Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-01-26
crrcn oE non. LAME, A. seldom,

SPEECH OF HON. JAMES A. seldom,
Az the Dinner gipem TO Gen. IVm lpdiS'r, IN h''"-
n.ond, on The IAh Of January, 1913.
After the applause which followed the delivery oil
Gen. Walkers speech had subsidized, the nun oan'''
A. Seddon was called out.
M. Srppos said: Since have become sovs'
reign, mt servant; private, not puollc man; my
tongue has Loaf the trick of responding as reaay i"
the needs OF the mind as, under the 'enp'S ,,u"S "
our sumptuous repast, it has done to those Oh te o
dy Upon your generous CALL mus ;ab,d arss,
ar inapty, feeble tribute to distinguished guss
Whose eloquent aud modest vindcat'on OF nl'nsen
and his cause bad elieed such cordial applause ana
stll thrills through every heart. me vc..ii, W. COY
the east-n the midest form OF oincai pnI oe1o'osy
of "a prape error" Of functionary OIL tne d"Verh
msnt in high naval command it is peculiarly appro
pirate that the psope-the true sovsrelgns, W ~nu
ali public servants are amenable-shoud IeouKe Tue
wrong by the manifestation OF their synpahy a'u ~
terest in the sufferer. Hitherto the manifestation OF
tha feelings and sympathies Of many just and cons
dsrats men, in the enterprise for the ameloEa,Ion OF
the distracted and degenerate nations 10 tne oouti
has been expressed by their respect LOT ofuer ahI
the laws Of their country, which u was ansgea
had been disregarded by unlawful comoina
tons; but now those very consldeIa''ons DC,
msnd that the clear violations Of both personal
righs and public international law. winch laVe oeen
committed, and in the name OF the Cnon; aga'us'
our distinguished guest and his comraoeS shouiu 10
visited by our indignation and rebuke. Inc presuge
of law and order ia on their sde and fully Justihe'
the display of our eympathss and interest
But not Alone or chiefly, a. an object Oh sympathy
does our guest appeal to our emotions. !, nsoueu
not the clear historic summary and able pleading OF
his cause 10 satisfy he is even more calnahl vi
our admiration and respect. His deeos III the Pes'
have rung throughout the land and Inc lustre VI ns
achiev emens has shone to the remotesl nan.e.s VI
the country. His career reads like that OF faiao'n
Eli. gba Nnftl VI.
lated, if not surpassed the gallant captains ~no "
their deeds Of daring the Spanish man,
the designation of Fillibuster, and now rank among
the highest on the roll of English naval reno~n oh
the initiation of the Democratic party o'
with but handful of brave Americans, kindred spi
rits to himself, he had won supremacy In the lano
| become Chisf Magistrate of grateful ana tlusuug
people; had been even recognized IN MS eutnofn
and sovereignty by solemn act OF recognition 10 l'e
minister by our late President and was proceeding 10
| consolidate institutions of freedom and progress
when, probably under the inspection OF Inc jealous
mistress of the SEAS he became the object oi nos
tile combination of adjoining nations and, oy no up
rising of his people, but by the force OF loree
invaders, aided, unfortunately, at the very crsis OF
| his fate BY the unwarrsntable interference OF an
American naval command, was finally compelleu ~ :.
