Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-08-29
nj G l. T. ~ X .
Correspondence of the New York Star.
RICHMOND.

JULY, 1867.
Richmond strikes all Albanians as resembling
their native town, but the likeness j, only in the re-
spectivc sites, and these far from perfect. Albany
is wholly placed upon a side hill, Richmond sweeps
likewise up an inclined plane, but the finest portion
of the town occupies a handsome plat OF tabie-land
at the summit. The opposite bank OF the james
river being more level, the view fromthe upper part
of town is extensive and celebrated, but less varied,
if as comprehensive, than the no less noted prospect
from the top of any of our public buildings. The
views are widely different the James a narrow,
yellow stream, rushing past the town in q succession
of rapids, forming an admirable wGier-power, and
becoming u~avigable at the southeast end OF the
place tho Hudson, broad and green and stately,
although scarce less shallow that his Virginia bro
Their. There is no range of handsome private
dwellings. or warehouses in Richmond-the for
mer-some Of which are elegant and surrounded by
trees and howers-are mostly isolated the latter,
are dingy, dirty edifices, with the exception OF two
or three appropriated to the manufactury Of tobac-
CO, which are perhaps more spacious than any appli-
cd to a similar purpose in the country. Few of the
streets are paved or provided with side-walks--but
| told my Richmond friend he must not despair, as
Paris was not paved till the time of Fhilp Angus
tus, | believe-Rome eleven hundred years hitter
mention is first made ofthat city by Cnsar-and the
Virginia Capital has yet some centuries to run be-
fore attaining its millennium.
The State House of Richmond is copy Of the
SO saaison carrce" Of Nismes. Placed on the brow
of The hill, it ovcrlooks the lower part of the town,
and ID a conspicuous object when seen from the river
on its right bank. We observed a great square hole
cut into the pediment-probably for light or ventila-
tion-but which if copied faithfully from a like a
perature in the French original, makes one think
the architect or Mr.. Jefferson must have been a little
like the Chinese tailor, who when directed 10 make
a pair of pantaloons after an old pair which was
left with him as a model, took especial pains to IN
sert in the seat Of his handiwork, a broad irregular
patch, corresponding to a repair the owner mad
found necessary in the old garment TO prolong its
utility. The Monumental Church, built to perpet-
uate the memory'of the heart rending catastrophe
which occurred on the burning of the Theatre, IN
1911, has little TO make it remarkable besides Its
history. As q place of religious worship, it serves
so i'll, that they intend, | am told, demolishing II,
leaving only the simple monument now beneath the
porch. 1t seems to me it would be more suitable to
leave the whole pile as a monument. The only
reasons which can ecommen the other course,
are precisely the last which q stranger could ascribe
to a people, pretending like the ViTginians, to a
thorough exemption from every interested or nerce-
nary feeling. 1 wished TO read the names inscri-
bed upon the sepulchral stone, but a gate carefully
locked, prevented any closer examination than was
afforded from the street. These bars and bolts
which bIistle thicker around our churches IN Amefi-
ca, than about our prisons, always c"aheh III "c
a sense of humiliation. Ifthey be needed, they
prove rather, think, defect in our education than a
want of the organ Of reverence. = sincerely believe
such precautions might be omitted without the risk
Of sscrilege or wanionness.-At all events, the
Catholic. even among US, seems dispoed to trust
less to the locksmith than to the mandate OF the
Deity. The Cross of Calvary and a precept IRON
Leviticus, would appear to protect his sanctuary
to the full as well, as adamant VI hon guards the
the temple OF the protestant.
They once offered a bounty in Virginia to clergy
men who settled within Inc state or colony. | 90
not know whether the premium is continued IN their
statute book but certainly there appears to be no
redundancy of churches and THEN pastors. Fewer
or more diminutive, s~iapeless, and mean looking
edifces devoted to the purposes of religion, 1 never
saw in either hemisphere. In Richmond they are
raising a stecplc upon a church. This half erected
spire was the only one we saw until we reached
this town.-So that, be it whatit may in other parts
bell ringing can hardly be termed the poetry oil
church steeples in the Old Dominion.
There was nothing in Richmond ! desired more
20 sec than the statute of Washington IN the
state-hall, which Houdon III mistake not, was