Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-09-16

uheCIlon 40 coDgregate, Tor business
and for pleasure; and where. above
all other Cities in Virginia, the lar
gest number may crafty a laudabIe
desire to look upon the features and
form of him who was the 'comfort of
his people and the honor of his foes.'
The Episcopal Convention holds its
Septenn:al meeting in this great city,
and two great colleges draw annually
into its embrace several hundred
thousand students who can look upon
d nations testimony and 'fearn to do
WELL"
If it be meet and proper to honor
the place, where the dead was most
honored during the period of his res
ldence-if it be proper that the lar,
! gest opportunities should be afforded
to the largest number of persons to
| oSC OCOilChdIl odChSOu as ne was,
then we repeat Lexington is that
place. Not bill in Rockbrige that
does not bear a token of some bril-.
liant action Of jackson, not valley
which has not been consecrated by the
blood Of the Stonewall brigade, whose
ranks, with here and there an except
ion were filled with the brave sons of
her soil. Within her borders, and all
in view Of the City Of Lexington, lie
Manassas, Cross Keys. Port Republic,
Gaines Mill, Malvern Hill, Cedar
Mountain. Grovcton, Sharpburg Win
chester, Fredericksburg, Chandeliers,
vile and the Natural Bridge; all
made illustrious by the genius of
Lexington noble son. What gall
AIRY Of glories are assembled around
this City of Lexington. Who can
compete with her in daily watchings
and nightly vigils over the image of
him that made her iliGstrious? Who
shall challenge the claim of this mag
niicient city ''set upon hill"
Richmond forsooth a little village
tulted on 4 dwelling creek. unaP-
preached and unapproachable; With
nothing to attract, nothing to detain
The man of business or of pleasure;
around whose hills gather no mem
cries to make her. glorious. Rich>
moud indeed! Her valleys never
were Weakened by the thunderS of ar
tiiiery, nor her quiet disturbed by
threatening hosts. Jackson never in
a corner of her limits taught the
young idea to shoot. No Johnson,
nor Lee, nor Stouewall, nor STUART,
nor Beauregard pitched their camps
around her walls. and from her very
streets, drove the federal hosts stim-
ulated and fired by the cry from the
North ''On to Lexington !" No con
federate brave lies within her era
brace, who yielded his life to "God
and the country consecrated her
soil with his blood, shed to preserve
her sacred precints from the unhal-
lowed tread of n ruthless invader
The smell of blood is not on her gar
ment, and she holds no Rachel
mourning for her children She new.
er passed through fire and blood 4!
Why then should she be the custodian
Of the Genius of Victory?
Besides all disadvantages, with
his gallant men from Washington, Lee
and Scott; Preston with his braves
from Wythe, Pulaski and Montgom-
cry; EchOls with his hardy mountain
men from Craig, Allegheny and Bath;
the shades of old Kenton Harper with
the hardy sons of Augusta Page and
Rockingham; Allen with his gallant
second Virginia from Berkely Jeffer-
son and Dederick, ambitions to create
an Immortality for themselves, and
for their invincible leader. are now
too Jealous of his fame silently to
commit the token of their undying
love to be hid away in SO obscure a
place as Richmond; but demand that
it shall be placedat Lexington, where
they and all the admirers Of "the no.
Bile and the brave" may freely so to
'1ook upon bis like again.
Let Lexington by all means be the
place! Let our "bold soldier boys"
send up their mites; and our farMers
and graziers contribute oftheir abun-
dance; and let the light of the new
year first beam on the statue OF Stone
wall at Lexington, secure from the
idle gaze of the vulgar public. and
reserved for the study of the youtbs,
who may gather On her historic hills
to learn the path to glory and re-
nown.
M*x
i