abandon for time his adopted country ana eaHe LIE
work incomplete. NJ,
ceyed and executed Elate, as Virginian, DID
hear our gallant guest assert that he had ever con
formed TO the cherished principles OF this PROUD olo
Commonwealth, and had followed, In al his enter
prses, the spirit and guiding example Of nep vi,
Gus founders and soue. While my feelings eIult' my
Judgment confirms that this is 40 for has no NOT ac
ed 10 the spirit of Smith aud Raleigh, and sought te
found State where might reign ever happy uii''s'
reposing in the future under their own Vihe ah "
tree, as now We do here, under the ireedom anu iu
.,itn,ions of our revolutionary sirssl Let it not be
forgotten that the land Of our nativity which We sc
love and boast of, won as It a stu heid unast
| the law Of progress and deveioPmeh!, 1., II .at
phrase better peases, by virtue OF ths prineples ao
orowsss of Fiiibusters. Before the superior energy
and civilization of our sires, the degenerate sons
the land have disappeared like the msts OF the morn
ing and the charter OF our inheritance mas oeen Sehi
| ed BY the stamp Of heroic van treadlng OUT the
traces Of bsrbarism and fsroelty 1t Is Certainly TINE
ton that on this continent, the main source oil TINS
spirit has been found 10 the old Cavalier stock oil pf
| ginia. Never addicted to hucksterlng and trathc
| they have ever preferred to march with the axe
and the riffs to the conquest OF the wilder
| mess and the expulsion Of savage f0e-
Thew have been tho real pionsers Of the Yves
| term and Southern columns OF advance. whether
we contemplate Boone. the fearless hunter, planting
himself alone the dark and bloody ground OF hen
lucky; Lewis and Clarke, after perilous wanderngi
| for months over untrod mountains and tracklest
wilds asserting the shores OF the Pacific the title
Of American discovery, which, in these after days
was to assure to thsr country the proud designation
| of the Ocean bound Rspubci or Houston, raising
/
San Jacintn Vlrginians are to be ever found in the
foremost ranks in the cause of onward progress. =
Their sons had sprung from the loins OF England III
her ustier days, when less removed IRON the IN
Stincts and the blood OF Norman and oil Dane, her
gallant spirits roamed the Spanish MAN, or dared the
perils of uuknoWn coapents, and they have proved
themselves no Degenerate soEs. Eut, in wld.r scope
of view what is all this but the laE oil progress and
deveopment-the filbustering interest iIGpisned BY
! nature and working under Providence in dominsn
1 h,,tr oh in all Qvpa
the inheritance bestowed by the Creator on man, aIt
to dffuse abroad their characteristic energies. the
nobler institutions and more advanced civllizatlon-
Their advance 10 ever cUn.sa OF amelioration, D
Improvement or of renovati0n It E,sy not be 10 the
savage incapable Of civilization, or TO the races too
decayed TO be revivihed into hen'hfu Lille, but al
! ways 10 humanity in its cholcer types In the shocks
and collisions OF such instructive movements thu
savage NAV be eItermlDaed, the barbarian civil
lied, the eete and degraded dwinde into nothingness
or be regenerated into neY nobility OF nature but BY
one process another, high paoea hre brought Low
| aud crooked paths inside straight, and the mission o
| human Improvement aud progress is worked out ant
accomplished. Much Of coptulney and reprosci
have been hesped in an especial manner, on our ma
ton and race for its federation and encouragement
this spirit Of progress. which ID stigmatasd az hll
clustering, and asserted to be synonymous with rGpn
and piracy. We're account taken OF tbs lnVldiOu
spirit of the older nations towards our usty growth
and no appreciation had Of the wretched spirit o
cant and Hypocrisy so prevalent in the age, 1t nigh
we'll BIZ imagined the American people we're outraSer
Of all interuaops rights and the oppressive robber
of all contiguous nations. But the least observation
| will discern what history muct e:test, that in tn,
manifestation Of the bustering inatncts OF Our kind
| W. only follow, at an humble distance, end witt
fatering steps, the rapid strides and boldsr courses
our most respectable mother and our most dustin
gushed elder brothers. Why, ours is indeed, tn
only leading government in christendom, that so far
as such, has steadily refused to fbuser at the eI
pense Of fesblsr nations The ilibustering euergie
Of old England we're only turned from the rich gale
ons and gilded cities Of the Spanish main, by tn
opening to be. cupidty and energies of all the fable
wealth and resou!csS Of the gorgeous Indies founf
in the keeping of q feeble enc distracted people,
| There 80 rapid and unscrupu6us. has been he
6lbustering march, she at this time stands donan
onthe necks Of lGO millions of subject people, and eve!
now plunges with relentless-l say, not unjust-hand
her bloody word into the revolving mass that has vain
" aud madly struggled to rise against her might On
brother of France the next loader of civilization ant
progress in Europe, is even IN our own day. essaylns
the spread OF his population and power not under thu
teachings of peaceful intercourse or moral influence
but by the potent agencies of the canEon and tn.
bayonet over the fair regions and nonadic races
| Northern Africa; and to the expansive hlibuserisu
of the great Northern Car, not one but three, con
tinents scarce afford adequate fields. That such no
table examples have not aroused the emulation aDt
| won the imitation of our Government, may evinct
our moderation, or our Difference to the pharlsa'ca
structures of such innocent compeers, or may per
chance be found in the different character OF our IN
stitutions and the fresr play of the private and ind
vidual energies of our citizens rather opne ou'
| Government deems our people adequate to ma'c!
this race with the soveregns of The old world, anr
that our own progress and development may be safely
entrusted to the promptngs and energies OF Young
America. Indeed, instead Of agging on, the Govern
ment seems over much inclined to repress.
But can it be seriously doubted that such progress
especially under the guiding genius Of our people anf
institutions must enure TO the veal of man, by thu
development of the rich bounties of nature the ex
panuion of freedom and the introduction of pure
religion and higher oivilisaton1 Shall the fairies
regions of tropic America teeming with capabilities