The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-28
yirsinia-Past, Present. and Future.

IFrom the Augusta (Ga.l CONSTITUTE onalst.l
1t has been remarked that nations are like
the century plant. As this plant blooms but
once in every hundred years, putting forth
each time a flower of surprising magnificence
and beauty-so do nations, but once in their
whole history, nftener in revolving cycles,
give birth to some great man, pre- eminent by
his genius and towering in intellect far above
his fellows. Not only does this hold good,
but it may also be affirmed that every nation
sooner or ter rises to position higher than
1t will ever again attain among the sovereign
ties of the earth. Nations have their. day,
their hour of influence and glory, IN which
their greatness is felt and acknowledged, and
then they either settle down to their former
level, or fall below it, or, losing their very
name as well us their prestige, pass away,
and have place only in the records OF
former age. The past, the present, and the
seemingly inevitable future Of Virginia, have
suggested these thoughts.
In the past, it was the proud boast OF Nlr-
ginia that she was q leader among confeder-
ate States, and the noble mother OF Presl-
dents. Nor was this an empty, unmeaning
boast The claim was universally admitted;
Virginia's supremacy was not debated the
Presidents she gave TO the nation shaped and
controlled its policy, and her great statesmen
held undisputed sway over the empire OF
mind in the polite of this western world.
Indeed, what reader of American history is
not familiar with the noble part which Vir
ainia bore in Colonial and revolutionary
times No sooner had the encroachments OF
the crown on Colonial rights begun, than Fir-
ginia raised her eloquent voice in opposition.
As early rs IT'S, the committee of her Bur
pesses did not fear ''to speak irreverently OF
the Kings Government: :" nor did her bold
and independent yeomanry fear to assert that
"a friendship for the Governor was incom-
patible with the interests OF the Colony
Again. in 1865, when the news of the passage
ofth Stamp Act reached America, resolutions
strongly condemnatory of that measure were
Immediately passed by the Virginia House of
Burgesses. which CHANGED then to be in ses-
sion.
Now, as it may be profitable to remind the
yirginians of the present day of the great
deeds of their fathers as it may be- well for
them always TO call TO mind the rock ont of
which they were hewn, and the pit out OF
which they were dug, we ask them to linger
with US around the House of Burgesses, as ii
was assembled together in May, 1885. To aid
us in our task, we invoke the presence OF Nir-
ginia's historic Muse and we lay under tri-
butte the genius Of the biographer of Virginia d
greatest orator.
There were mel, in their legislative halls, the
rulers Of Virginia. representing every class
and every interest in the Old Dominion
There were the rich aristoerats and lordly
proprietors OF the soil there were the half
breeds, as they were called, descendants OF
the Younger sons of The arts tocracy, possessing
the proud and arrogant feelings of nobility
without its influence and its wealth there
We're the pretenders, who, sprung from the
common people and grownrich by accident
or by the labor of their hands, were trying Il
initiate the manners and address OF the arts
tocracy and there, too, Were the honest yeo
many, the hardy sons of toll, the bone anC
sinew. the hope and defence OF the country. -
In this assembly, the best and the mobiles
OF Virginia were found. There, in tn,
Speakers chair sat John Robinson, a man
of unbo1nded influence and worth, tn,
leader Of the higher classes, and, for twenty
nye successive years, the Speaker Of thu
House; there was Pey ton Randolph, distin
guiShed by his great intellect and noble yir
tues; there was Richard Bland the anti
quarry, the student OF history, the profou M
legician, and the best writer In the COLONY
there, with eyes fixed with almost fiial re-
gard on Speaker Robinson, appeared the i'm
teiiigent countenance and the manly form O
Edmund Pendleton: there was George Wythe
the honest advocate, the upright Chancellor
and the Christian philosopher, whose min
was stored with all the varied wealth of an
Gent and modern lore; there sat the two grea
orators OF the House, and of all America bs
sides. The first OF these was not only elo
quence, but was by universal consent admit
tod 70 De the FIRST scholar in Virginia TIL
other, clad not In the rich silks aud yelyets
thearistocracy, but ia plainest and humbles
CARP, was the Represen tative for the count
OF Louisa This was the peoples champio,
the great orator OF nature, eQt ling III M
surpsssing, the stirring and commanding ele
quencs OF him who
Welded ~ will that aeree Democratic
SHOOK the arsenal, and aimined over Greece
To AAssdon. and Artaxerx.'s throne
such were Richard Henry Lee, and Patvif
Henry, the Virginia lsocrates, and the Vii
giniA Demosfhenes and such were the acto
In the House Of Burgesses Of l565.
The day appointed for the discussion Of NJ
Aepry's resolutions condeianalory Of Il