Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-06-13

And even Switzerland. arrogant of the gran
deur of her Alpine scenery with her torrent
%tS e ge
falls and cascades, the peaks towering to tn
heavens. and the mountain gorges. fit habita
lions for the nymphs and naiads Of this new
halfexplored country.
All. all turn at this sunset hour to view NOR
than their rival in the American sky.
But sons and daughters Of Virginia, while
this whole land is dear to us, and we love i
from the barren slopes Of the ct. Lawrence tt
where Its domain Is washed by the waters o
the Gulf of Mexico-and from its eastern to IT.
lar portion of this vast domain upon which W.
look with peculiar tenderness and lOve-Vir
ginia.
Whittier we may roam-in whatever CLINE
or section our lots may be cast-with whatever
people we may mingle-in riches or in poverty
awake or asleep, living or dying. our thoughts
the land of colonial relics, revolutionary mon
uments. fllustrious dead and consecrated ashes
grand traditions, spotless fame, and unsull1ed
honor. We listen through the telephone o.
our imag1nations to her streams as they sing
their perpetual lullaby to the descendants Of
the cavaliers-we listen to her winds as they
sweep through her forests and over hill, and
plain, rolling ceaseless requiem for her dead
we listen to her birds as fitting from branch
to branch Of her trees they rejoice in her gent
al sunshine. We listen to the buZZing OF her
bees. the lowing of her herds, and even the deep
-mouthed baying of her watch dogs. We see
thro' the glasses of our imagination her spring
3
terweaving of her fiowesr-we see her summer
in its luxuriant growth and golden hue of har-
vest-We see her autumn with Its melancholy
Its soft dreamy days following in their regal
gorgeousness the sunny footsteps of departed
summer-and we see her winter with It's leaf
less and dropping vines. and, perchance, fleece
of snow.
Yes, in a distant land. in the dim twilight Of
old age, far down the vale Of years, with bend.
ing form awaiting the summons. which shall
call him to the DOundless ocean before him
the ocean of Eternfty-even there the Virgin
ian, with his bedimmed vision, turns his eye
to old Virg .nia.the land of his birth, the home
Other suns may shine as brightIy-other re-
gions may be as fair-but no sun shines as
brightly. no region is as fair to Virgtnian as
that of his native heath.
Call this sentiment II you please, for in the
language Of an eminent divine, what Is sem
timent, but thought with emotion - and if the
templating his State. 1t is but an evidence Of
the existence in him of that higher and en-
and characterizes her race, and which is but
active, glowing, speaking admiration and ven J..
grafton for the grand and sublime, or beautiful
and lovely. or holy and sacred, whether mani
cal man or material world-one or all.
A believer in the Christian religion could
ter the walled city of Jerusalem, or stand in
the garden of Gethsemane, or battle in the wa
tiers of Jordan. or rest at the well of Jacob, or
ton. His soul would be stirred within him
with reverential sensibility, and he would
show in his action and express in his words
the ful1nesS OF his soul.
So with Virginian when he thinks of Vir-
ginia's grandness and sublimity; of her eli
mate of unsurpassed salubrity her soil teeming
with fertility, her great rivers upon whose bo-
SONS the navies OF the world might float, and
whose waters could drive the machinery of the
globe, her boundless mineral wealth, and me-
dicinal springs, whose waters almost rival those
of that tabled fountain whose taste conferred
immortal youth. When he thinks of the pages
of history illumined with the light of her deeds
of her Yorktown, where she ended the glorious
strife that gave to us q country and the world
q refuge; of her battle-fields of late date, some
now covered with thesthistles and broomsedge
others with the wavy harvests OF the husband
man. When he thinks of her heroes and sages,
and patriots. and statesmen, and orators, and
poets. and editors; Of her Washington, Henry,
Jefferson, Madison Marshall, Monroe, Mason,
Clay and Harrison flor ''she rocked them in
her cradle and handled them on her knee');
her Scott and her Thomas; her Stuart, whose
ringing "charge" was ever heard above The
crashing volley; her Ashby, the white plumed
Navarro Of the Valley; her Jackson, whose
praise; and now, as shall utter the name of
that son. whom / shall place as the apex OF
this pyramid of her tllustrious dead, as Wash
ington is the corner-stone-let every head be
uncovered, every tongue be silent, every eye
lid drOOp-that name which Is enshrinedin ev-
cry Virginia household. and which will live
in memory's garden In sempiternal verdure-
But while all these surroundings and tradi-
tons and memories STIR us with emotion, and
fill our souls with pride, let us not become
vain glorious, nor exclusive.
