Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-10-02
For the Vermont Chronicle.
THE MOTTO OF VIRGINIA.

Goddess of Virtue as the Genius of the Com
morwealth, resting with her right hand on a
spear, casping another in her left, with her
foot on the neck of Tyranny; symboled by a
prostrnte man, with crown fallen from his
head. in his left hand broken chain, and
scourge in his right. The motto is. "Sc Sem
per tyranns," Thus we serve tyrents or in
other words, Let such be the end Of every op-
pressor. The first permanent settlement made
in America was at jamestown, in Virginia, in
1706. The London Company composed of
gentlemen, noblemen and merchants, mostly
residents Of that city, sent out three ships COM
manded hy Christopher Newport, with 105
men, who landed at this place in May of that
year. Their sufferings incident to a pioneer
life were terrible, and before autumn one half
of their number died, and but for the energetic
aid courageous John Smith, the father of Vir-
ginia, the whole crew would have persisted.
(Recent events in that quarter prove the pos
sibility that climatic influence have not greatly
changed Stree then.) For twelve years no
woman dared cross the Atlantic. Then about
ninety young women were brought over at the
expense of this Company, and in order to OBJ
|
were obliged to buy them to help defray the
expenses of their passage. The price was
one hundred and twenty pounds of tobacco
each. In about two years after, sixty more fc-
males were brought over, and sold for one
hundreh and fifty pounds of tobacco each.
This was two hundred aud ffty-six years ago.
For hundred and fifty years She was the sub
iect of a crown, and but fol its CALLING oppres-
sions, might never have thrown off its yoke; F.;
for her people, though high soled and chivalric,
were loyal, aw-abiding people But tyranny
was graphing at her heart, and its heel was
crushing out her life. She groaned beneath
deSpotsm she was unable and unwilling to
to bear, and eighty-six years ago, in common
with the other Colonies of the North American
Confederacy, after hard and well-contested
struggle with the Mother Country for Indepen-
dence, she declared herself free and sovereign
State of the United Commonwealth Of States.
The love Of Liberty was then vesta flame in
her heart, and burned brightly on her altars.
Her gallant sons foremost in the terrible
strife, to fight or perish in Freedoms glorious
cause Her noblest son, or immortal WdSh-
ington, perrilled his all in the unequal combat,
and the world knows the result. She has
noble history. Seven of our Presidents had
their birthplace in the Old Dominion. Pat
rick lienry's eloquence caught its inspiration
from her free air A star of the first magni-
tude she arose, culminated, and is now on the
decline.
With all the elements of material wealth
necessary TO prosperity and greatness, (save
the clement of slavery) we find her to-day in
her eighty-sixth year, Ga mere child's age in a
nationD with the fires of Freedom wellnigh ex-
tinguished upon her altars and she feeble, de-
crepid and permaturey old. Her decadence
has been marked by omnous signs, and fore
bodinS weakness and fear came upon her. She
trembed at the rustic of leaf. The tapping
OF BIRDS wing, the screeching of an owl,
the barking of a dog alarmed h4r. Iusurrec-
tion, the midnight assassin, the torch of the in
cendiary, haunted her dreams. Sleeping or
waking, she was in a perpetual bondage to a
well-grounded fear. Slavery was sapping her
mortal strength, and paralyzing her life,
while she was hugging its corrupling carcass to
her BOSOM
Virginia had slid back on the dial of Time
until she has reached the most revolving phase
OF barborism To-day finds her not only an
advocate for the tolerance of Siarery but
Sdcdge combatdm that it may become the cor
ner-stone of National Government, in which
she proposes to become n prominent actor.
Tyranny rules the hour, but her shield remains
with its significant emblems. The Goddess of
Virtue is mute, but she still grasps her spear,
and her foot is firmly planted on the neck of
iliaHH!' has lHOIlaS JEFFERSON lOTeOOUlnB
come true? In Virginia the Goddess to-day is
as black as it is on the shield, though the
Anglo Saxon ideal was, no doubt, blending of
the lily and the rose. The device is mute but
solemn and ever-appeang invocation to the
SPIRIT OF Freedom, in behalf of the oppressed
and down-trodden, and will remain an ever
living memorial of her former greatness and
glory. For years her strength declined, she
croaked of her heroism and power but the
raid of old John Brown revealed her weakness,
when she quaked like an aspen in the presence
of a moral heroism that overshadowed all her
bravadoes and brought with it an infinite
power.
John Brown, in opposition to her civil code,
but as he alleged, in a peaceful way, sought to
embody Virginia's great and glorious Motto in
deeds, "To break the yoke of bondage and let
the oppressed 90 free" and for this she hurried
him to the gallows. Well might she have said,
with Macbeth, That we but teach bloody in
structions, which being taught return to plague
the inventor. This even handed justice COM
mends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice
to our own lips" and like him, in their ex-
ecution of Old John Brown, they might have
said, "If 'twere done, when It's DONE 'twere
well 'twere done quickly" They did the deed
and quickly enough one would think, to nllay
and rub out all their fears; but they did not
trammcl up the consequences. The Old John
Browns may all have been hung, but God lives,
and has watched with jealous and vgilant eye
the long approaching contest of the two great
and eernally opposing principles, that have so
long jostled each other in our beloved country
"The land of the free and the home of the
brave"
John Brown, fanatical, yet filed with lofty
heroism, and calm in view of his fate, never
fatering in his brave right hand held on to
the Motto OF Virginia and when, as execu-
toner, she sprung the little trap-door on that
consecrated gallows. and sent his spirit up to
the Court of Heaven, he carried it with him,
and laid it before the Al-merciful, but avenging
God. 1t has been registered, has had hearing,
and the Ages have not waited for the decision.
vengeance is mine, saith the Lord" 1t is
even now upon them. Crime often brings its
own punishment. Devastation, desolation and
ruin, widespread, have settled upon the once
fine country so fruitful and prosperous. WAR,
with all its horrors, is upon the Old Dominion.
it is the avenging rod to guilt Slavery is the
melting cause. She has traificked in the body
and souls of her own sons aud daughters, and
delighted in her cursed employment. Slavery
has proved n double curse, dragging down the
virtue and manhood of the master below the
level of the slave. Like the Damascus blade,
it cuts both ways.
III, -