Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-16

fsre had been formed w 'niS seHvoi oi co"
l,,t. disciplirod by adversely and developed
by long. paticnt, and heroic resistance 70
civil and religious tyranny, United WIN
one mind and heart IN support OF tbe cause
Of independence. Tne Os,t'ts ~ rom.
pleasant, on The heights OF earatoQl, ~
Kings Mountain, at GuiEord, nj Eutaw,
and NJ York were fought WIN the aid OF
valley men. IL IL signibcaht ilct tnat
Two ~ our own colleges founded IN Revo.
IuiIonary times bore names ulstinctiVe OF
the free shirt which was then pnlsating-
/ will not say in the ar, oui W Tue heart,
OF the people. One 81 them pore the uniteu
names OF the two great pi'rloe martyrs,
Uampden and Sidney. nnd me other under
the constraint Of spirit as strong ana pure
exchanged its original name LOT the sig
nifcanf one of Liberty Hall. IL u
- Interesting coincidence that these
colleges, called into beng by the
same pious and patriotic motivves, nave been
known by names not only IN harmony Win
The TEMPER Of the times. bull prophetic also
~ ,be narollel lines I'm which their histories
&c ~ RIM through future year,, giving
ri.e 10 strange and beautiful condolences.
wien rCsistancc 10 the cncrOachmeuts OF
lie British Crown became necessity on
tho Uert o, the American colonies llGmp-
deu.Sleney was prompt to espouse the
c.usa of nopIlIar freedom, and when re-
onisltion cane 10 The county IN which it
stood for n company 10 oppose IN" expected
invasion the students volunteered, ana
marched with their president, John BAR
smith, to the defence Of the capital: and,
% il 10 show bow steadily the lame con-
tjrutd 20 burn on the same altar, when the
second great invasion Of Nirginla came
not in the war Of 1872, but Of lSjl-the stu
dents Of that college volunteered and
MARCHED again under the command Of that
valiant Christian knight, JOHN NJ. p. A.
kinSon.
So. too. the students Of Liberty Hall. in.
famed with the love Of freedom hcT Pre-
sident bad inspired, were in full sympathy
with that patriot divine william Graham
when he became captlin OF The company
demanded from bis county in l7'7. Aud
true 70 their ancient traditions. in 1851, AZ
The call OF their first captaln-Nelson-the
rallied at the first tap Of the drum, and
under the lead Of The gallant, -odly white
won their first laurcls on the plains o.
Manassas.
TIE NOBIEsT PORN or GOVERNMENT.
II Is cyitcni, therefore. that the fathers
whose annals ! am rocltiug were equally
fitted for the founding Of colleges and for
The framing of civil constitutions. and a.
the result Of the struggle in which they
bore 50 conspicuous a part, the patriot. Of
the colonies succeeded in winning the in
dcIendcncc for which they fought and in
establishing government frcer in its Drln-
cipleS and more equitable in H. administra-
ton than any which had hitherto been
known, for IL was the only government
planted on the rights OF the people a.
It's sole foundation. In no other age or
land hid a government been reared upon
this single basis. In n constitutional
monarchy, like that Of England, there is
indeed vast amount OF wel-regul1ted
iibcr'y, but there is difference more than
nominal between subject and a citizen.
4 pyramid j. 4 symbol Of strength and OF
symmttIy, too. but pyramid with the peO-
pie at the base and the successive strata
marking gradatiOns Of classes from lower 10
higher until hereditary power j. reached.
with royalty at the apex, j. not symbol OF
republican freedom and equality. our
fathers believed theirs TO be the most equl-
table Of all possible forms Of government.
They believed that loyalty 10 a constitution
was nobler thing than loyalty t. king.
Where the sovereign j. the fountain OF
honor, Just IN the degree in which he
merits allegiance because OF the personal
qualities which command respect and alice
ton. he nuSt absorb the loyalty which be-
longs 10 the principles he represents. But
when men acknowledge no master but
equitable law. owning allegiance To a prin.
c'plc rather Than 10 a prince. theirs j. a
freedom which develops The tru"St man
hood. and patriotism itself. purified by dis
interested devotion 10 the common welfare,
attains its nOble>i growth under that form
Of government which has been 80 happily
defined as " government Of the people, by
tie people. and for the people"
OTHER REPUBLICS.
1t was not the privilege OF the patriots
OF any other age or country fully 10 demon.
strate this problem. In the old classic re-
publicS, il is true. there were splendid H.
Illustrations OF what freedom could do in
creating world.renowned Sages and states
men even when trammelled by hereditary
privilege and patrician power, but these
republics failed to show what the citizen
might become in 8 state where inere a"c no
inequalities OF hereditary rank and where
none are entitled 10 distinction by birth or
excluded from it BY the want OF ADVENT
tiOus advantages.
So, too, I'm after times in the land whose
capital claimed the proud title 81 the
Eternal Ciy-the land OF Tranquil skies
and purple mountains and historic shores
washed 10y the loycliest OF all Scas-the
land where art carved the marbles whose
beauty cnchants the world and lihcd the
walls Of great galleries with canvas glorilied
-, ,lft.,,ad In tho collars Df hfaVgD
and where the very air was tTcmulOus with
the music that mcits the hcart-theTe. too,
once dWet spirit which evoked creations
nobl,r than those Of the chiscl, the pencil,
or the lyrc-the spirit which quickened
into life and beauty the republics Of Genoa,
Milan. and Ncnlce-yet all OF them short.
lived, iragmentary. turbulent, bccllI,e
All government In its last ANALYSIS j, indi-
Ndual government, resulting from the
subjugaiion OF evil passions, the supremacy
Of conscience, the solemn sense Of moral
accountability; and the people. lacking
this element. were incompetent 20 cOmpre-
hend true liberty or To maintain il.
PROSPERITY or TIE USIOS TESTED.
Thatthe founders Of this republic buldod
better than they knew is evident from the
fact that 10 existing government has en-
ioyed n prosperity 20 great or 20 long un-
INTERRUPTED; none ever so quickly recovered
from the dcsolatOns OF war 80 gigantic
a. that Of lSG1; none ever saw Il restored
harmony so complete after a disruption %
terrible: none ever carried within itself a
vitahty'So intense and characterized by such
promise OF perpetuiiy; and above all, no
government could ever point 10 such de-
monstralions OF the wisdom OF its founders,
vindicated as that wisdom is by the verdict
Of the nations Of Europe as one after an
other Is seen transferring power from priv
legged GLASSES TO the hands Of the people
aud shaping Itself into forms more or les,
democratic.
DEMOCRACY IN EUROPE.
Look at united Germany for instance
its venerable Kanser still grasping the
sccptre indeed, but recognizing the author.
ity OF the ReiChstag, elected by universal
suffrage.
Look at France, repeatedly rejecting
monarchy, and eXpellmg the remnants OF
royalty from ITS territory; At Spain, rearing
new Castelars, and cropping after republi-
can forms; at Switzerland, repudlatiuc
aristocratic rule, and recognizing the
equality OF all citizens in the eye OF the
law; at Italy, emancipaied since it wit.
messed the wonderful spectacle OF IT, King
capturing his own capital; and even Eng.
land, by its commerce drawing tribute
from all the world until It's very faciltie,
for transportation made tho cereas oil
foreign countries so cheap at home as tC
lessen the value of its own productions
and thus by diminishing the price Of land
breaking the power Of the landowner. once