Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-11-27
Mr. EaYtcrin Norfolk.

The Norfolk Herald furnishes the fol
lowing sketch of a speech delivered las
week in Norfolk by Mr.. Baxter. our abb,
candidate for the Attorney Generalship.
This preliminary business being dis
posed ola loud call was made for Mr. Sid
ney 5. Baxter to address the meeting; ant
he was accordingly condu, ted to the stane
by DR.. Mckenny, the President Of the
Wing Association, and by him introduced
the audience. Mr.. Baxter. spoke for
nearly two hours,and we can truly say,tha
without making any prctension to the pow.
ers and beauties of eloqucnce, he engaged
the deep and earnest attention Of his au-
dicnce, interrupted only Ly the frequent
bursts Of applause Which followed sonc
congenial continent or some well directed
truth. His address was powerfully inter-
esiing and made, if we mistake not, an
abidingimprcsson on his hearers. 1t pre-
scented no appeal to the feelings Of poIiti
cal partyism, but, while maintaining the
truths and principles Of the Wing party,
Mr.. Bakers main object was to discourse
Of those great State interests which are the
common property of all parties; and in a
statcsmanlike manner lie illustrated by ar
guments not to be misconcevcd, the true
course for yoang Virginia TO pursue under
her new Constitution, and with her hun
bred thousand enlranchised citizens. In
this connection he launccdu upon the subject
of Internal Improvements, and more
sensible and Interesting discussion of that
subject we have never listened to. in the
course of his remarks he pointed out the
many advantages which Norfolk was des-
tined to profit by in her connection with
the various improvements now in progress,
among which that Of the dock connexion
at Richmond was not the least. He con-
tended that Virginia owed it TO herself to
assist Norfolk by every practicable means,
because she would thereby build up
great sea- port which would become neccs-
sary to her as her immense resources were
unlocked by railroads aud canals, and
sought their way to her maritime frontiers
for the foreign market. But Virginia
owed a debt TO Norfolk as well as to her
self; AMI he brought to mind the dcstruc-
ton Of Norfolk by FIRE at the commence
ment of the revolutionary war. Lord
Dunmore, to shelter his shipping from the
deadly aim Of the Virginia rIcmen, who
ensconced themselves behind the houses on
the wharves. set fire to and destroyed that
part Of the town, which enabled their peo-
pie TO land and possess themselves ofcom-
Portable quarters in the upper part. Seeing
this, the commander ofihe Virginia roops
resolved to disposses them. and according
ly set fire to and destroyed the remainder
of the town. 1t is true that the State paid
the owners for their property. but with de-
prcciated paper money which was equiya-
lent to total loss; and>compepsaiion was
still due for the calamity which she had
brought upon her cIiizens-ifnot to them,
who had long ago gone to their account,
it was due to their successors, and could
not be more gratefully and appropriately
recognised by the State than by minister
ing to their prosperity by acts Of whole
some legislation in behalfof their still Ian
gushing town, and giving evidences of
maternal regard for its prosperity,
Mr.. Baxter mex; discussed at some length
the subject of popular education, a. an IN
tcrc., ~hich yielded 70 10 oilcr'n 10 10