Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-10-02
HON. WIN. G. RrvEs.

in being enabled to be present at the late Com
mencement festival at Harvard Uaiversity. Yir.
ginia bad been complimented in toast from the
Chair when Mr.. Rives rose and made the follow,
ing beautiful and eloquent response:-
| Mr.. Rives rose and said he had looked
around him, with anxiety, to see if there
were not present some son Of Virginia,
more worthy and better able than himself
to return her acknowledgements n fitting
manner, for the 1attering notice just tax.
en- Of her. But it seemed uniuckily, as
he felt it to be for his native State, that
there were zone other of her children
there to speak for her. He was, in some
sense, "alone in his glory:" and ii devol-
we'd upon him, therefore, all unworthy as
he was TO represent her on such an occa-
sion, to return, on her behalf, the &C.
acknowledgements due for the cordial and
distinguished tribute Of honor and respect
Just paid to her name.
He must be permitted, at the same
time, to acknowledge the deep debt Of graf
itude he felt for the Kindness which had
been shown to himself personally. He
bad been taken by the hand as a brother,
and admitted 10 an intimate and unreser.
we'd communion with that noble fraternity
of letters, embracing scholars, luris,s,
statesmen and divines, in commemoration
Of their great family lestIvsl-introduced
as IL were, Mr.. President, into the very
penetraLa Of your great Temple of Liber-
ty aud learning. 1t was a privilege he
could nottoo highly esteem, and he should
ever recur to il with pleasure. Both yes.
terday and to-day he had seen, heard
aud felt many things which he should car
ry home with him, to cherish the remem.
brance of, to reflect upon and to endeavor,
if he could, to initiate and TO practice.
When reflect, said Mr.. r., that those
ofus, who live remote from you, are indebt-
ed for so precious an opportunity to the
modern facilities OF locomoaon, cannot
but honor, Notwithstanding what was said
by some OF our friends yesterday and to-
day, the inventive aud unitarian genius
OF the age, which has thus anaihlated
space by the railroad and the steamboat,
and made your noble country, in a new
and double sense, the land Of pilgrims. -
IT'S true, as was remarked by our humor-
Gus young friend, yesterday that IN this
whirlwind mode Of transportation, the ma
tural landscape flies rapidly from us; but
then how much more extensive and var.
iegated is the moral and political landscape
it spreads beneath our view, enabling US,
in the language Of the poet, to ''catch the
living manners as they rise." 1t is this
rich, luxuriant landscape in all lis phases
of beauty and magnifcence, that, for the
| two or three weeks have been in New
| England, have dweit upon with mingled
sentiments of pleasure, admiration, sympa-
thy and pride, on every hand. have beheld
the miracles ofprogress, development, and
! may add without irreverence, of crea-
ton, which have been wrought on. among
you by the triumphant energies of free
dom, industry and intelligence.
These grand results are due, am
thoroughly persuaded, to one fruitful cause,
with which this noble and venerable lnst-
tuition, so justly consecrated TO the public
veneration and support by the sacred pro.
visions of your fundamental laws, stands
an intimate and indissoluble connection,
| mean popular education calling forth,
informing and guiding the energies Of the
popular arm-universal instruction going
hand in hand with universal industry
Hence j! is that it may be said Of you now
with perfect truth, as il was said Of you
10 your early colonial history, that there
are mo drones in your northern hire. -
Every individual man, woman and child,
concurs by an active and efficient coop
GRAFTON in the advancement Of the gener-
oil good. and in building up, sustaining and
augmentng the prosperity and riches Of
the Commonwealth. This is the great
and valuable lesson in political economy
which the prosperity Of New England pro
claims to the world. 1t is one which we
of the South, trust, shall lay to heart
and ''go and do likewise"
hope, said Mr.. r.. it will be deemed
not unnatural and objectionable weak
ness when | frankly confess before you
tha, while beholding sllthis glorious spec
| idCiC Oi UNIVERSAL C"thioil, PiooPci'f5f ib'
telligence and order, have felt secret
and hardly repressble pride in the refec
ton that the land which you have thus
built up and adorned by your enterprise
and genius, once bore common namt
with my own chersed State, and was par
and parcel of Virginia. Ours was the
earliest colonial charter, and i, extended
from the 34th to the 45ih degree of north
latitude. New England was then. in pop.
ular as well as legal geography, North
ern Virginia, and derived its present dis
iinctve baptismal name, if | mistake not
from our chivairous aud gallant Capt
Smith.-Permit me, then, gentlemen, tc
offer you the following sentiment:
New England: The Northern Virgin
ia Of the earliest colonial charter. The
sold dominion" stands upon her ancient
rights and claims her share in the happi
ness, the renown, the civil and social in
situations Of her younger and more pros
porous sister,"
We are much pleased that Mr.. Rivss has takei
this tour to Massachusetts. We like 10 see tn,
great Statesmen OF the country visiting the differ
ent nortiors of our wide-spreBd Union and behold