National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-06

It's results than fancy ever,sketched, or poet in
wrapt imagination ever sung.
"Will not that broken steeple, reared centu-
ries ago in honor Of the living God, preach to
him Ike an aged minister, and impress upon
his heart the all-governing truth, that without
Divine assistance nothing great and nothing
good can ever be accomplished Does he seek
incentives to an ardent and burning patriotism.
let him visit the ruins of the old Capitol and
ponder there until his heart expands and his
lips give utterance to that exclamation which
aroused continent from It's slumber. Let him
then ind his way to the old Apollo, and mix
with the noble spirits In their deliberations on
the great crisis that had arisen. Those who
had assembled there were, for the most part,
his elder brothers, sons Of the same Alma Mater
After this he will in fancy accompany his fel-
low-students of another day to the place of the
royal Governor, with the settled purpose to re-
cover the arms provided for the public defence,
which had been Improperly removed, and to
restore them to the powder magazine, where
they belonged. A few hours thereafter he win
find himself wandering over the entrenchments
at Yorktown, behind which British powder
made its last retreat. Tell me not that these
memorials of the mighty past are mute and
voiceless. They speak more eloquently than
the Roman or Athenian Of old before the Sem
ate or the assembly Of people. They tell of
past glory, and are the oracles that unveil the
future. Sinking deep into the youthful heart,
they inspire It with lofty desires, which make
ambition virtue"
The aggregate Of the losses of the college
from 1851 to 1869 is at least eighty thousand
dollars. Indeed, this sum is not sufficient TO
put the college in the condition It was in 1851.
"These last losses" 1.-THE petition before you
declares, "were the effects of lamentsbls
civil war. In no war can civilization look upon
ravages like this of William and Mary college
without the sIernest apprehension and without
appeal for all the reparation that can be made.
But in the late war of the Union with the
States, the very end and aim of the Union was
to sane, not to destroy. This was an unauthor-
lied act or accident of war, the end of which
was to save everything precious to the care of
parental government, or which was peaceful
in the conflict of arms, or useful to the country,
or sacred to learning, arts, science, or religion.
This act was done against the patriotic pur-
poses Of Congress, against its own moral and
Christian sense, and now will not Congress
restore, in a case Of this kind, what It did not
saves VIII it not manifest its condemnation Of
this unlicensed act Of war by the most appropri-
ate mode of reparationl Does not the patriotic
policy Of restoring harmony and peace call for
an example of paternal protectionl"
"Grant the prayers Of petitions like this, and
no moro ever, will the Union need arms to save
ba at e III.
or their houses of charity and learning, or their
houses Of God, from the ravages of civil war.
This mode sof treating the wounds of the past
would be salve indeed, and heal them"
"This appeal to Congress is based on two
distinct grounds: the first is because of Revo-
lutionary losses Of chartered rights for proper
ty confscated by the British government, and
for use and destruction of the college property
by the Continental and French soldiers, and is
founded in equity and justice; the second is be-
cause Of losses by the accidents of war during
the late civil contest, and peace and protection
are thereby sought, rather than justice 'strieti
jaris.' on. ..
"The latter appeals to Congress to raise up
again a venerable mother Of instruction, to re-
pair the forbidden blow at a college, and by so
doing Congress will vindicate its own character
and motives of civilization and parental gov
ernment,"
"And the college, If this prayer be granted,
will rise with renewed vigor, with improved
faculties to repay any benefeence which Con-
gress may bestow, by giving again back to the
Union what money cannot buy, another host of
mighty men to guard the Constitution and
laws, and the love Of the nation as devotedly
as even its liberties"