The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1870-03-11
From the N. Y. Weekly Day-Boolx Of 81
Oct. 1851
SPEECH OF COL. sKEEN, OF CovINGToN.
VIRGINIA. ni,la

Oct. 1851
SPEECH OF COL. sKEEN. OF CovINGToN.
VIRGINIA. .a.,1H
4 ss1s1 .aft- sg @s1 q -sH
..sa4a1s VIRGINIA MOTHERS. .s ~
We have never before found roomsfor
this eloquent and truthful impromptu
speech, but it is, indeed. as fresh and
living now rs when delivered some
weeks ago. Every word, sentence and
sentiment are true as they are beauti-
ful and noble, not because they spring
from Virginia, or a certain territory
South of the Potomac, but because the
men and the ,oonlen the orator interprcts
and speaks for are the natural growth
OF the most perfect and most beautiful
social system in Christe ndom. Virgin
Ia has grown the noblrst men and love-
liest women Of our time. tho natural
result of her domestic system, aud af-
ter the sacrifice of, perhaps, another
million Of victims. all will understand
this simple though stupendous trnth:
VIRGINIA MOTHERS.
Az the Alumni dilner. at the Virginia
Military Institute, on the 4th of July.
when the toast, "Woman-A other"
&c., was given. long and continued
calls for Colonel Skren, of Covington.
brought him 20 his feet. After keeping
the table in roar OF laughter for some
minutes, he paused, and raising him
self up to the full stature OF his mail
hood, he said:
But sobcrly speaking. Mr.. President
daughter -"Mother !" All, the magic
music of that word-a name " which
seems to have been born OF Nature and
baptised of God. (Cheers). Among
the first pronounced by the lips of
laughing innocence, and among the last
trembling from the lips OF a dy ing God
-"Behold thy mother!" (Sersation).
Only three words, but they were en-
ough; for the evangelist records, from
that hour that disciple took her unto
his own home There is as your own
heart, Mr.. President attests, majesty,
grandeur. glory. goodness hangs
round and about a Virginia mother
(cheers)- s)-which proclaims her every
inch a woman. cloud cheers). None
such comes down upon the tide of Ho-
mer's or Virgil's songs; none lsuch ap-
pears upon the pages OF Xenophon or
Plutareh, and none such IL found a
mong the bright creations of Shake
speare, Dryden, Milton and Byron
Pardon me then, Mr.. President, if /
mako no classic allusion, no historic
reference, no poetic quotations, in re-
sponse to the noble sentiment you have
heen pleased to propose, In honor Of
Virginia mothers. (Cheers). With
the memories which survive "war's
troubled night" creation's bright and
beautiful might spring into existence.
as Minerva from the brain Of poet and
orator; but God alone could create
mothers such rs you and have known.
and loved, and honored, and worship
ped, for the last seven years in "The
Old Dominion" loud and prolonged
cheers). In she kindness and goodness
of His Providence, He did create fer ns
mothers worthy to adorr the homes ot
Virginia gentlemen in this world, and
the palaces Of angels in the world to
come tcheers) and nobly has she full
filled the object of her creation upon
earth. and still more gloriously will she
fulfill 1t in heaven. (Cheers). 1t was
meet-having given her the form and
coms,iuess OF angels-that He should
have made His prophets and apostles,
poets and orators. that by the descrip-
tion of these who hung around the cross
of Him-of the virgin-mother, we might
around the ''cross" of the virgin moth
er of"States and statesmen" (Cheers.)
[ present to YOU, therefore, Mr.. Presl-
dent, the oracles OF your mothers fifth.
that from lips touched with sacred fire,
YOU NAV have a full response to the
sentiment proposed, and q description
the mothers who smiled and checred
TO the field. and ministered thnougtl tlis
"shock, the shout, the groan of war;
to the wants of the soldiers OF che
"Cross OF the South" as " vomau-moth-
ers did to their Lord who clung to it
hen the fanatics OF the North brought
athree corners of world in arms" as
the Marys clung to the cross when Je-
..usalem vas deserted Of her population,
and Calvary throussed with the beating
of ten thousand hearts crying, 'crucify
Him;" ard who, whe n the poor soldier
fwhose only offence was defending his
altar and hearth, and the mother who
bore him.l was butchered. ard went
down to glory's grave "early In the
morning, while it was vet dark came
t.weeping to his tomb" and wrote his
epitaph with her tears. (Sensatiou). -
And who yet rising. annually, from the
ashes OF her homestead, goes 10 The
green mound which marks his resting
place, and wreathes with everlasting
fiowers-- Cheers preventing the COM
pletion oi the scntence.) Well, Mr..
President, i: is now over three long
wears since our great mother. Virginia,
went i,ack into the arms of Uncle Sam.
and carried all her children with her;
and vet, down TO this hour, not only il
all her constitutional rights denied her,
| but the negro is attempted to be made
the political superior of her .sons aud
social equal of her daughters. All !
have to say, however. to the mothers oi
Virginia, on this Anniversary OF Amer
ican Independence, at an hour when
every charge made in our fathers dec
laration against George Ill, might be
hurled with tenlold more truthtulnes'
against tho tyrapts at Washington, il
-"Waman, behold thy son, "Anu e
sons born Of such NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
thy mothers" 1t "a enough, (Voicei
at is,") 1t is; know II is. For !
there Is anything atout which We sr'