The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-07-16
Great Speech or General John s..
N ;lf lr,i ~ "a Preston. I. lfs1 a t.-li al,

University of Virginia: aii.%Ity
4 The public hall was crowded 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 Lite
rary Societies. 2;
Mr.. O. j. Faulkner, Jr., in behalf
of the Societies, rendered the au-
dience o cordial welcome, and grace
fully introduced the orator Of tile
day.. General John s. Preston, of
South Carolina. He was received
with the most vociferous applause,
which compelled him to remain
standing for several minutes, and
permitted the audience to gaze upon
one of the noblest looking men T
ever saw. His splendid figure, erect
as an arrow, noble countenance,
lighted with the fires of genius, mar
tial bearing, and heavy grey NOUS
tache, reminded one of an old Mar
shall of France, in the proud days of
Napolcon's power and glory.
He began by beautiful allusion
to the lessons taught by classic
Greece, where Homer learned to sing
Of gods and heroes, the sculptured
marble was made instinct with life.
Anacreon wrote in sweetly flowing
numbers. Demosthenes thundered
the voice of freedom, the Leonidas
died IN the cause of liberty. Rome
taught lis the science 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 principles. He vividly
sketched the old glory OF Virginia,
in the freedom of her people and the
excellency of her institutions. Ho
gave striking illustrations from his
tory to show that tyranny had never
been able to crush the spirit of iber-
ty, and that when it seemed crushed
IN Europe, it found q 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 liberty; and on that day orators
will speak in the name of freedom.
Rome still called her tyrants Caesar,
and preserved carefully the insignia
OF liberty-her Senators still sat
clothed IN purple robes, and on
festal days her orators flaunted the
names of her patriots long after
every spark of liberty was extin-
gulshed. So on the approaching
natal 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
!ustre OF those names which gave it
its chief glory. Will it be asked on
that day where is Virginia? The
world has honored her; France de-
creed honors to his memory, and the
great Napoleon bowed his laureled
brow In reverence to Virginia's
Washington. He proposed to talk
of this Virginia to-day. In boyhood
he remembered to have seen somc
proud Indian return to this region
to hunt up and fondly linger around
the graves of his fathers. Is it trea-
son 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 to 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.
We know of its cruel, blighting
march over the land. "And, when
now, after the blast of that tempest,
we turn our scared eyes upon tho
scene, we ask, in terror-stricken be-
wilderment, where is Virginia? Is
that shrunken, mutilated, charred
corse the green gift of God to the
new world, the blessed among the
nations, the mother of WASHINGTON.
the creator of American liberty, the
exemplar and the model of the world?
Oh! the grand old mother. Behold
her, this day seven years ago, MS,
clothed III the panoply of Pallas, she
rose from the lethargy of years, her
eyes klndled with the memory of the
giant sous of her youth, she grasps
her spear and waves her golden hair.
and, standing on her capitol, shouts
her ancient war-song, and calls
around her her warrior children.
and they come from her plains, from