Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-28

The Cradle of the Southern Race-A De-
cayed Metropolis.

Ahe NrauAe OF the Southern Race-A De-
cayed Metropolis.
ms old peninsula between the James
and the York rivers, says a correspondent
OF the Cincinnati Enquirer, is the cradle
OF the Southern race. 1 have been at Will
hamsburg, the capital of Virginia, from
the abandonment of jamestown to the
legislative occupation of Richmond, an
interval of about eighty years. Virginia
had 10000 inhabitants when Williams
burg became the capital, of whom nearly
1000 were negro slaves and 5000 white
slaves, or people serving their time. When
the capital was removed to Richmond in
1913, Virginia contained perhaps 100000
people, as her population is put eleven
years later at nearly 100000. Here at
Williamsburg occurred most of the events
which led to the adoption of the cause of
New England by the most powerful State
to the south OF her, and the biography of
Virginia was almost all nodded at Will
liamsburg. Washington NAV he said TO
have been created in this poor little town.
which now has hardly 400 people. in
Guiding the population Of the lunatic asv-
Ium now located here, which contains
several hundred.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad runs
right to the town, and any person from
the west curious on historical matters
can stop over between trains, and will re-
ceiYe hOspitable treatment. The people
are singularly courteous and simple
minded, and their knowledge of their own
@stOry is 80 absurd that advise ANYBODY
who comes to have himself posted in his
own library. tina: he may draw his own in
ferences. You leave the railroad station
ana take path that carries you across a
sort OF common and down through a kind
OF dry ravine or gully, and in a few min
utes you come out upon a very broad
street, perhaps three-quarters of a mile
long, and sandy, and it appears to have
lost from old age a good many of its build
lngs, because you see house here and
one yonder, and then old cellarways be-
tween them, and then goose pastures.
and, perhaps, in the background. as if
they had Withdrawn from so much noise
and fashion, there are old houses, with
lanes ana lawns quarter of a mile long,
Almost every house has green moss on
the roof. Most of them have big chimneys
at the ends, which hold up the decrepit
structures between. Some of these houses
are made of bricks with an imported look.
as if they were brought back on the to-
baccO vessels for ballast. More of these
houses are built Of frame, and | should
say that in all Williamsburg there are
about thirty or forty quite old and digni-
fed looking mansions, and the biggest of
these is said to have been the house of
George Wythe, who instructed jefferson,
and was singular character, and is said
to have taught one of his slaves Greek.
At one end of the town is the old William
and Mary College, consisting of a central
brick building, several times repaired and
burnt out, and of two ancient-lOOking
buildings, one of which is occupied bv
Mr.. Ewell, a brother of the rebel General
who has, L am told, not one single pupil
at the present time, the institution exist
ing in the body, but not in the spirit. Mr..
Ewell has farm some miles back, and
comes in almost every day, and waits for
pupils who no longer appear.