South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1870-09-16

y
in solemn silence, TO the graveyard in
Princeton, New Jersey and knocking at
the gate, demanded of those assembling
some of the precious dust lying there.
"And first you said, we must have Sam
uel Davies, for he was the apostle Of yir-
ginia. They claimed him as President of
Nassau Hall You said he ought to rest
with the church Of his founding; that Mas
sau Hall had seen him ascend to Heaven,
aud that was the full amount Of her claim;
his dust was ours. And you took him.
"Next, you said, you must have Samuel
Stanhope Smith. They murmured. But
you said, his latest exultation in life was
that he laid the foundation of Hampton
Sidney College; and where should the
founder lie, bnt with the College nf his Gre
alton and his joy2 Aud you took him.
"Then you said they might have undis-
puted Burr, and at his feet his great, his
erriug, and, we believe, his rcpontiug son
and the great Edwards, if the New Eng
landers were content; and they might re-
joice in the lovely Finley, and the vcuera-
bic Witherspoon; and they might glory ia
Miller, and Macleau, and the younger Pro-
fessors; but we must have Alexander
have him flesh aud bones, for be was ours
we had loaned him, but never yielded him
always asserting our claim and calling
him to come homo. They resisted But
you said Virginia must and would have her
son; be had been President Of Hampden
Sidney College; had lived and died a lover
of his native State. And you took him"
There was much more of the same kind in the
speech. IL was address which few persons
would have ventured to make, and in which
IL - -. l.
sustain themselves. have quoted so much of it
because Of its real eloquence and an indica-
ton Of the ability Of DR.. Foote Besides, 10 is
good for us occasionally to recall the memories
which are here so forciby presented. IL reminds
us of the common treasures Of what alas is
the Church North, and the Church South. The
recollectons OF the mighty dead who belong 10
both sections of our Church will be Que Of the
ties by which, eventually, she will be drawn to-
gether.
When the war broke out, DR.. Foote, being an
ardent Southern man, went farther South and
absent from his charge till hostilities ceased.
lie then returned, and continued his labors uu-
hl some months ago, when they were terminated
by death. His remains rest in tnevl lage ceme-
terry. The spot is peculiarly romantic As you
stand by his grave, you can behold for many
miles the mountain and the river, which dis
tant half an hours walk. At your feet the ground
makes n deep and abrupt descent toward the le-
vel land Of the neighbouring bottom. He there
sleeps in his quiet grave until the dead shall
rise in mghtier procession than that with which
he imagined the Virginia Church was marshall
ing her great departed. DR.. Foote is an instance
which many minister ofthe present day would
do well TO consider. His home vas not the vast
city, but this secluded village. lie never occu-
pied any Of those positions which necessarily
! give a certain kind Of prominence Even in the
field where he labored, he no doubt, encountered
/ difficulties And yet, by devotion to the cause
OF religion and Of education, and by toiling on
in the same place instead Of rushing TO every
I apDareQtlE Ge11 vyhf
| he has made for himself a name which will be
remembered for many years to come, throughout
the Virginias and in other regions
The church at Romney Is now in a hourishng
/ condition lis young pastor, the Rev. Mr. Fis,
LEY meets with great favor. Like all the church
es Of this region, il is Ia connection with the
Southern General Assembly. Still they vel
coined your correspondent to their pnlpt and in
every respect treated him as II he had been a min
lister Of ther own body. II was a pleasure %
preach TO them
This village has been selected as the site OF the
| West Virginia Institution for the Deaf Dumb
and Blind This school will be opened on the
last Thursday in September under highly favora-
/ bic auspices. The State has now completed the
location Of its public buildings The Capitol is
I at Charleston on the Kanawha; the Penitentiary
at Noundsvile, a few miles below this city; the
Insane Asylum at Weston the University at
Morgantown the Normal Schools are AZ Fair
mont, Vest Liberty, and near Gnyandotte and
the institution FOR the Deaf Dumb aud Blind u
AT NvlHhtg- lutJ are thus distributed ia all the
various sections Of the State. In my judgment
u IS doubtful whether the scattering Of public
buildings is wise II, however, has plenty Of
precedents. And on the whole IL this plan has
. 90 be adopted perhaps the selections made could
. not be much improved. We still need some To-
cal public Institutions, particularly AZ Wheeling
We have Childrens Home, just started under
excellent influences 10 IS supported by all the
Protestant denominations. But besides this we
/ ought 20 have a House Of Refuge aud a small
I ha ga ~ tr Ion
Refuge IS SO apparent that We will be almost GER
tain, ere long, % obtain o..
shall beg the privilege Of continuing This cor
re5pOndencc in another letter Before conclude
40 this time, desire 20 state that The Rev n T.
Todd native Of this city died here last Sab
bath, after an illness Of only three or four DAYS
hr. lOla was comparatively young man, be-
ing about thirty years Of age lie graduated AZ
Jefferson College, and no Che Western TheoIoyi-
cai seminary. BE labOred frat as a r1issionqry
oi tne American sunday school Union iu Yves.
teri fcnnsy ivania. lie next settled 40 Point
Pleasant lu this State aud after "a few months
spent in indiana. then 40 Richmond Ky sc
the time Of bis death he was 40 biz father house
owing 20 pr0vdeuuai circumstanceg. which DO
uanled has presence there Mr todd was
man whose Christian character was without
D.emtsh Sc Minister De wac fuli Of zeal, and
uAa Oeen honoured ,n doing good service f0r tbo
cause Of Dig master. iiis death. though sudden
was peaceful he leaves a young vidggv 30
mourn his loss May The Lord comfort the be-
reaved Who viii hli The vacancy in the ranks
OF the ministry b. ISL
> e~