Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-07-09

tul meeting tDat ever Satnercu together -
Laughter. We are told, in the toast t
which have been called upon to respond
that it is first given to "Tirginis;" next {
her ''sons of the past;" and as for her sons 0
the present, they can speak for themselves
and think | can call yourselves to witness
that every one Ct US can speak at once
+ Laughter. There was immense coofusioi
in the hail Last night, late, | was botltie(
duly that | would be Cal ed upon this day tt
respond to this toast; and wien | came K
look at it, very little reflection taught mt
tina. it would take whole lifetime to res
pond to it. Once when the Safe Of Masss
cbusetts, the older sister of Virginia, was al
luded to--and alluded 10 with q sneer--al
that tia, master OF eloquence-no other than
Daniel Webster himself-did say, was, There
Massachusetts stands" and IN respect tc
Virginia, would take up the sentiment OF
bis words, and say, there Virginia stands
IApplause But are you prepared to list en-
10 library Of history 10 speaking Of herself
and a biography 10 speaking of her sons oil
the past? 1t would take volumes to speak,
or to write her history and their biography
NJ, YOU have not tho time for either now,
and we are not prepared for the task. Bot
Virginia has her history of her settlement
Aud there stands jamestown, with all the
romance Of toe history Of Pocshontas and
Captain Smith. Applause. Virginia has
her col9nial history, and there is volume IN
the first rebellion against British tyranny on
this continent, in Blooms rebellion. And
here, near you, is "Bloody Rum" and, be-
sides this, there is Point Pleasant; and be.
yond that is the march Of Geo. Rogers Clark
20 kaskaskia and Vincennes, that beats any
march Of the ten thousand in Greciau or Per-
san history. Applause Aud then, Vir.
sioia has her revolutionary history. Go to
the old magazine at Williamsburg; and there
you will tiud was the first ball Of the reyelu-
ton to which Patrick Ienry's elcquence
gave the impulse. Applause. Go TO the
very frOntispiece of che first work of the first
Convention OF our fathers, and there you will
find the record Of the first Bill OF Rights, not
excepting Magma Charta. Applause. l
am, tellow-citizens, not alluIiug to events
like those which threw the tea into The bar
Dor Of B9stou-that, and other deeds of like
kind, were done by masked men-men who
had to assume the costume Of the red man
of Mchawks. But | speak of open and
organized action. CO to the Old Raleigh in
Williamsburg, and you will there find, that
without putting on mask, Virginia, through
here Legislators aud representatives the first
that ever sat in the world, Of sovereign con-
stituency, was the first openly, dsriDgly, in
organized conclave, to proclaim freedom and
Independence on the Goth of June, ITO
Applause. She alone proclaimed herself
solely, without knowing whether any sister
State would back her. free, sovereign and 10
dependent Applause. Go then into Car
pentcr's He'll and see tue sovereign States
meet; see them assem- BILE there. o.! what
scene! Ny God, if you can only picture that
scene this day 10 an assembly like this!-
Charles Carroll sgring the risk Of millions,
and Stephen Hopkins, with palsy in the hand,
bat none 10 the heart, siGnng-s;gnug wbat'
Signing the great Charter, the great Nation
al Declaration. which said that the Virginia
declaration OF the Gosh OF June, shall not be
left alone, bat that the 4sh Of July, shall be
added 10 tAe declaration of the 10Th of June,
and that the whole nation shall be united IN
oue declaration, written by the four fingers
and the thumb Of one of Virginis's sires.--
| Tremendous applause Look to Virginia's
part in the formation OF the articles of the
Confederation, " hich led to the formation Of
sour Federal Constitution. Listen TO me
now, and to what am going TO say-I wish
that there was no noise, and that there was
silence in al the earth-!ud that | had the
trumpet Of an Arch-An.ei to sound it every
where. When your fathers attempted TO
:orn this Union they did not know, before
baaG, wha' sort Of Cuion it was TO be-
They set 70 work 10 10 the best they could
under tho circumstances. What they would
accomplish 20 man could tell. There was
not Il head upon either that bad the human
" sdom to ioretel what it was TO be; but
they went in tcr uH'oR, for UNIONS sake
, Applause. by all the Gods; by al! the
affairs OF my country; | 90 for union for
unions sake. Loud applause, which con-
tlnuGd for several minutes. They set to
work to make the best Union they could,
and they did make the UnIon and the best
Government that ever was made. Ap
p!ausc Washington, franklin, Jefferson
ill combined, IN Congress or out OF Con-
gFess, in Convection or out Of Convention,
never made that COnsiitut!On--God Almigb-
ty sentit down to your fathers. Applause.
1t was = work too Ot glory and u work OF IL
spiraticn. Applause. believe that as
fully as believe II my Bible. No man,
!rom Hamilton and Jay and Madsoo--trom
Edmund Randolph who had the chief hand
10 making it---and he was q Nifgioisn--the
writers Of it, ;be authors Of it, and you who
have lived under it, from 1889 down to this
year of our Lord, lS5S--none Of your fathers
and none Of your fathers sons, have ever
measured the hejg6t or the depth, or the
icUgth, or the breadth, Of the wisdom Of that
Constitution. Loud applause
Virginia. Virginia spesks for herself! She
gave you tee father # your CVuutry, Ap-
plau.e; she gave you your revolution; she
gave yyu your liberty; she gave you the au-
thor Of the Declaration of Independence; sne
put tie ball OF revolution 10 motion and was
tie fist that gave it impulse. Applause.
She was the mother OF your Constitution il
tue persons Of Edmund Randolph, aud MadI.
son. Aud tuen she was the mother OF your
Judiciary in the person OF John Marshall -
Applause. Mother Ct the Father Of the
Country; mother Of the Constitution; mother
VI the Declaration Of Independence; mother
Of the Revolution; mother Of the Judiciary,
which Is the great buwark Of the COnsttu-
tlon. Loud applause We may well claim
that she Is mother of rs all.' Is 1t neces-
Sary Tor me TO give you list Of her SONY
They are more numerous than the mighty
pillars If this mighty fabric; and they are
just az stauucb III their bstOricalrcnOwn, as
these pillars On their fgm Easements. Loud