Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-12-24

try must have its trials aud crosses but in
the course of events such things must occur;
and the people seem to be purified by the
passage through the crucible. Did not Eng.
land bear her rebellion and her revolution
That period, seemingly the darkest in her
career to those who were there temporary
sufferers, was 10 others the dawn of personal
liberty, and laid broad and deep the foundr>
tiOn of national prosperity. Did not Franco
have her terrible revolution, and did there
not grow out of it the equality of all men
before the law Did there not spring from
it new impulse and energy in the public
affairs and was not the nation placed by it
at the head of the European family? Who
knows but from the sad and anomalous state
OF affairs which now surround us may grow
new era OF progress new life to the be-
loved Commonwealth. But we must train
ourselves to habits of seIEreliauce and self
denial-to patience-and encourage a hope
of a new order of things Wemust develope
the riches which lie buried in our hills we
must dig, and plOw and sow, We must de-
velope the vast resources with which nature
has blessed us. All that we require is to be
true to ourselves, to exhibit noble and manly
tortltude-exhibit cOnstancy under trial, and
develOpe our moral as well as our material
resources. relying upon the well.fouuded
hope Of future relief. Applause.1 ac-
knowledge, fellow citizens, that there are
times Of depression which we cannot control
when the deep feeling which springs up
IN the heart at our own sorrows, or the suffer
ings Of another, will not be restrained These
dark moments come upon us when least ex-
pected or least desired; yet another day may
bring better feeling and brighter prospects.
Thank God, do not despair. ! believe, as
far as political considerations are concerned,
that there must be reaction at the North, |
cannot see how such state of things can
last long. trust in the calm wisdom and
cool reflection of the American people. I
trust in the energy, the virtue and the self
respect Of my couutrymen. that in the face of
all the difficulties which surround them.
despite Of all the trials aud troubles which
have visited them, that the people of this
Commonwealth will remain true to themselves
and their ilIustriOus origin that they will
devote themselves to reconstruction morally
and materially, and be ready, sooner or later,
whenever the State is allowed to hitch on to
the Federal train. to assume her old position,
and to take her foremost place among the
States Of the Union. to stand again, uutarnish.
cd aud unsullicd, before the world. ZAP
plause.
have another ground for this faith
he cannot account fnr-it seems to come to
him not so much by reason as inspiration. |
do not believe that the ages spent in the
perfection of North American civilization
were spent in vain. Scarcely three centuries
ago the Anglo. Saxon mariner came with skiff
and compass laying broad and deep the foun-
datiOn Of that social fabric which now cm-
braces all the varieties Of race and climate
known to the earth
FclIOw-citiZens, in this brief address have
no other purpose than to eudeavor to relieve
the dropping hopes of my countrymen-tO
point them to the immense resources they
have at hand-tO eXhOrt them not to grow
tremu or uneasy-not to give way to anx-
lety. Although it seems long time to us
a long, dreury trial-yet it is but few days
in the existence Of State. True. we are i'm
Hoverished, but We have wealth in the earth
let us endeavOr to develop it. We have
wealth in the fall of our waters-wcalth in
the flowing stream-wealth in our forests and
mines; every species of manufactures are
within our reach-all we want is energy and
determination to put them in operatiOn.-
Fellow citizens, the times are too serious to
waste words in useless discussion. We want
action aud uncOmprOmaing vigilance. When
the day Of our prosperity comes once more,
distress, hope with pride, to think of the
courage, the constancy, the energy, and the
industry which surmounted all the obstacles
that came in our way. What we can do in
the present condition of affairs let US do, if
possible, cheeIfu until re action shall come,
and believe it will come soon. In the mean
time can only say that believe the sort of
legislation under which we have suffered so
long must soon pass away, never to be revived
again. The influence of that re action is even
now being felt throughout the country; and
a conviction that a persistence in the mad
folly which once ruled the hour would, as
said before, return our cultivated fields into
wilderness, and would place the power of
the Government in the hands Of men totally
unfit to exercise it. daughter
1t may be said that it was the influence of
feeling of self interest which prompted
them to take that course; but we must feel
that although the people of the North may
have some sympathy for the negro, they can
not be so iorgetlul of the sentiments Of race
as to persist in the course they have adopted.
With the people OF these s0rrowing States the
depths of their hearts have been touched, and
they are bound together nearer aad dearer
by the trials they have had aud the difficult
ties and dangers Of the last few years, which
were common to all. The States OF the North
cannot forget the ancient grandeur of Vir-
ginia-the first of the colonies settled. Justly
called the "Old Dominion" and proudly
known as the mother of States and statesmen
the parent of so many illustrious daughters.
Can they forget her in her old age, OF smile
upon her misfortnnes. Can Kentucky, her
oldest daughter, forget the memory Of that
old pioneer hero whom Virginia sent out to
-cOlonze the wilderness-John Rogers Clarke?
Can they forget the ties which bound them
in the trials and dangers and vicissitudes of
the Revolutionary war; Virginia can never
forget them. They have other reasons for
being proud of Virginia. That great man