Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1865-10-06
lFor the vindicator.
TOURNAMENT Az NEW nUiE.

lage OF New Hope was the scene OF ali AMI
mated and brilliant Tournament A large
number Of spectators, Of all ages, sexes and
conditions, assembled together from various
quarters of the county, and manifested, dur
ing the day, the liveliest interest in the per-
formances. At 10 o'clock A. H., about
forty knights, composed Of the flower Of
oar youth, elegantly mounted and handsomely
decorated in trimmings and colors, were
drawn up in line-of-battlc by the Marshall,
end on invitation extended by committee,
How ]. pEYroS, Else. Of Staunton, came
forward: and spoke as follows:
SIs KAlonTs The manly sports, with
which you are about to celebrate this day,
are associated with some Of the most stirring
"reminiscences of the Twelfth century and
are beginning to excite III the minds Of our
own people al absorbing and romantic inter-
est, wliich may well justify their being con-
Quoted, in the future, upon larger and more
splendid scale The memorable wars Of the
Crusadea, which cngrossed the attention of
ali Europe for two centuries and which re-
suited in the disinthralllnent Of the human
mind from the bondage Of q long dark night
Of a thousand years, gave birth to the sacred
order Of Knighthood, from whence sprang
that spirit Of chivalry which has filed the
world with stories of wild adventure; pro-
duced examples Of heroic self-sacrifcing de-
.votion, never before surpassed, and furnish
ed to the Historian, the Novelist and the
Bard an exhaustless theme for immortal la
bors. lit be your purpose to establish in
West Augusta the ancient order Of Knight
hood, my warmest sympathies are with you
and whatever counsel or assistance, I can
give, shall be cheerfully placed at your COM
nland. There is nothing in such an Insti-
tuition at all hostile to the spirit Of the age.
nor inconsistent with the character of a
christian and a gentleman; but much to kin
die in your breasts a generous emulation to
rival the simple virtues of your ancestors
and TO attain the excellence Of conforming to
all that is sublime in religion and beautiful
in morality. The idea Of true Knight is
inseparably connected with that Of high
toned gentleman and this term, in its modern
Specification, implies all that Is noble, gener-
ons and chiyalric in man. Truth, justice,
honor, patriotism, sympathy for the bcrcav-
ed, charity for the poor respect and tender
ness FOR women, admiration for the true, the
beautiful snd the good are the noble ellarac-
teristics Of Knighthoed ands~the browning
glory Of its votaries.
1t is needless. Sir Knights, to prolong
these remarks to stimulate your ardor on
.4fass .aeaSes re 4 q, elo3ssssssss III sts.s
scene ssfouna you which words can never de-
scribe. The gray haired sires and the noble
matfons Of Augusta have assembled from
far ana near to behold your feats Of horse
manship-the bright eyes of Virginia's love
lest daughters are watching you with eager
interest and some fond heart is surely throb-
bipe for every lance within the lists. The
Ile21ols Of the trials and hardships you have
endured and the nagnificcnt deeds Of daring,
which signalized your conduct during the
mighty revolution, which has just swept
over the land, viii be wildly recalled BY
tlis days exercises and you may spur your
steeds forward, with the confident assurance,
that the syinpathies Of this great audience
arc with you and that every honor will be
gladly extended to your victorious Knights.
Thanking you for the attention with which
YOU have listened to these crude remarks,
may, ia conclusion, express the hope that 1t
may be vouchsafcd to him, whose heart
glows fercest with the immortal fires Of love,
to reap the first honors Of this days labors
and crown, with his own hands, the Queen
Of Love and Beauty
After the conclusion Of Mr.. PEyToN's re-
marks, the equestrian excuses Of the day
commenced. The very difficult feat of car
rying off upon the point Of spear, three
separate rings hanging from different scat
foldings, about thirty feet apart, was requlr-
ed and in consequence, thereof, it was late
in the evening before it could be determined
who we're the successful contestants. In
deed, all of the Knights seemed to be per-
fsctly at home in the saddle and most Of
them we're partially successful, but Mr..
CRAwFoRD MILLER, was adludged worthy OF
the highest honor and entitled to crown the
Queen of Love and Beauty. This he did
in modest and becoming manner, selecting
Miss SALLY CRAWFORD, as the recipient of
his Justly earned trophy and browning her
Queen Of the occasion, in the presence of the
assembled neighborhooe The second prize
was awarded to Mr. DEWITT TURK. who
selected and crowned as First Maid of Honor
Miss NJ. u. Mowar The remaing honors
were awarded to Messrs. COURTNEY Roller,
sAspY CRAwfoRp, ASHER HARMAN and
EEAsK BELL. Air. Harman, GROWING Miss
MILLER, Mr. Crawford, Miss u. MILLER,
and Mr.. Bel, Hiss SARAH CEAWFoED.--
After the ceremonies Of the coronation were
concluded, the Queen, Knights, Lords,
Ladies and attendants, were ushered into
magnificent dining room, formed by the
hand of Nature and partook Of simple but
elegant feast, which had been hastily pre-
pared for the occasion. May there be many
returns Of such glorious holidays in our
midst.