The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-05-12
s.are ssscpm Christians New York
Speech.
fsn<c,al Correspondence Of the Dispa'ch'l
New YORK, May 2, 1881.

{Sp<ciAi Correspondence VI "e p"p" W.
New YORK. May 2, 1881. /.
The meeting held here In the interest OF
The Yorktown Centennial was grand sue
cess, and vmginia's representatives did ner
and themselves honor by the speechcs tney
made. That Of Judge Christian, Oh Tue
Court OF Appeals, was so broad ana ca.oo,
lie Ia its spirit that / got copy OF u, snu
send II TO you. ! believe That u WI VIZ.
-esnonsiye chords In many hearts now Dit.
,er and uprcIenting in their staiwart natred
az the South and itsspeople. Inc auuge
smoke substantially as follows:
THE introduction which presents me 10
,bis audience as Judge OF the Court OF
Appeals OF Virginia sufficiently indicates OF
Itself that am not expected 10 make u
snesch. The lawyers pre- sent VII! appre-
,,a,e This remark, For the past sixteen
ynsrs n has beef, the habit OF my life as wen
- INV official duty to listen TO speeches, ana
moi n make them. Indeed, have been so
,ony accustomed 10 sitting on the bench that
7 have almost forgotten how to stand up
even In the presence OF an audience, espe-
cialIy such an audience as this. Such lie
has caused me TO lose. il l ever had any, all
the arts OF speech.
eau bring to you, Therefore, none OF the
offerings OF oratory which have been so
gracefully presented by those who have
preceded me. l came here as silent spec
fator. but since | have been called upon, l
vii! say In few simple, plain words, why
feel interested, and why think you, the
people OF this great metropolis, should ieel
interested in making a grand success oil
fitiinc commemoration Of the grsDdest event
of the centuries-tbe surrender OF Corn
wallis at Yorktown. am interested, brsi,
because am Virginian. bornend raised
near the classic heights OF Yorktown, proud
OF the traditions and history OF the OId Do
minion, aud hopefully trusting in her future
destiny.
am interested in this movement, because
lam an American citizen. loving my whole
country, recognizing no North, no South.
no East, no West, but as free citizen OF
these United States Of America (now, l
trust. united forever under a constitutions
Government, administering equal laws to
every section), can claim It's grand history.
its freedom, its civilization, its progress,
and its great destiny, under the providence
of God, as np heritage and the heritage OF
my children forever.
/ wish to say another thing. This meet.
ing has been called at propltious time and
upon a fitting occasion. This day is the
ninety.secend anniversary Of the Inaugural
ton Of George Washington as the first
. President OF this great republic, who was
inauguraied in this city-then small town
now the great metropolis OF the Union.
Without Washington there would have
been no Yorktown, and without Yorktown
there would have been no great republic to
give IFS example of freedom and true pro.
eress 10 all the nations OF the earth.
Virginia gave Washington to the Revolu.
ton: Washington gave Yorktown 10 his
tory. These two names are Justly claimed
As the heritage of the whole country; for
while Washington was the son Of Virgins.
he was the Father of his Country" Nay,
he was, aud is, more than that. As was said
OF him By the eloquent Irish orator, "NO
people can claim, no country can appro-
pirate him. The boon Of Providence to the
human race, his fame is eternity and his
residence creation"
In less eloquent and simpler language, |
will say that In the century that has passed,
and 10 the centuries yet TO come, wherever a
blow has been or will be struck for civil
liberty and the rights OF man; wherever
the spirit OF freedom has reyolted against
oppression wherever the effort has been
made to establish free government and re-
q =
have made q stand against violence and
fraud in the cause Of liberty, there has been
in the midst of them the spirit Of the ex.
ample OF our great Washington. encour-
aging, consoling, and inspiring.
In this practical and unsentimental age,
amid the rush and push Of business, COM
parativeIy few men appreciate to-day the
importance Of the great event we are about
to celebrate in October next. That event
was, in my opinion, the grand event OF the
centuries. Even when il is said that the
Surrender OF CORVALLIS at Yorktown was
the establishment of American lndepen-
denee. yet the great scope and meaning OF
that event is not fully understood. What
did it mean ? At this point grand py-
rOtecnic display was made which brought
out the words suspended 10 the air, " The
Yorktown Surrender"; the speaker had to
pause, and continued What does that
mean? / ask you, and ask every Anne
rican citizen. Do you know! / will tell
YOU what Virginian and an American
citizen, removed by his position from all
political influences, thinks it means:
II meant the establishment OF true re-
publican government, which stands to-day
in the history of the world as an example TO
all nations and all peoples everywhere. 1t
meant the establishment OF religious lib
erty. Ii meant the security Of personal
liberty and the rights Of man. 1t meant the
overthrow Of dynastes, and OF the absurd
right TO rule by the mere accident OF birth.
1t meant the assertion OF the equality OF
man without respect to birth or accident,
recognizing personal merit, founded upon
his own individuality, his intellect, cbarac-
ter, and integrity.
ha
render OF the British armies at Yorktown,
transformed continent and changed the
history OF the world. II has converted fee-
BILE colonies OF thirteen States, with three
millions Of people, into great nation CON-
posed OF tbirty-eight States and containing
upwards Of fifty millions OF people.
What one hundred years ago was an al.
most impenetrable wilderness, occupied by
rude savages, is now smiling continent.
where on every hand great cities have
arisen, and where farms and plantations.
furnishing products sent upon the wings Of
commerce to every corner OF the civilized
world, have usurped the places of the for.
est, the swamp, and the jungle; where
towns and villages and churches and school.
houses speak and verify the civilization and
outgrOwth OF tue nineteenth century.
The feeble colonies which one hundred
years ago made the grand contest for liberty
with one OF the greatest Powers OF the
world have transmitted TO these great States,
now under one common government, a
country extending from ocean to ocean,
containing in It's broad limits every variety
of climate and soil and productions Of what
ever grows upon the surface OF the earth or
Is found within its bosom-a country so
wide and grand In extent that there is
room, aud will be for centuries still, for
the thousands who are daily fiocking to its