Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-08-16
Grand Tournament in Maryland.
Address Of Col. Mclaughlin.


26 ultimo. The riding was very fine, aud in
many instances, brilliant. 1t lasted between
three and four hours, and the honors were
hotly contested throughout. The following
knights carried off the prizes in order given
below:
Knight Of Trump's HH-Nelson Jarboe-h1iss
Mamie Hill, Queen.
Knight Of GtOynn. .RaLhael Gwynn-Rirst Maid
Knight Of Hope-W. Irwin Brooke-Second Maid
of Homer Miss IS Annette ,11 Heiske!I
Knight of the Ahls-Joseph Hill-Thrd Maid of
Honor, Miss Nora Young.
knight Of A,4ld Lang ssyne-R. B. Lloyd, Jr.-
Fourth Maid of Honor, Miss Kate Wallace.
Knight IN Grey-Wm. A. Jarboe, Jr.-Fifth Maid
of Honor, Miss Mariana Mclaughlin.
COL j. Fairfax Mclaughlin, of Baltimore,
who is we'll known to many of our readers,
delivered the charge to the Knights, which
is such an excellent vindication of this great
Virginia and Maryland pastime, that we give
it to our readers in full -
Sir Kntyhts:
Iissume with pride and pleasure the position
assigned to me to-day, and salute you as
valiant campany in the performance Of very
elevating and chivalrous ceremony. A martial
light CLEANS in your eyes, your lances are in
rest, and like those knights of old who were
accustomed to follow where Bayard or Sidney
led the way, you wait the signal of your
marshal to charge right CALAMITY for the honors
of the tourney, and the high privilege of NAM
ing the lady Of your choice for the crown
that she shall wear and the throne which she
shall ascend, whose true knight leads the
joust. Wars mimicry serves to keep alive the
spirit which should animate armies that march
with banners; the high purpose. the steady
gaze on danger as "morc brave than he, ;" and
the throbbing sense that in each arm perhaps
reposes the safety of great cause, and the
arbitrament of its life or death-its triumph
or its overthrow. The very meridian of
nations glory may be said to be the field dedi-
Gated to the play Of its chivalry.
No tear dims the sympathetic eye of beauty
for the pcrils of your strife !; no frowning en-
battlements bristling with guns and defended
by hostile legions, obstruct the vicw or darken
the gladncss of this day. The smiling ilaud-
scape-the garnered crops-the distant soli-
tude of hill and wood-al is peace whilst
your martial presence and this interesting
receptacle superadd the picturesque to the
beautiful and peaceful in nature.
At this same hour yonder heaven which
shines SO radiantly for US, beholds another
scene in lands beyond tho seas. 1t is scene
with which many of you have been familiar
for years upon the Potomac, and its harvesters
have sown the dragons teeth in our midst
II RACES now upon the Rhine, and perhaps at
this moment reaps in multitudinous fields
where groanng thousands fall, and rushing
myrads sweep over them, as they sink together,
"In rod-5urial bIent."
The daughters of France and Germany are
busy with their lints and bandagcs, for their
husbands, sons and brothers will soon fall fast
about them, and humanity be bowed down to
earth in its ministrations to the wounded and
to mingle its tears with the blood of the slain.
The daughters of Maryland can we'll sympa-
thizc with the women Of the old world for
they, too, have felt the iron enter their souls,
and know what it is 10 mourn the loss of some
of their bravcst and their best. But to-day
this assemblage is here to witness conflict of
a different character-a generous rivalry of
Knighthood-in which the palm is victory in
deed, but victory to be stained by no blood,
and bringing in its train neither famine, with
its wan check, nor pcstilence, with its blasting
breath.
Every man who is conversant in the history
of society"and takes interest in the prosperity
of States, recognizes the spirit of chivalry as
among the accepted principles of an enlight.
ened civilization, and among the active causes
Because it fosters the public virtues of COM
munties, which supply government with its
counsellors and armies with their patriots and
heroes. It's votaries have been among the
great and the good of Christendom. 1t is
essentially Christian notwithstanding its
origin to the first Crusaders, whose ambition
broke forth in a noble zeal to rescue Holy
Land from the insolent Saracen, as we'll as to
lift woman from the degrading vassaage to
which Greek and Roman, Goth and Vandal,
had reduced her through long ages of pagan
and barbarian rule. 1t was witnessed on the
Field of the Cloth of Gold. where king and
baron, noble and peasant, knights and
squires rode forth, on gaily caparisoned steeds,
to joust and tourney. Then the prize Of
victory was thrown open to all corners, so that
if the humblest peasant of the realm bore off
the palm, the herald advanced and cried,
''This day gentles his condition" 1t was
witnessed again at Holyrood after the romantic
Charles Edward Stuart had gathered his chief:
tains and their clans in the Highlands and led
them across the Tweed to victory then Edin-
burg Town hailed its glorious young monarch,
and Charlie O'er the Water returned once
more, and rode forth among his people at
tournament and rout, and danced with High
land lasses at masquerade and ball, as brave
a knight, and gallant gentleman as ever
flashed sword on listed field, or crowned the
queen of love and beauty on the field of chiv-
airy How the lords and gentlemen wed
with each other in enthusiastic devotion to
their young prince the gallant Kilmarnock,
the dashing Balmerino, and Cromarty the
brave the men who carried the standards Of
the Stuart to victory at Preston Pans, and won
the day at Falkirk. The historian tells US
that the chivalry of the Pretender's followers
was such on that day, that Charles Stuart,
had he raised the battle cry of"On to London!"
would have absolutely driven George the II.
into the sea, and have rescued the throne of
L: Ell oE Enrn1nr