New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-11-09

IFrom the wa.hipglon chronlclo.l

From the Washington Chronlclel
Virginia. like many other States, has had her
Fair. lie was held last week at Richmond
These annual exhibitions of the products of the
farm, of the results of mechanical invention
and skill, aud of handiwork OF all kinds. is cal.
culated to do good in the various departments
OF industry. We have been glad to see the
Southern people holding these fairs and taking
an interest 10 them, and we had hoped that in
such thlrgs as these. at least, affecting as they
do the welfare aud comfort aud prosperity OF
all, the hydra head of party would not be al
lowed 70 show itself. But in this we have been
disappointed. The late Richmond Fair was
especially unfortunate in this respect.
The Richmond SAFE Journal OF the Sd con.
talns an account of the parade on the Fair
Grounds OF the Guard Of the Commonwealth -
the address of General Bradley T. Johnson on
the occasion, and the speech of Governor
aiSer. General Johnson said
Guard of the Commonwealth Significant
name! There are men living, and women, too,
still young, who have seen in serried ranks IN
the plain ten thousand men in gray, with blue
steer In their hands, who were of verify the
Guard oil the Commonwealth And while the
memories OF those days sweep over these hu-
man hearts the tide rushes back again, over.
whelmlng with grief for those DAYS are past
and the hurled dag aud rusted saber aud black
eneo musket are our emblems of memory, not
OF hope. Yet the race from which we sprang
Is race that never reliuquishes its rights IL
may lose them for time. but as sure as the
sun shines and the buds blossom so surely will
they in the iullnesS Of time retrieve everything
now lost
Our ancestors for a thousand wears have
fought and lost aud fought and won the battles
OF liberty, but from Runnynede down their loss
mas been temporary, their gain more perma-
nent. In their spirit We Look for the future,
and you or your sons will retrieve everything
that has been lost. la this belief We present
this medal TO you. Aud we feel that not only
this company, or this battalion, or the stalwart
mountain men of the chivary OF the lowlands,
who here stand side by side, but all Virginia
men-who love the gray and stand by the
State-wlll in the future, as in the past be the
Guard of the Commonwealth of Virginia"
The above remarks are suggestive. They
mean great deal The lost cause" is not
lost The gray will yet win. ain the
fullness of time" the South will "retrieve
everything now lost" General johnson meant
what he SAID, and the "boys IN gray" around
him felt 1t ten times stronger than they had
ever realized it in the ardor of battle Let the
Government of the United States and our loyal
readers ponder these things.
But that distinguished warrior, Gilbert c.
Walker, Governor Of Virginia, also made a
speech. lie said:
THE men of the regiment are all guards of
the Commonwealth, and should danger ever
arlse-and he sincerely hoped it would not-in
the form OF mob violence within, or organised
despotlc Invasion from without, be should sum-
mon them to the field and command them in
person. Great applause. He did not say
this In the way OF braggadOcio, because II
would be the duty and pleasure of the Com
,Aas of =
OF Virginia in the hour Of her need Having
sworn to execute the laws, he would do SO at ans
hazard, and it was a source Of qualification to
him that he had such a strong arm As the vol
unteer militia here represented on which he
could confidently rely"
The Governors war horse is ready. He
snufs the battle from afar, the thunder of thu
captains aud the shouting" Governor Walker
is ready for ''OrganiZ ed despotic invasion from
without" Thus talked his predecessors, WISE
Smith, and Letcher, when they were firing the
heart OF Virginia, and preparing her for rebel
lion against the national authority.
We are not acquainted with Governor Walk.
er's military record. La what battles was he
engaged? What ex Federal officer or private
remembers that he saw Gilbert y. Walker in
battle I When aud where did he strike a blow
tor the starry lag when that q ~ was ia danger?
But he would fight now. His war horse is
ready. lie will command in person. the
troops Of Virginia Does not the hero of
Shiloh and Petersburg trembe in the White
Houses Sherman is going TO Europe soon
and Grant may have to meet this Virginia hero
alone. Virginia, did We says Alas for VIr-
GINA
The State Jou,nal adds:
'Our attention was called this morning to a
fact we failed TO observe on yesterday in con
nection with the parade of the military com
pauies. The flag of the United States wa
entirely Ignored, and the letters - g. s." were
torn from the cartridge boxes, a number of the
members declaring they would not parade at
all if compelled to do so with these letters on
the boxes. We presume it makes but little
difference with Uncle Sam whether these young
gentlemen discard his initials or not, for b.
expects to continue his existence, regardless of
THAR feeling of contempt"
1t seems the young gentlemen who compose
this "Guard of the Common wealth refused to
march under the national flag, and have torn
the stamp Of the United States from their car
fridge boxes.
These things furnish food for reelection to
the friends of the Government and Of law and
order.