The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-15


The third lecture Of the advertised by the Mrr-
camille Library Association delivered last evening
by JOHN r. Thompson Esq, of Richmond, Va, the sub
ject being "Virginia in the olden Time
There few of us said the lecturer, who had not de
sired in an hour Of revere to drink the draught Jam
hcu and awake the world it will he centuries
hence and few who have desired translated back
into the past how lived and moved
and had their being, We feel this desire most strongly
in walking through the picture gallery some great
mansion and looking the portraits Of buried worthless
How pleasant must it not have been talk with the an
cient proprietor about his crops and his fox hunts and his
lcgs alive cNpericnce-what happiness bask in the
sunny radiance ofmy lad smile she whose Ioveiness
is now bn sad IN Mr"oriGm' In attempting to present
picture of Virginia in the Olden Time" the lecturer
knew he took upon himself difficult task The materials
not abundant had they ever been gathered
together For the most part, the guawing at
them in the obscure repositories Of eaky garres in the
old mansions of tide water Virginia. Yet the lecturer
had gathered few fossils from that antique civilization
which might possibly he received curious interest
even though hc lacked the skill to reconstruct
the period as AgasSiz would build up Saurian.
new charm had been impaired Of late to Colonial So
ci"ty Of Virginia by the great Mr. ThacIeray who had
introduced it to the large world which has en-
JOY his delightful i'll malure But it to he hoped that
his representations of Virginia accu
rate than h'S irEuia history sni saphr. ,crord
ing to "tlc Yir%ininS Mr. Washington was ENGAGED to
the pretty Mrs CuSs before he ever seen that csti
Bcnlanin he rurStn Of
Gov llinwiddic at Williamsburg when We knew he
in that ancient capital at all, Williams burg in
1853 only mornings horseback ride from Mount
Ncrn0nal which went to show that Mr. ThaCkeray cared
little for the fidelity of his geographical and historical
statements if he could hut got ollfes satirize
in the Virginia of the last century. Perhaps was wei
that the awful satirist had turned from the foihcS and
scandal OF the present day chronicle the gossp and lash
the vices of our great gndfhcrs and he might be able
to establish that Of 0ur contemporaries may toad
les without being in the least degencrateand that the
sin of unkeyism is after all an inheritance only
Let Mr.. Thackcray, therefore, be encouraged in his
efforts, and perhaps it may result in causing
a social history Of Virginia to be written. The
manners of the early settlers OF Virginia differed very
essentially from those Of any other coIonss America
Virginia life was butt continuation of English life. The
habits, customs, religion Jurisprudence, amusements Of
Virginia exactly similar to those of England The
rockng adventures brought their modes of thought
and existence along with them.
CoI1m dnjnum mmdlt qui trans mare currunt
But the distinguishing characteristic Of the Virginia Col
ony isolated country life. In this the planters diff
lered from the Pilgrim fathers from the Manufacturers.
