The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-28

Stamp Act, had arrived. The building IN
which the Assembly met wss efow s ,h 70 AZ
ers. and the absorbing interest OF the q uestfon
itself. had drawn together a large and tmpos-
ing audience. There, In the door of the lobby,
stood young man Just from the College a.
Thucydidas aud Tacitus, who had come mp to
witness this great contest OF various talents.
The scene before him reminded this young
yirginian of the time when Demosthenes, be-
fore an Athenian audience, Numbered his
dread anathemas against the tyrant OF Mace
don. or OF the time when Cicero pleaded the
cause Of the poet Hchais. II was at this de-
bate ON the Stamp Act in 1853, that Thomas
Jefferson imoibed those principles which ten
years later were embodied in the Declaration
of Independence.
The discussion OF the four resolu tons offered
by Mr.. Henry, began. In opposition, APP
pcared the great names of Wythe, and Lee and
Bland, and Pendieton, and Randolph in
their support, arose Patrick Henry, their au-
thor and mover, assisted by George johnson.
member for the county of Fairfax. Though
the odds against himself We're tremendous,
never did n speaker bear himself more knight
ly. In this debate the obscure attorney, who
had gained his first forensic laurels when ne
pleaded against the parsons at the November
term of the County Court, for the county OF
Hanover. won for himself an imperishaDie
chaplet and was hailed as the first Oh orato's,
ancient or modern. The triumph OF the graz
orator was signal and complete ms l.so
lions passed the House. though, when he en-
tered upon the debate, ne couia nov co.'.' "a.
sbut one vote besides his own Inc Irst eieae
blow was given 10 British opPl,essi99" .t an
America: and from thence was dated tue
proudest day in the proud annals oil sifgihias
his tory --.-..,.
fauep Is not the story of her great deeds IA
mtliar 10 every household in America Is
there page in the early history OF the couh-
try that makes not honorable mention OF her
great name Who was the first, by ms match-
less eloqu to stir up the hearts OF the
American people to resist the oppressors
wrong A FirgiHiaa. Who led the Amerl-
can army to victory, achieved the nation s IN
dependence, and won for himself the ehviapie
distinction of being called "the Father OF MS
Country ?i Pirginidn. Who moved, in
the Continental Congress, that the Colonies
were and of right ought to be sovereign and IN
dependent States pFgtnidn. VINO gave
to America her Magma Charta, her petition OF
right, and her noble Declaration of lndepen-
dence 4 Vtrginiam. Thus might we go on,
illustrating the glory of Firginia's past MS
tory, but we have said enough. Every school
boy kuo VS. the story OF her struggles and her
triumph; her Washington, her Henry, her
jefferson, and her Madison, are enshrined III
the hearts of grateful millions.
We must now turn from Virginia past to
Virginia present and tuture-from what she
once was to what she now is, and 10 what she
may be- With warmth, with gratitude, and
with pride, we remember the past-"itn
feelings, more of sorrow than OF anger, we
consider the present-with the saddest and
gloo,niest forebodings, we lift the curtain OF
the future.
As in l715-'76 Yirgina was in the midst of
great revolution, so is she now IN the midst
of exciting events, greatly affecting her own
interests and destiny. How is she meeting
the crisis Is she acting worthy OF her great
| fame in the p1stg Is she emulatlng the noble
| deeds of her ilustrious dead? Are her states
| men in the van of opposition to tyranny p
| And does the clarion voice oil her bold yeoinah-
| ~ ring, through the Old Dominion and echo
| along the banks of the Potomac and Kappa
hammock, and the great valley of shenandoah,
| proclaiming that q friendship for the present
| sectional and abolition Government at Wash
| ington is incompat ibie with the best inter
| ests of the Slater
Alas, we see nothing like this. Virginia
seems 10 have lost the spirit of the Revolution
| Her HenryS, her Lees, her Washingtons, and
her Jetfersons, are dead. The proud mother
OF statesmen has lost 'the breed of noble
| blood ~ ''the age OF chiyalry is gone-thdt OF
| sophisters, economists and calculators has
succeeded.' From the blood Of her martyrs
| there springs no longer race of heroes and
| patriots. The ashes OF her sages who sleep NJ
Mount Vernon and Mon tcello sail rest in
| deed in her bosom, but the nantes which
| they wore earth have fallen upon none of
her sons. A brand of infamy and inequality
has been stamped by Abolition hands upon her
| once fair brow, and she bears it with meek
ness. He sits, as her ruler, III the seat of
| Washington, who has proclaimed an irrepres-
! sible conflict against her social life, and de-
| submits to the degradation. One is elected TO
rule over her who has also proclaimed an
equality between her own brave sons and falr
daughters and the negro slaves that till her to-
hacco fields and she reSistS not the insult. Sew
| eral OF her sister Southern States have had the
| spirit to throw Off the Abolition yoke which
| the Chicago platform had imposed, but Eir-
| ginia sail tamely bows her neck to it. Wounds,
! many and deep, and recent has she received at
| Harpers Ferry; but under these she has
| ceased to smart-having had them Modified
| with Black Republican ointment. And thus
| do we see nothing in the present course OF
| Virginia worthy of her great name.
| But what more shall we say of the future
| of this noble old Common wealth ? Tell me
| first what will be the action of her present
| Conven ton, and L will tell You her destiny in
| the future Does she decide to remain in the
| Union Then, expect to see Virginia speed
| ly abolitionZed-her population changed-tht
| best and uoblest of her sons with their faini
| lies and their servants, seeking home and {
| refuge in the more distant South and South
| west, and her own soil settled by John Brown
| rowdies, and Kansas shriekers and Chicago
| DULLES. But does She decide-ds God gran
| she may to cast in her lot with the seeded
| States Then, glorious future awaits the
| Old Dominion. A brilliant destiny is before
her, as the acknowledged leader of homoge
| neous States, entering upon Il career of glory
! with every prospect OF success, and with al
the elements of future empire. Then, viii
| Virginia show that her race of great men i
| not extinct and then will she evince tina
| she has not yet reached the acme of her fame
| that point where nations begin TO exhibit sign
| of degeneracy and decay-having but jus fair
| ly entered upon her career OF prosperity ant
renown. Dear old Virginia we love you
we know not how to give you up. Oh, TO
some voice like Patrick Henry's. to oVercom
the present submission majority in your Con
vention
To every true son of Virginia We say
Come Nth ,ts, and zoe ,oill do thee go0d ~
| CIEoRGIA.