The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-06-23
Virginia what she was; you owe it to those
who are to come after you; you owe it to your
selves; YOU owe it to your State.

)
She cannot now address her sons in the proud
language Of naughty Rome, and ordor them to
see to it that tho republic suffers no detri-
ment !; for her voice, that Of old was 80 potent,
is stiled, but in mute agony, she points to her
heroic sons she has borne to teach her younger
born how to 1.-Two for her, and, if need be, how
| to die for her. AS she calls up her mighty
dead to stand before you, methinks see COM
ing at her summons an illustrious host OF
heroes, sages and patriots. see assembled
| the sons Of tho Old Dominion-mon Of heroic
mould end from their midst hear the voice
of "the forest-born Demosthenes," as he ex-
claims, in tones that reused America, and still
find an echo in tho hoart OF eyory lover OF free
dom, "Give me liberty or give me DEATH"
see jefferson, as with impressive sole1nnity he
presents to the patriots OF 76 what was
once our Magma Chdra, the immortal
Declaration of Independence. sec Madison
| framing that constitution which he fondly
| hoped-but, alas in vain-was TO secure tho
| blessings of liberty to his country. lsee mason
giving TO his State her noble Bill of Rights, and
Marshall adding dignity to the bench by his
Justice and his learning, and shedding lustre on
his State BY his virtue. Along with these see
! countless throng of her noble sons, whose
names the world will not willingly let die" and
towering above all I see approach In awful ma
| jesty, the man who was first in war, 1lrst In
peace, and first in the hearts OF his country
men," These mighty shades seem TO adlure
you to be true to your stricken and desolate
mother, to cling to hor with filial reverence,
and to protect, to uphold and 10 defend her
ngainst every enemy. Cah you, dare you, sons
OF Virginia, with such examples and such
teaching before you, be false to the nna
men who gave renown to thoir State
werc inspired by on ardent PATRIOTISM,
and it is for the purpose OF keeping alive In
your, hearts this sacred fire that cite them
as examples for your imitation. Your trst
duty as citizens is to cherish constantly o pure
and fervent love Tor your State, for without
this sou can achieve nothing great OF gooe !or
her. Ambition may kindle in the heart OF it's
yotary thirst for fame, and rouse him TO tine
achievement OF glory, but it is the holy love
of country alone that inspires the patriots
heart and nerves his nrm, that makes MN
happy to suffer in her cause or die in her de-
fence happier, indeed, to give. his lite IN
the effort to make her free, than to live 10 see
her enslaved. et A.t
40 terque quanterque beah
QuisaDte ora palrum Troj@ sub moemtus AUS,
= Contigit oppcterc.
Napoleon q ter conguering the world, fell
before the great soldier whose sword was
drawn only at the call OF his country,
and who fought, as he did everything
else. from source duty alone. 1tis the crown.
ing glory of Wellington, not that he yanquished
the greatest captain the world ever saw
but that he mado duly the principle which gov
erned his whole life. He has himsof left up
on record sentiment that shows how deeply
this principle was implanted in his nature,
and which 1 commend to you as one OF the
uoblest utteraucos ever made. "Some French
man" he writes, &c has said that tho word duty
is to bo found in every page OF my dispatches,
andthe word glory not once. This ls meant am
told as reproac'l, but the foolish fellow does
not see thai it mere. glory had been my object,
tho doing Of my duty must have been tho
moans." Thus spake the hero of Waterloo, and
YOU may learn from his example, no less
than his words, that the hishost and
trucst glory consists in the conscientious dis
charge of every duty. Patriotism is the first
dutyof the citizen, but to fulfil the highest
destiny of man on earth, your lives must be dl-
nounced by Lord Bacon when no declares that
"the duties of life are more than life" 1t was
this sublime truth that inspired the heart OF
him whose houorod namo your college
bears-that sustained him in tho darkest hours
of his oeuntry-that led him on 10 triumph
and that has mado him revered throughout the
world as one of its. noblest and greatest bono
foctSsi footStsps OF. Of youf lga5 b9ntryman; and
though it may not be given 10 you to roach that
grand height to which he scared, you can at
ieast like him, walk through life in the path
of duty, and bo supported as he VAS in the
hour OF death, by that blessed faith which
springs alone from the faithful discharge of
every duty 10 ones country, to his felloW-man,
and to his God..
2 In these days, when Justice is forgotten,
honor laughed to ecorn, and truth scoffed at;
when the foundations Of the great deep of
morals arc shaken to their centre, and when
falsehood and perjury arc disguised undcr
pleasant names, We may well cnll on our young
mon, in whom lies tho fuluro hopo OF the
country, to mould til ir being from tho noble
model presented by his. Let them learn from
tho study of his history that truth was the
firm basis on which his great character was
formed; and let them remember that if the
doyil is the father of lies and Of liars no tru:
excellence OF character can be attained whero
the corner-stones arc not truth and honor.
When Rome could apply the epithet 'TaendGJ'
to Greece and speak OF Lying Greece" the
iugated province, whose p ople were slaves.
was not always thus. There was time
whom the Greek thought truth essential to froc-
dom, and when he regarded o violation OF faith
asa heinous crime. You remember that when
the rebel.- headed by Cylon had been conquer
cd, and sought refuge at the altars OF their
gods, safety and amnesty were promised to
arms Upon the faith Of this pledge given to
them by tho government they surrendered,
and were ain. The rulers who had thus add
cd murder to pc jury were subsequently BAN
ished; and when their bodies were brought
back for interment, popular vengeance was not
satisfied until their bones were exhumed and
cast out OF the country as unworthy 10 repose
in the soil Of Greocc. History, we are told, is
const ntly repeating itself; aud il parallel
should over unliappily be found in this country
to the brokon faith of the rulers of Athens, let
us hope that thcro will ut least be public virtue
enough left amongst us to set the seal OF oter-
nal infamy on those who thus bring disgrace
on their country. The heraldiC motto of the
Father of his Country was ''e1it,s acta proudt."
How nobly tho event proved the deeds in his
case, the world knows, and 1t Should be your
study to transmit to posterity like untarnsh-
cd record.
1t is true that Hoaven grants TO but the Ia
yored few to be great, but it mercifully places
it in the powor Of all to he good; and to do
good, each in his allotted sphere.
"wbo noble O. nds by noble means obtains,
Cr failing smil es in exile or In CHAINS,
Like good Azure lius. let HIM reign, or bleed
Like Socrates, that n,dn is great indeed
Whatover may be that sphere in which your
lot shall be cast you will there hud appointed
duties and responsibilities. A wide field tor
the useful employment ofeyery talent commil-
tod to your charge will soon be open to you,
and Inc prosperity of your State in the future
will depend manly on tho manner in which
those talents arc used. How You may best. re-
store her lost prosperity is q question that
will demand your earnest and patriotic cons
deration. You cannot look back to the expert
ence of your predecessors for the solution OF
this problem, for you VIII be- REQUIRED TO inau-
gurate q new system which revolution