The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-02
GREAT SPEECH OF GEN. JOHN =.
PRESTON BEFORE TIE WASH
ISGTON AND JEFFERSON
SOCIETIES.
GEN, WADE HAMPTON'S ELOQUENT
RESPONSE TO a. CALI MADE
UPON. HIM.
Z. j. Dorbour's Graceful Excuse for Not
Speaking in Respv..~e RI Call
ENTHUSIASM or TIE Il AUDTENCE.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, I
June 80. 1868.

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
June 80, 1868. |
The public hal was ..ga.s, UsS'r4ni this
morning at half-past 10 O'Clock to hear the
address Of General John S. Preston, of
South Carolina, before the Washington and
Jefferson Literary Societies. The Societies
formed n; tllv.G respective halls and marched
to the lawn, where they met and marched in
together amid the applause OF the crowd.
1t il pleasant to learn Of the continued
prosperity Of these two old Societies, which
have existed wcll-Digh since the foundation
of the University, and whose spirited III
Valries have always been generous and
have never interrupted the friendshipaef
individual members of each. Your cor
respondent observes that not even the
ardent desire of each Society to mus
ter as large q number as possible
upon these anniversary occasions
can prevent the members from deserting
ranks in order to escort some lady friend,
who is usually considered, for the occasion,
an honorary member of the "Jeff" or
"Wash," according to the color of ribbon
worn by her escort. Thanksnto the kind
ness of one of the committeeman, your cor
respondent secured an excellent seat this
morning from Which to see and hear every
thing that passed. After the Societies
were seated, the gentlemen marshals and
committeeman, with their rosettes, and long
tatons covered with ribbons, formed pro-
cession at the stand, and marched out to
escort in the Orator, Board Of Visitors, Fa-
Guilty of the University, and other distin-
guished visitors The tall form and noble
face Of General Wade Hampton headed this
procession General Preston, with the mien
and carriage of ripening manhood, though
with the white locks of old age, brought up
the rear; while scattered al through it
were men not unknown to fame.
Mr.. &. j. Faulkner, Jr., in behalf OF the
Societies, rendered the audience q cordial
welcome, and gracet1lly introduced the
orator of the day, General John S. Preston,
Of South Carolina. He was received with
the most vociferous applause, which COM
pellea him to remain standing for several
minutes, and permitted the audience to
gaze upon one of the noblest-looking men
ever saw. His splendid figure, erect as an
arrow, noble countenance Lighted with the
fires of genius. martial bearing, and heavy
gray m0ustache, reminded one of an old
Marshal of France in the proud days of
Napoleon's power and glory.
He begun by beautiful allusion to the
lessons taught by classic Greece, where Ho-
mer learned to sing of gods and heroes, the
sculptured marble was made instinct with
life, AnacreoI wrote in weetly-fiowing
numbers, Demosthenee thundered the voice
of freedom, and Leonidas died in the
cause of liberty. Rome taught us the sci
ence of government and law. The lessons
of Israel come from the waves of the Red
sea, the Mount Of God, Siloa's brook, and
Calvary's cross. But he proposed to draw
lessons nearer home, from the historic past
Of Virginia-her heroes and her prlnci-
pies. He wildly sketched the old glory of
Virginia. in the freedom r of her people
and the excellency of her institu-
tions. He gave striking Illustrations
from history to show that tyranny
had never been able to crush the spirit
of liberty, and that when 1T seemed
crushed in Europe it found a refuge on
this side Of the ocean, and gave to the world
Washington and his Virginia. But where
and what is that Virginia to-day? Four
days hence will be celebrated the day on
which was signed the instrument intended
to give to us the fruitage Of the vintage of
and on that day orators will speak
in the name of Freedom. Rome still called
her tyrants "Cesar," and preserved care
fully the insignia of iberty-her senators
still sat clothed in purple robes, and on fes-
tai davs her orators faunted the names of
her patriots long after every spark OF liberty
was extinguished. So onthe approaching ma
tai day of American independence the names
of Virginia's patriots will be Haunted over
the land for dark indeed would be the day
without the lustre of those names which
gave it itslc glory. Will it be asked on
that day where is Virginia 7 The world has
honored her; France decreed honors to his
memory, and the great Napoleon bowed his
brow in reverence to Nirglnla's
Washington. He. proposed to talk OF this
Virginia to-day. In boyhood he remem-
bered to- have seen some proud indian
return to this region to hunt UP and tondly
linger around the graves of, his fathers. Is
il treason for US to-day to inquire after
those great names which Virginia gave to
the world, and to linger in fond affection
around their graves !!
The orbits of nations are fixed by the
God of nations : but repellant forces come
10 drive them from their proper courses,
and thus revolutions and conflicts come.
They were not true prophets who twenty
years ago told us that wars would cease. cease.
We know of its cruel, bGghting march over
he land - ".And when now, after the blast
IF that tempest, we turn cur scared eyes
upon the scene, we ask, in terror-stracken
Where is Virginia? Is that
mutilated, charred oorse the
,reat gift of God to the New World, the
BLESSED among the nations. the mother Of
Washi ngton, the creator Of American Ii
,erty, the examplar and the model Of the
world? Oh the grand old mother. Be,
lold her this day seven years ago as, clotheo
"a the panoply Of, Pallas, she rose from tne
ethargy of years, her eyes kindled win
he memory of the giant sons of her YOUTH
he prasps her spear and waves her golden
,air. and standing on her capitol, shouts
,er ancient war-song, and calls around e 90 ,her
,er warrior children |; and they come from
,er plains, from beyond her mountains, ana
rom the shores. Of her resoun ding seas,
nd pressing their knees in her soil, deVote
themselves to Virginia--an hundred thou