from the followers Of William Penn. Gregariousncss was
foreign to their model They loved build on a lonely
emnencc and to establish their household gods in indie
pendent solitude The planter autocrat of his little
household and exercised an absolute dcSpotsm over his
slaves and ndentcd servants What persons these
latter were might be gathered from Of the
Of Ne Foe
If the hand Virginia by her old Colonial system
ncss-on the other she abounded in fertile ideas Her
system gave her great but could have built up
great States One result Of this isolation in which the
planters lived the dearth Of towns Long after other
States had pupuous cities Virginia had plan
taOn system was at war with the centrllizng influences
Of large communities The government recognized the
evils Of this isolation and sought by statutes
planters to abandon their lonely mode Of life The social
life of that day quiet flIl of delightful home
joys and of domestic rheauX. Yet there occasion
ally Of exciting interest, for there Indians vet
in the Colony The planters the young copper
skins in their daily sports and played at chuck arthing
with them The lecturer here sketch the cduca
ton of Nrgnia boy of that period. The first instruc
tion was at his mothers knee-ncXt the private
tutor He was then transferred to the college vii
lamShurg but the Of the Young gentleman did not
terminate at the College of William aud Mary He
subsequently sent to England-su,lird in the Middle
Temple long letters home drcuptiye Of ENGLISH
society and famous English people which produced among
the members of the household ProdgiouS sensaton-
The career Of the planters fair daughter somewhat
different. Her education was by means good--hut
her domestic position was eXcecn-she esteemed
mans best guide philosopher and friend. At twomanhood
the OF housekeeping dev0lvrd upon her and while
those of her in old England taken up with
frvnitieS, she was employed in her domestic duties.-
Then suitOrs-and na Il sutor more favored
than the restand in due Of time followed the sol
tmnlzatlon OF mairlmonY. The women OF MARYLAND and
Virginia much less given to the foics of the
than the women of massachusetts Bay While a writer
who signs himself AGAwAN satirizes the passion for dress
Of the women of New England. Jomy HAMMOND gives
very different testimony with regard to the of
MARYLAND and Virginia About HANNOyp's time tLc cuI
ture of silk prevailed quite extensively in Colony
The pride of the lady at this period in
Ther" was but little silk manufactured. All England
asked was the material The robes worn by ARIES
H. at his coronation were made ofsk reeed by Virginia
fair ladies from produced the banks of James
colony
perhaps as well that this was so during the latter years Of
the House Of Stuart. Shakespeare was. however to he
"und IN the mouse ." almost every planter. Two books
Were always on hand and constantly read lay the ladies'
King James Bible and '.The Whole Duty Of Man" The
planter read the old Colonial ncwparcr The great h"s
of the planter his tobacco crop When it was
gathered and cured and packed in hogShcads lie looked
out for some rusty ship to senit the water In
the return voyage, all the family Interested for the
Captain charged with inconccivable variety Of
commissions The ship usually returned by way Of Ma
dera bringing back an ample slurIy of wines for the
V NirniuluS a nd wore
toned to quench it with the choicest vintaecs The
amount of Port and Madeira they used to dispose of
enormous. What an old planter who drank from
three bottles at sitting, would think of the Maine liquor
law it would he well for the spirit rppcrs enquire At
stated times, he attended Court; when that was over he
went home with Il friend and would frequently enjoy
his hospitality for week. Another periodical journey
was to the Parish Church. where the planter went
in state with his family 1t was occasion for
mGny. Though we recognize but two HOLIDAYS,
Christmas and the Fourth Of July the Nirginans used TO
celebrate the old Festivals Many Of the Saints dogs
also kept. The lecturer here read from old Colonial
paper advertisement of the various that
were to take place on ST Andrew day. They comprised
horse races cudgel playing fddlng foot by boys
wrestling and dancins-or all of which prizes
awarded those who exhibited superior SKILL
The amusemcnts and gaicties of the winter months
were of more stately description and attracted
mimy of the rural magnates to Williamsburg the
Capi'ol-a description of which by Burnaby,
was quoted. From documents in his posse ssion.
Mr.. Thompson drew graphic picture of the palace
at Williamsburg while ?erkcy was Governor Of virginia
and Of the wardrobe Of Berkeley himself Such said the
lecturer was a Colonial Governor and such CoIoniaI so
ciey in the oldcn time He referred the changes that
subsequently took pacechancs that were not To he re
greted The old race is gone he said, and a new
people and in respects better than our an
ceStors. We haze a greater share of intelligence and
have made greater advances in the useful arts After
pursuing these reflections for short time, the lecturer
closed his discourse by drawing admirable contrast be-
tween the old time and the new.
The following are part of the proceedings in New
York for one day, December u: "Another Po-
iiceman Probably Murdered! Officer Davidson
Stabbed! Bloody Row in Grand street! Three
Men Seriously Wounded A COurtezan Stabbed
in Canal Street! Mysterious Suicide of Female!
Death from Starvation -
Mr.. A. b. Sage, of New York, has commenced
the issue of American Historical Medals, giving
views OF faneuil Hall, Carpenters Hall, the Jer
sey Prison Ship, the Old Sugar House. and other
Revolutionary monuments