that emergency, replied that
his pertinacity of the two duties, in pre-
serving their stations, was happy omen
1t presaged the frontiers of Rome would
never recede before an invader and that
the Roman youth would never be sub
dued. This day, sir, IAN suspicious day
to lay the foundation of good works) you
have laid the Corner Stone of the capital
OF Maine; and, though no material omen
struck the eyes or the ears of the assem-
bled multitude. though 10 eagle scared on
the right, in happy augury Of rising en-
pre though no lightning glared through
the dark cloud though no thunder pro-
claimed the approving will of Heaven
yet, the medtating mind might, like the
oracle ofo!d, without fear of being contra
dIcted by coming days, read in the firm
and resolved aspect of men of mature
years-and in the ardent enthusiastic eve
OF youth the glad assurances that the
frontiers OF Maine will never recede be-
tore the footsteps OF an invader, and that
her youth, in the defence Of their native
land, never can be conquered. And now
MIR. President. with my grateful acknowl-
edgement Tor your attention and for the
exciting, though unmerited applauses of
al! who hear me-2ermit me to propose,
IN return for the honorable testimony Won
have borne to the patriotism of LOUISIANA
ans, sentiment conveying the most ar
dent wish Of my heart
THE Frontiers Of Maine-Guarded in
peace by the watchful solicitude of ages
IN war, defended by the indomitable valor
OF an united and indivisible people.
MIR WRIT. writer in the Boston Gazette
speaks in the following terms Of our fellow citi
zen Mr.. Writ, who, it will be recollected war
| employed as one ofthe counsel i'm an imnortant
| cause recently tried at Boston,
| his manner and style of EXPERIMENTATION struck
us as admirable An easy flow of thouoh,s~a
variety and copiousncss oflanguage, united with
purity neainess and elegance Of expression,
which eviDced familiar acquaintance with the
works OF the best authors. There did not appear
to us to he any waste Of words-any tedious cir
| cumlocution, but on the contrary n directness
OF purpose-or, to use his own strong phrase
"a manly determination to 'marek up to,
the strong points of the case, for the puyposs'
OF assailiDg and overthrowing those of his adyer.
sary, and OF strengthening and confirming his
own: Mr.. w. evinced that full and clear con-
ception OF the essential points Of she case and,
| Una. ia'rhess In stating them, which united with
closeness of reasoning, seldom falls to COM
mand The attention Of an intslpe emf audience
Amidst, however, the dryness of debate, tho,
proceedings were occasionally relieved by some
brilliant metaphors humorous illustrations, and
sprightly salhes of the Imagination either grow
ing out the remarks of the opposing COUNSEL
OF forced IRON bIm by the presence of the fair
and more tastcfuGportion of his audience ihev;
were however, appropriate and well timed, aptl
instead ofwnsting the time of the Coufs, OF dis,
turbIng the gravity which ought to pervaAe =.
judicial assembly during so important an inve:.