Let us throw wide open our doors and our
hearts and invite other people to come among
constantly rising from V1irginia's altar like
holy incense, and to aid us in developing her
undeveloped resources, celebrating the scars
of war and filling up her waste places,
have now nearly performed the pleasant
duty assigned me on this occasion. tbs SOL
emn occasion to melt is solemn occasion to
| VI hal Qvn hoy
again the privilege OF participating with you
in these memorial services. God only knows.
to the children Of men. We do not know but
that many of u.s. at least before another Memo
rial season shall roll round, will be called upon
are here to-day to commemorate, in the spirit
land. But, women of Augusta, jure you by
all that Is holy and sacred preserve this beau
which these noble fellows fought, for which
tt ey bled, for which they died, and in whose
bosom they rest, will ever fournish the flowers
of Heaven will diffuse their sweet perfume
throughout their sacred precincts. And when
you are passing away. and your eyes are set to
behold for the last time the sun in the Heaven,
beQueath the performance Of this beautiful
custom as a sacred legacy to your children.
have endeavored to-day In my feeble way
to SOW some seed for reflection. I have told
you that the strewing of these flowers is pat
riotic act and the graves that rece We them are
OTIS hays declared In candor
w
put behind me, and that my eyes are fixed up
on the future of our land in whose horizon
government have endeavored to hold up to
your admiring gaze and to picture to you its
greatness, power, and grandeur,--and then 1
have come down to- the very inner temple of
your hearts, and referred to your closer identi..
ty with your home state-and to those things
which give your heart peculiar thrill.
Remember, one and ALL that on a very little
head board in yonder hill cemetery God has
EN- blazoned in burning letters this word-duty
Take that word as your talismanic word-do
your duty to your country, to your State, to
yourselves.
Toyour country that she may 60 on. and on,
and on, in the fulhllment of that sublimity Of
destiny, to which the star of empire seems to
beckon her, and that her blessings may be
preserved and increased.
. To your State. that her traditions may be
preserved; that no stain may rest upon her
escutcheon; that no tinge of shame may ever
mantle her cheek-no Jewel be plucked from
the crown that adorns her brow.
To yourselves, that you may do your duty to
your country and State, for no man 1s true to
himself unless he Is true to them.
And nov shall allow you to proceed on your
way, and make your sacred offering with one
remark more and that remark is this -
That 1t is my earnest desire to see fraternal
grasping Of hands and buckling Of hearts, and
that shall hail with joy and gladness the day
when we shall all stand In spirit and in truth
as one brotherhood in this sisterhood of States
when these States. though as distant as the
pillows, yet shall be one as the sea.
May the God of nations PLUCK from every
heart in this Union all sectional bias and pref
udices, and speed the time when our national
sun will warm with Its genial rays every Sec
tion alike, and our national ensign will hover
over this entire land. bearing in its talons
streamers OF equal rights and equal protection,
love and peace.-and those streamers f1utter-
ing in Heaven's breezes over happy and uni
ted people.
At the conclusion of this address the welkin
was made to ring with the salvos of Artillery.
Then. those who had not done SO before, de-
posted their floral offerings upon the graves of
the soldiers.
After this sacred duty was performed, the
procession was again formed in order, ard
marched back to the city, when the companies
were disbanded and the members repaired to
their respective homes with the consol ing con-
sciousness that they had performed a patriotic
and holy duty in honoring and commemorate
ing those who sacrihed their lives in defense
of liberty and the South.
Store house for Rent.-The Store-house
in McGaheysville, Rockingham county, which
was used as store for many years by the late
Col. Joseph Mauzy, and by others since. is for
rent on low terms. This is one OF the Oldest
and best known store-stan DIS in that county.
Applicants for renting 1t will address
RICHARD MAuZY,
mar14-tf StauntOn, va.