Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-07-17
A bourbon speech.

of Gen. Preston before the Alumni
Association Of the Virginia Uni
versity:
Gen. John S. Pre3ton's Address
before the Alumni of the Univer-
sity of Virginia, was, in many re-
spects, remarkable. 1t was re-
markable for its brilliancy and its
bad taste; for its petulence aud its
pomposity; for its intolerance and
its treason.
The semi-centennial Of a univer-
sity founded by the illastrious JEFF
ferson presented an occasion which
should have been improved by
golden utterances or golden ST.
lence. But how was it improv-
ed by Gen. Preston? By galvan-
izing the dead issues OF the dead
Confederacy into some semblance
of offensive life, aud by assaiIing
the civilization Of the North --an
indivisib,e portion of our great re-
public-with a sectional bitterness
which can scarce find parallel on
the pages of political literature.
Coming out, as he tells us, from
the obscurity Of age, his gray locks
should have been suggestive of
tolerance and wise counsel. But
he seems to be Bourbon of the
B0urbonS; one who has learned
nothing from his many failures,
and forgotten nothing of his cher
ished hates. Amidst the universal
anthem OF peace and reconciliation
his voice, tremulous with age and
all uncharitableness is still for
war. TO subduC the turbulent fa-
natics of Plymouth Rock is his
highest political hope, and to tear
down their idols from the places
they now occupy is his highest re-
ligion. All this he wishes to &C.
cOmplish in the name of liberty
and the higher name of Him who
died for the salvation of sinners.
Even the elder Adams, because he
happened to be born in the North,
is touched by the sting of an UNI
warrantable inuendo. Says this
alumni orator: Washington was
dead. His robes of unsmirched
purple, stolen and misfitted for a
time, were again worthily on the
shoulders of Jefferson land here
white-handed hope waved her
sceptre Of faith, and liberty sat
smiling beneath the bright en-
chantment. or serenely and grand
ly seemed to move onward to the
amounting and the coronation.
Purple is by no means a repub-
lican color, and was never aspired
to either by Washington or Adj
ans, but be the color what it may,
it will sound strangely in the ears
of the American people to hear
that the Presidential robe was I'M
worthily worn, and indeed stolen,
by John Adams. But the second
President of the Republic stands
not alone. The people of New En-
gland are all described as of the
same kith and kin. They are 'ad-
verse to the principles of English
constitutional liberty and of Eng
lish religious freedom. They came,
not as refugees from unlawful per-
secution and tyranny, but as es-
capped convicts from the just pen
alties of a turbulent heresy and an
ambitious rebellion, which sought
by violence to enforce their con-
sciences on England's law.
Their feud began beyond the
broad Atlantic, and has never
ceased on its western shores. No
space, or time. or the convenience
of any human law, or the power
of any human arm. can reconcile
institutions for the turbulent ia
matte of Plymouth Rock and the
God-fearing Christian of James
town.
These extracts, brief as they ale,
will sufficiently indicate the tenor
and temper of General Preston's
speech. Indeed, the whole spirit
of the speech is suggestive of the
partisan and the Pharisee, rather
than the statesman and the Christ
ian, and the performance was as
much out of place as q decaying
corpse would be at a marriage
feast. We regret that the General
so far forgot the duties of a gen.
uine Christian patriotism as to
abuse an honorable trust by plac-
ing himself ont of harmony with
the temper of the times. The day
is too full of living issues to make
dead ones acceptable, and the peo-
pie OF Virginia are too anxious for
peace and prosperity under the
republic which their fathers as
sisted to establish to welcome. the
revival Of old causes of quarrel.
Their University is peculiar in
stitution, which they can cherish
without any feeling of distrust, Dut
they have no desire of advancing
backward as to other institutions,
and no disposition to mistake a
parade of intolerance for sacra-
ment of intellect.