The mountain Democrat., 1864-06-25
Massachusetts and virginia and
I775-I659.
4 THRILLING INCIDENT.

THRILLING INCIDENT.
| Pending the contest for the election o
| Speaker Of the House Of Representative
in 1860, the Hon. Mr.. Buteler, Of tn,
IIarper'E Ferry District, in Virginia, spoke
as follows:
"When, sir, I have heard the name G
gentleman called hereSday after day
first on the roll great historic name
(Mr. AdamS)-I have been reminded oI
Massachusetts, in her prouder days, in the
heroic age Of the Republic. have been
reminded of historic al incident connect.
ed with the county in which live-that
county selected by John Brown for his
bloody raid, and feel that have right
to appeal to the Massachusetts delegation
here, if they are not deaf to the voice OF
conSanguinity; and if they are, | appeal
from them thea to their people on this
question; | demand of them to come up
to the rescue Of the country now as they
did in the good old times Of the Rcvolu-
tinnary fathers. The district which
represent and county where live, that
county made famous by the raid Of Brown,
was the first. the very first, in all the
South, to send succor to Massachusetts,,
in the time OF her diicst necessity. In
one Of the most beautiful spots in that
beautiful country, within rifle shot Of my
residence, at the base Of hill where a
glorious spring leaps out into the sun
light from beneath the gnarled roots OF a
thunder-ivcn oak, there assembled on
the 10th Of July, 1875, the very first band
Of Southern men who marched to the aid
Of Massachusetts. They met there then,
aud their rallying cry was, A bee line
ior Boston, That peaceful valley, the
Valley Of the Shenandoah, had never
been polluted by the footsteps of foe ;
for even the Indians themselves had, &C.
cordinS to tradition, kept il free from the
incurSionS of their enemies. 1t was the
hunting range and neutral ground OF the
aboligincS. The homes nf those who
lived there then were far beyond The reach
| Of danger. But Boston was belesgurrcd (;
the hcarthS Of your fathers were threaten
cd with pollution, and the fathers Of those
whom represent rallied to their protcc.
ton, -'a.
80 They left the plow- share il the mould,
Their iorks and herds without fJld,
The sickle IN the unshnrn grain,
Their corn half yatmered on TIE plain,
And mustered in their simple dress,
For wrongs Of yours 10 redress
"ThuS they mustered round the spring
! speak of, and from thence they made
their bee line for Boston Before they
marched, pledge that all who survived
would assemble there fifty years from
that day. 1t is my pride and pleasure tn
remember that |, though bnta child then,
was present when fifty years rolled
round. Three aged, feeble, toitc,ing men
the survivors Of that glorious band OF
one hundred and twenty were all VIII
were left to keep the tryStc and be faith
tul To the pledge male fifty years before
to their companions, the bones Of most o
them had been left bleaching on yuul
northern hills. Sir, have often hearC
from the last survivor Of that band of pa
triotS, the incident of their first meeting
and their march how they made six
hundred miles in thirty days twenty
! miles day and how, aS they neared the
! point Of their destination, Washington,
who happened to be making rccuunois
sance in the nrighhorhuod, saw them ap
praching, and, recognizing the ljnSey'
woolSry hunting shirts of old Virginia
galopcd tip to meet and greet them IN Tho
camp; how, when Ire saw their raptain
his old companion in arms, Stephenson
who had stood by his side nj the Grca
Meadows, on Bradock'S fatal field ; and il
an Indian campaign who reported himSe
to his commander as from the hight hand
of the Potomac Sprnng from his
horse and casped his old friend and com.
mander in arms with both hands. lie
spoke no word Of welcome, but the elo
Quence Of silence told what his tongue
could not articulate. He moved along the
ranks, shaking the hands Of each, frou
man to man, and all the while, AS my in
former told me. the big tears were seer
rolling down his checks.
"Ay, sir. Washington wept! AnC
why did the glorious soul Of Washington
swell with emotion? Sir, they were tears
Of joy and he wept because he saw tn,
cause of Massachusetts was practically
the cause Of Virginia because he saw
that the citizens recognized the great
principle involved in the contest. These
Virginia volunteers had come Sportane
ously. They camc in response to III,
words of her Henry, that were leaping
live thunder through the land, telling tht
people they must fight, and fight for Mas
Sachusetts. They had come to rally with
Washington to defend your fathers fire
sides, to protect their friends from harm
Wen. the visit has been returned.
John Brown Selt the very county
whose citizens went so promptly to tht
aid Of the North when the North needeC
aid, rs the most appropriate place in tht
South to carry out the doctrines Of the
irreprcSSibe conflict aud as We mention
ed in the Senate yesterday, the rock
where Lecman fell was the rock over
which Morgan and his meh marched q
few hours after StephenSon'S command
had crossed the river some ten miles fur
ther up. May this historical rcminiscenct
rekindle the cmbers OF patriotism in ouI
hearts! Why should this nation of our.
he rent in pieces by this 'irrcprc>Sible con
tict" Is it 'irrepresSible The battl,
will not hc fought ont on this floor. Fo
when the dark day comes, as come it may
when the question that now divides an'
agitateS the hearts Of the people, shall b,
thrust from the forum Of debate, to l.,
decided by the bloody arhitrament of th'
sword, it will he the saddeSt day for u
and all mankind that the sun has eve
shone upon.
RIGHT. The Boston Courier hits tn,
situation very nearly, when it says o
the war" Failure is the necessary ele
ment of its very condition, and no victor
les are sufficient to alter those and turr