The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-02-28

renatsnp ard Ereah fnEs'-s Desches
,sr sscncral yohnaon, General Lee.
s5eneral Hogan. ana AdtuE~nt ssersas
s..,rrs.nondsnc Of the Richmond Dispaech.l
fsaaRI Esroa, February s5, 1878.
promised In my letter last night 70 give
rou sorne account OF the splendid banquet
which was given at the Charl Hotel py
the Fourth brigade TO the Walker Light
4 Guard and their guests. utthese Cnafies-
TON people pile on their hospitality so con-
stantiy that it Is really very aifficuis 70 ma
time to write. ,s5
lean only say Of the supper that the "a.
bles In The beautiful dining-room were wen
arranged and most tastefully decorated; that
tl1e biI, al fare, embracing ten courses, con-
tanned well-nigh every delicacy that could
be thought of, served up In the elegant
STYLE for which the Charleston Hotel Is fa-
NOUS: that the coiored walters served at
: the tap OF the bell by the head-waiter, and
marched In and out with the perfection OF
military drill !; and that despite OF the
Frenc6 names on the beautiful bill OF fare
our Virginia BOYS disposed OF marvellous
Quantities OF good things specially con-
sidering that it was the fifth entertainment
that some OF us had attended since morn
ing. &. !,
But we had at last to surrender, and
General Seigling, who presided with grace
and dignity, appropriately introduced tue
following regular
ToAsTs.
i. The Doq We Celebrate. Responded to
by General Bradley T. Johnston.
9. Virginia. Responded to by General
3. Maryland. Responded to by General
j. &. Trimble.
Governor Hampton.
S. Cities of Richmond and Charleston.
Responded to by General 7. NJ. Logan.
3. The Votunteer State Troops. Respond
ed to by General B. H. Rut,edge.
I. Memoru of Robert e. Lee.
8. The Orators of the Day. Responded
10 by General Samuel McGowan.
8. The United States Army and NdUy.
Responded to by Attorney-Gene L. F.
Youmans.
10. The Walker Light Gard. Responded
to by Adiutant 10. Lane Sterne. ~
ii. Kings Mountain and Coupons. Re-
sponded to by Major j. F. Hart.
-. The Adjutant and Inspector General
of the State. Responded to by General 4.
The speeches were all admirable, and
some of them excited the widest enthu-
siasin.
can only give those OF our Yirginians,
md I hone you will fad space for them.
They were enthusiastically received.
General johnson spoke as follows:
/ thank you, gentlemen OF the Fourth
brigade, FOR the compliment you have paid
me in assigning me the honorable duty Of
responding 10 this first toast. AS native
OF MARYLAND I am proud; for delegate
from MARYLAND to the Continental Congress
nominated George Washington as COM
nsanaer-in-chief OF the American army,
and in the capitol Of Maryland he sur
rendered his commission as an adopted citi-
zen OF Virginia, among whose sons and
daughters reckon my warnest friends. 1
share in the glory which she wears for haV-
sng given him to mankind, and as an Ameri-
can citizen I:claim homer sor being ms IeE
low-countryman. It was the good fortune
of George Washington to. have been born
at an epoch when he could best serve man
kind. IT was blessing TO the world that
he was born whea and where he first saw
aight.
stitutions. Whea institutions exist, they
form men. SO Washington and his compa-
triots laid the foundations, deep, and wide,
.and.strong, OF this Republic on virtue and,
yalor: not GA virtue alone, because 1t Is
sentimentasism, not on yalor alone, for.
then it is brsSandage; but virtue and vaIor
combined. for one cannot preserve clviiIza-
tion unaided by tbeoaher. Experience has
:sbsWn how wise he was. For two genera
.tions American society had been drifting
TO the conclusion that order and law rested
.on the will Of naMerical majorities, and
that the sole function OF government was
tn record and execute the wishes OF the
most numerous. Iiovernment was matter
OF arithmetic, and the numbers aScertalBed
by the ballot-boE were to be regarded as
the necessities aud requirements Of society.
But we have learned by hard lessons that this
is not SO, and that the precepts Of the fatb-
,ers are the only sale ones to follow.
AL government rests on force, and force
: does net rest with numbers, but on virtue and
ON yaiop-yiFtue,in the Roman sense: man.
hood.
England has spent thousands in select
ing the best mlsket, the Martini-Henry,
France risks her life on the Chassepot,
Germany stands serene in the protection OF
the Needle gun, aud the United States
relies on her new model, the forty.five
breecf,-ioader; but no musket, no arm
by itself, amsTnts to anything. It all
depends On the man behind the musket.
So we have seen South Carolina overthrow
the most odious despotism by peaceful
methods, but backed by men; so we have
seen her fer a-ttiTd OF generation crushed
and ground, bat supreme in her own
SERIOUSNESS '9 right and reliance
on her own honor. at the proper
time, on the timely issue her virtue and her
yalor have achieved her freedom. So we
see all things return to their first principles,
and. ut last, Intelligence and manhood are
the only bases ION which society can rest
Since Runnymede mo such achievement has
been made nor demonstration afforded OF
.,he peEpetumion of civil liberty. Forbear-
ance, fortitEde, .self-reliance, and firm
confidence in the eternity OF truth have
been Inequalities that have saved her and
given the world on example OF what the
principles OF washington may achieve.
After the prolonged cheering with (which
he was greeted had ceased, General Lee
spoke as follows:
Mr. President, I.tfe not feel that | have
the power to respond to this toast. Old
Virginia. At her name every crest is low
eped and every heart Dis touched. She has
helped to make the history Of every State in
this Union Ola Virginia! Now in her
weeds and sorroS., she is not less dear to
her sons than in che dag OF prosperity and
power. Her name is. the synonym OF virtue
wherever the English ,tMlguei is spoken, and
her fame lis not confined 10 America. Every
nation aud every land where heroism and
great deeds are honored 40 willing homage
TO her name. And has she not been espe-
ciafiy the participant ia the history OF
Syo,,fh (1orNsfpa Hs tya mot feel that we