The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-04
THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY.

The position belonging of right to Vlr-
ginia in the programme for celebrating the
one hundredth anniversary of July 4tb,
1776, will be cheerfully, aye, enthuslas-
tically accorded to her, by her twelve
sister States of the original Confederacy;
and she should give early notice of her
intention to unite in the family gather
ing-for such intention needs but procla-
nation to call forth from her cltlzchs
spontaneous provision for the necessary
outfit. And if she cannot display the
gorgeous fabrics of the Eastern States or
the golden ornaments of Western (Paciic)
States, she can, like the Mother OF Gracchi'
when asked to exhibit her boasted jewels,
point to her stalwart offspring, Furnishing
between the Alleghanies and the Missis-
sippi, and proudly exclaim, These are
my jewelsl'
Most fit is it that Virginia should be
foremost; for the jewels she can display
are not merely gems to deck the diadem
of an Emperor, but they are empires them
selves; not like the Koh-i-Noor, blazing
in useless briliancy to dazzle the eyes and
make envious the hearts of beholders-but
pearls of river and rivulet--emeralds OF for
est and herbage--- sapphires of golden har-
vests--and more, the home of fair women
and brave men, who look lovingly upon
the glorious heritage they enjoy with the
feeling of the poet depicting the beauties
of the jewel of his heart: e
I" Its hills are green, its meadows fertile,
And to crown the whole, in one delightful word,
1t is our home"
But Virginia has another and weighty
claim to prominence in the coming Centen-
NAL Jubilee. If she is the Mother of
States, she also gave for the admiration of
all future time, tho bright exemplar Of all
that is grand, noble, admirable, the GA
ther bis Country "WAsHINeToN- first
in war, first in peace, first in the hearts Of
his countrymen"- Cincinnatus of the
West. If disembodied spirits take cogni-
zance of sublunary things, how will the
shade of WASHINGTON scam the proceed
ings on the Fourth of July, 1876 how
will he glory in the magnificent achieve
ments of the nation he consolidated how
will he sorrowfuly tremble for the future,
If the fell spirit of sectionahsm still lifts
its hydra-head, and is not Indignantly
frowned down by all who love country.
who love progress, who love Liberty-and,
loving all these, love Peace at home,
while prepared to resist attacks from
abroad, in the spirit suggested by the lines
"The Romans, in Rome's quarrels, spared
neither land nor gold,
Nor son, nor wife, nor limb, nor life, in the
brave days of old;
Then none were for party, then all were for
the State,
Then the great man helped the poor, and the
poor man loved the great
Let the Centennial Jubilee or Ami
versary be celebrated by us, and all, as a
farewell to the sorrows and bitterness Of
the past decade, and welcome into the
new century of our country's age, which
will, before it passes into history, record
the United States as the grandest, sin the
parliament of man, federation of the
world" -or, what seotionaism would make
her, wreck of the ship of State, freight
ed with the hopes and aspirations OF every
lover of humanity throughout the world