National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-08-22
,no ulI,er,,e Know, how r.rs all

Questioning the iIlIterate knows how rare oil
In the Lynchburg country ono begins to
find the old homes and great plantations OF
Virginia. The stranger travelling by rail secs
only by chance In bis journey through the
State one or two Of these homes. The pal
aces are generally large The Ola plantations ,n,s
boundaries. Even 10 the richest country II
Is generally few miles from one old place
TO another. They are generally so bedded In
foliage that one may pass quite near without
seeing them. One Of the hapdsomest coun-
try places | ever saw was mllcs from any
road which could be traycrscd by ordinary
vehicles. We went 10 IL In q heavy
wagon over by-ways that arc impassa-
BILE during the rainy season. IL was
mile from the gateway to the house,
through wide cornfclds and forest yet
In this secluded place was home a. elegant
as most Of the villas about New York or Bos-
ton, beautifully furnished, and with fine
library. Tho floors were Of polished and
wnxed woods, the rooms spacious and high,
and the furniture Of the older English models
before the invasion Of French taste. Nor
arc these houses wanting In the chOiccr luxu-
ries Of life. The handsomest old silver In
the country, the English models Of the seven.
teenth and eighteenth centuries, Is TO be
found In them. At one place we found ono
Of the finest graperies have ever seen.
Even stronger than the love Of domestic
comfort, with q share Of state, Is the love Of
land. In this the Virginian has never lost
the fancics Of The mother country. MOI oun-
try gentleman Is satisfied with less than
thousand acres. II Is likely that he has two
or three thousand about him, and many thou
sands more on the mountains, from which he
get. little profit unless he can count the salts
faction OF mere ownership as profitable. i
fancy that, apart from slavery, we are nearer
tho tone Of country life In England In the
eighteenth century In Virginia than we can
get now In the mother country. The isola-
tion OF estates, which was destroyed 10 Eng
land by the quick communication and the
overwhelming influence OF the capital, re-
mains hero with all Its peculiar consequences
on the people. Fox-huIting-not tho de-
graded form Of the sport which IL found In
Pennsylvania and TO the northward, where
the fox Is shot on sight, but the riding TO
hounds-still has firm hold In Virginia. II
Is an interesting question why all these Eng
died farther to the north. The love OF land
among the Massachusetts people ha, died out
almost as completely as among the Jews;
oil the ways Of life have turned into
new channels; but hero, nothwithstand-
Ing slavery, the old England has re-
that slavery, seemingly so different from any
thing in England, really supplied tenant
class, towards whom tho landlord feeling
could be exercised; and through the con-
tinuance Of this conservative feature In So
clety all the rest has been kept alive. Far
too much has been made of the assumed DIFF
ference between the Puritan origin Of the
Massachusetts clergy and the Cavalier de-
scent OF their brethren farther south. Some
thing OF difference certainly exists, but less
than Is commonly supposed. More Is to be
attributed to the rigldity given to society by
the institution of slavery.
Our last day In Virginia was spent at the
University of Charlottesville. This pet child
OF Jefferson Is one Of the most interesting
schools In this country. There Ia no school
In America built on so grand plan rs this,
at least so far as It's masonry Is concerned.
A huge building Of classic architecture, with
apediment supported by Coriuthian columns,
with noble marble capitals and homogeneous
shafts Of brick and stone, gives the offices Of
the school, It's library, lecture-rooms and
spectacle bits Of art, among others fair copy
Of the School Of Athens. The front Of this
building forms one end Of great quadrangle,
the sides being bordered by long lines OF
brick buildings, part onc-stOry, giving dor
initories for students, part two stories, for
the dwellings Of the teachers; the farther end
Of the quadrangle Is open, looking over q
beautiful lawn with lovely vista Of rolling
country and distant blue mountains. The
system Of the school Ia good. II keeps high
standard for Its degrees, and deserves In
every way tho warmest support of those who
look to the education Of the Southern people
for the rehabilitation Of that lovely but un-
happy part Of our country. IL was pleasant
to bid goodbye to Virginia sights In our last
look at the stately buildings Of this monu-
mcnt to her intelligence.