Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-12-24
MISCELLANEOUS.

THE VIRGINIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The first Annual Meeting OF the Virginia LIS
,orical Society, under lis new organization, wa
held in The Hall OF the House OF Delegates oil
Thursday evening last, The 10Th inst, and not
wi,hstanding the inclemency OF The weather,
very respectable number OF gentlemen, uiempei'
and Others were present on the occasion. Mt
Presiden; OF the Society," the Hon. VIM. G. Hives
of Abemarle, presided; and On taking the chair
delivered very appropriate and lruly eXcellen
Address, that gave great satisfaction 10 an VINO
heard IT, Alter this, The Chairman OF the EXecu'
tive COMMITTEE Conway Robinson, Esq. read The
report of the proceedings OF The committee during
the past year, which showed that they had been
most Iaudaby attentive TO the duties OF their OF.
fce, and that the Society was already prospecting
under their counsels aud care. To Ibis, The Sc.
cretary, Mr. Maxwell added few words, giving
some further MISUNDERSTANDING the number
OF the members of the Society, which he stated IL
be 262, (besides Is candidates who would be ad.
ded 10 them al the first meeling,) and submitting a
list of books and manuscripts presented and loan
ed by different persons 10 the Society, manileslns
spirit amongst our citizens that promises The
best results. Mr. NJ. also made some remarks
upon the object OF the Society, the plan OF The
Committee, and the general scope and spirit OF
the generous and patriotic cause in which they
were engageG-which were apparently well re.
ceved by the meeting, and which we may hope
will not be without some effect.
Mr. BurWell, of Bedford, then offered resolu-
tious thanking he President for "his eloquent
and instructive Address," and The committee for
'their Jealous and efficient attention IN the inter-
esrs Of the Society" during the past year, and di-
recting that the Address, Report and other pro.
ceedings of The meeting should be published,
which were unanimously adopted; and The audi
ence retired.
The Society then proceeded TO elect their OFF,
GERS for the ensuing year, and some additional
members, eighteen, we believe,) and adjourned.
We may now congratulate our lellow-citiZens
upon The happy beginning, and we trust the per-
manent establishment OF Society in our city,
which certainly promises very fairly 10 promote
all the best and lruest Interests OF our Stale and
country.
The following gentlemen were elected officers
OF the Society for The ensuing year:
Hon VIM c. Rives, President.
Hon James Mcdowell, VIM. Fl. mcfarland
and JAS E. Heath, Vice Presidents.
VIM Maxwell, Corresponding Secretary; also,
Recording Secretary and Librarian.
Geo ". johnson, Treasurer.
Exeeuliue Committee Conway Robinson, Chm;
Socrates Maupin, GusIavus A. Myers, Thos. L,
Giles, " n b Chi,ienden, Thas. H. Ellis. and
Chas Carter LIE.
The Offices of the Society are, CO cG;io, men,
bers OF the Executive Committee.
Mr. RIvES' ADDRESS.
Gentlemen Of he H.s,1,icsi So2iety:
The spirit which has summoned this Society
agiin into ACTIVITY, after slunoer oil several
wears is 30 be regarded, trust, as one OF the
omsns an not n, least significant, ot better
day about 10 dawn upoa our ancient Common
wt4lth. Too long nave ~ followed alter strange
Gods, AMI turned oar backs upon taoSe of our
own household The false glare OF a0'i"a@
honors has besn wont 10 dazzle the eyes oi Viz
ginials, and make Them forget the duly and ser
vice they owe, rinarily, TO their own Stale AT
last happy change has arisen, and we see them
reurnins, with gifts and offerings, 10 their pater-
nal allars.
From this Hall devised and matured by The
enlightened ieois awe councils OF The Stale, we
have seen, wilma IA. present year. generous
syste n OF State improvements 90 tnrth answer
ing 10 The demands Of the age, and the wants OF
our people, and lie tined, We may conf lently
hope, 10 exert powerful influence upon the IN
ture fortunes of The Com u,nweAlth. A general
attention has been awakened everywhere, To The
intellectual wants oi the Stale; and the wisdom ni
its Intelligent ci'izenS, ana OF lis representatives
has been CONFORMITY employed, and will, doubt
tess, CO ,Inue TO be employed in peflect,Dsa sys.
TEN Of public instruction which, with the liberia
ity al us PROVISIONS, Sildit C"nVihc J"N' h"'
practical adaptation 10 he peculiar circumstances
OF orr situation, in regard 10 territory and popu-
laon.
Al such moment OF awakened State patriot
ism, and in concurrence with these noble objects
of ale concern, il is not to be wondered Al that
rewriting interest should have been manifested
in our State History To every people, rs hislo.
ry-lhe stirring record OF the deeds ani trials OF
lis ancestors among The most precious OF lis
and I is les ~ N
attractions aud jus, motives 10 cherish and caiti-
vate it, than that of other States. The Stale which
was the first settled of our iree Anglo-American
contcieracy-which in The vefv infincy OF its CO.
lonial existence endowed itself by lis own insnc.
tive sagacily and vigor with Tree Representative
Institutions, and thus gave the example Ia the
other colonies, of the only practical security
for civil and political freedom-which, by the
voice OF its little assembly, 10 the primeval forests
of America, enacted from time TO time The great
canon of British liberty (immnniy from taxes
not imposed by the people themselves or tnelf
REPRESENTATIVES in advance of its final establish
ment by the patriots Of the mother country IN
their memorable struggle with The FIRST CnafieS.
which founding itself upon this traditional
birthrisht Of English and American ireemen'
thus early proclaimed by lis infant voice, was al
forwards in maturer age the nts TO announce d
determined resistance TO the unconstitutional TAX
alton of the British Parliament which, alter
sharing so largely in the labours, perils and slo-
rious achievements OF the contest Tor independ-
ence took an acknowledged and unquestonable
lead in the foundation and establishment OF our
presen, happy Federal Constitution and Union
a State, whose history is illustrated BY such
brish, and honorable traits and recoliec'ions as
.hess ought surely to feel some degree OF interest
and pride in her annals. a..
do not fer 10 these things, gentlemen, IN Tue
indulgence Of vain glorious spirit, or TO MINUS
ter 10 anyun,wor,hy feeling of seli-compacency'
Far otherwise. We have been 100 prone 10 re-
pose upon the laureis OF our ancestors and 10 re-
iy on tieir fame as dispensing us from the ne
cessity of winning a character Tor ourselves IN
the world by our own mefiIofious deeds ana ex'
ertions, But the very renown OF our iofeialners
serves only 10 reproach US with our degeneracy,
if we do not show ourselves their worthy descend
ants by the practice of their virtues and the imi
tatiou Of their noble examples. l; is, then, Io
draw from ,hsm lesson OF useful admoniion a
new and powerful incentive to vigorous action IN
our "day and generation" that would recur
daily and nightly, TO the inspiring records OF oul
past history.
10 recalling what Virginia was, we can hes
form to ourselves correct idea OF what Virginia
ought sill 10 be. and the true measure OF our owl
dules as present actors on the Stage. We can
no bat be painfully sensible OF the fact that she
no longer holds the proud precedency, not IL
numbers merely, bot in consideration and IN
auenc. which she once possessed among the con
federated States Of the Union. Why is this so
Are not her extraordinary physical advantage
the same1 Is she not The same "delighlsom'