Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-09
x-pREsmENT TYLER's ADDRESS.

lican" please copy.
Ex-PREsDENT TYLER's ADDRESS.
large audience assembled ut the Hall Oi
the Mechanics Institute, last Thursday night,
to hear an address from EX-President John T,y-
Ter. On the appearance of the venerable states
man, on the platform, he was greeted with
rounds of applause. The following is Il copy
of his address, which was listened to with the
deepest interest
Nix. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN
OF THE MECHANICS INSTITUTE:
am here tonight in compliance with your
repeatedly urged request, that | would deliver
n Lecture before YOU in aid Of your praise
worthy undertaking. You have kindly left
the subject to nv own sclcctioR-and memory,
the privilege of age, carries Inc back TO the
DAYS of NV youth, when for the first time |
walked Your streets, looked upon your hcauti-
full cminenceS, and formed some acquaintance
with the men Of that day, who have long since
travelled the road to dusty death, leaving
their names and high deserts deeply impressed
on the mind of Richmond. My theme, to-
night, iS-Richmond and its Memories.
A brief glance at the the early history OF the
site OH which the city stands, will neither TIC
uninstructive or Improbable. The irSt caring
| adventures in the settlement ot |irgilla' i"Sl
no time in exploring the river ON whose shore
that noble band had cast their hopes anu fears
They visited the great Werowance, Who' ny
his arms and policy had subjected to Ills sway
the numerous tribes who inhabited the ''uc-wa'
ter region, at his chief residence, now the ho>lh-
table home of Mr.. Robert \. Mayo. below the
Glls-that residence, bearing the name Of Pow
hatan attracts the attention of all who travel
I'M and down the river, and may DO regarded
as constituting one of the features, and by n"
means the least interesting one, "i The cit:y'
The falls of the river were for many years the
ultino Mule of the early adventures. For
midablc tribes of SavagcS ranged over inc
country above this locality, and these iall>'
whose evening echoes constitute the iigh''v
tattoo Of the inhabitants, lulling them I" re-
pose after each day of toll, and whose morning
re>oundingS make their rcrellle, Sulnihoriilg
them to their daily labor. formed Il barrier
over which the white man. for long years, "are
not pass. The first actual settlement III Inc
ncichborhool Of which we have a well alltheIl'
,ir,ted account. w;,S that of Nathaniel Bacon.
whose possessions were watcrcd on the South
by the stream universally known rs Bacon 5
! Quarter Branch" on which i" nav settle.
a frugal and industrious population. which
is embraced within the expanding limits
of the city Vt that early day. the colo
niSts were thrown into violent agitation
bv reason of the frequent inroadS made upon
the settlements and murders committed 10y the
Indians. Among others, the ovclSccr oil Bacon
was cruelty and shockingly murdered, anu the
cmbcrS. which the Governor, Sir VIM Bcikc'
lev. had tried to smother, broke ont into Il
flame that nothing could resist. In despite OF
the Governors extraordinary supincneSr, aud
his proclamationS. dcnouncing rs traitors all
who should undertake to prosecute war agaill>'
the Indians without his consent. the people
FASTENED to cnbody themselves INTO military
CORPS. and unanimously elected Nathaniel la
con rs their chief. to lead them against Their
border enemies. 90 no farther into the his
tory of those times than to say, that, ultimately,
that talented and indomitahlc leader. with his
patriotic band. encountered the combined forces
Of the Indians almost within sight of this city,
and took of them a terrible rctribution. Thcii
blood encrimsoncd the waters Of the stream on
the margin of which the battle WAS fought, sc
that from that day to this that stream has
horne the name of the Bloody Run, anu Will
for AGES vet to come, constitute Il memorial o
the victorious leader and his intrepid band
The wav.farer, wandering on the banks OF tiia'
stream, looks in vain for the evidences OF thai
bloody day. Nearly two centuries have passed
away since then, and instead of trcadlns ol
dcad mems bones, the wild violet is pressed he
meath his footsteps; the stream runs llmpidlI
beside him. and as il steals quietly on its way tC
minplc with other waters, diInplcS its surface
with smiles and glidcs laughingly on. .Ant
vet that bloody day cfiectually broke the power
of the Indian, who, from that day to this. has
been driven BY Il r~csiStlcss current to the place
of the setting sun, where he is destined to sink
beneath the horizon, to be remembered in the
tales of tradition, which, as the world grows
older, will be claSScd with fable, or only men
toned in poetry and song.
Notwithstanding this signal defeat, the TO
vcrs of the wilderness. coming from Il distance
and belonging to powerful tribes, often stole II
upon the settlements and rendered them inSc
cure. To guard against this, the Grand Assem-
bly. as il was called in those days. granted tc
Can't. William Bird, in 1879, a tract of land or
both sides of the river, including, on the NORTH
side. the greater part of what is now the city
: Of Richmond, upon condition that he would
seat. on the granted land, fifty able men, armed
and constantly furnished with sufficient ammu:
milton and provisions; and Il number Of tytllc
able persons, not exceeding 25o III the whole
and made him the nmander-in-clii OF tho
settlement. lie is supposed to have built Bel
vidcrc as his place Of residence, and to nave
had a store and a mill. lower down, in what Is
now the city. lie was u valuable acquisition
to Virginia. and a man of great thrift and en-
tcrprisc. He manifested a far.rcaching >agaclt,y
in Selling upon the advantages which this loca'
ton offered. He, doubtless, iorcSa" in the
future what is now rcaliScd-a large and p"pu'
lous city springing up on his domains. That
he was a man of great thrift is not only proven
by the large possessions he left behind, but cS'
tablishcd by his correspondence, preserved IN
the LIST and I'd volumes Of the Virginia ~lliStori-
cal Register. \ postscript to one of his letters
will sufficiently attest this. He writes To ThoS.
Grcndon. BY u regular coincidence, pr Mt
Zark 7;ailor," and in Il postscript says, Jack
Warren and Will Randolph, our worthy Bur
gcSscrs. frequently drink your health. Pr"y
he mjndfuL OF my boots and shoes, dc. lie
dealt largely in tobacco, and carried on :; sue
cessfnl trade with the Indians, in skins and
furS. and thereby preserved the peace better
than hy the use of guns and gunpowder. Such
was the original settler of the city of Rich
mond-a man of bold and hardy adventure
Possessed, in the beginning, of ample means,
and greatly charging them by thrift and eco,
nomy; often the representative in the House Of
Burgesscs from the county of Henrico, and Tor
sometime Treasurer (as it is expressed upon his
tombstone in the public burial sroundat "eS-
tover) Of this Royai Prorince. He died at the
age of 50, on the second Of December, lI0f.
leaving to his heir at law 1.-The more ccle-
bratcd Colonel VIM. Birds large and valuable
possessions, who erected and adorned the bcau-
tiful seat called Westovcr. now in the posses
sion of my friend John Sclden, Esq. The in
s~cription on his monument, which is in the gar
den at Westover, will best explain his charac-
ter and important public services. 1t reads as
follows:
'lIvrc lyvth the Honorable William Bird, Esq; be
ing born TO one oil the ainplest fortunes III the conn