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

n's,s s,, =, ,o,u,sr rights Sinc' all
s.,,'s - 'sn,,,,,',e,,f are grolciks, and not
In,m,ollnte ernIIops. since they are Dus zoe
| outv ard embodiment OF ihe 'oWH" soc'''
noliIicaI- o,hirnJ life Of the people whose
traditions end principles gre enshrined III
,hem where snail We find the ori2inai
sn,Incs from which these boaeiiceni aid
eer.9 idcping streams issuedF
THREE GREAT FOUNTAINS.
7 onsver-tirsi, in the Word OF God,
from which the true ideal OF representative
| government Il derived; second, IN the great
| formation ~ the sixteenth century, which
awokeued the world afrcsh 20 the recogni-
lion 81 the sacredness Of the domain OF con-
! .cieuce. which proclaimed not only the
worth Of the seul, but the value OF the citi-
| zcn: which kindled human Intelligence and
! gave rev DEVELOPMENT 10 literature, art
qrd The science OF government; which ein.
| MIA. lied the great truth that II rulers had
/ rights they also had duties, and II the rulel
| rad duties they also had rights; that the
| peoTlc we're the true source OF power, and
| jhat all lust government rested on the con-
| sent If the governed. And as the third OF
| The influences which have shaped the lnsti-
/ iuiIors of the land would mention the
| REGULAR training received by the emigrlnts
| 10 these shores and by The patriot sages who
| we're most influential in shaping our Con-
| tItution.
A SPLENDID CENTURY.
The century made memorable in Amerl'
| can annals bv the settlement OF jamestown
| and Plymouth, like the century which pre-
| coded IL. was charged with intellectual ana
moral forces so quickeniBg, all.pervaslye,
and rcsistless. rs TO waken the world 10
new conception OF The possibilities OF hu'
| mauity for progress In all that constitutes
The noblcst he, whether Of the tndiylfual,
The nation, or the race itself. II was the
era when the discovery OF new countries
kindled The inaginaiiOns OF men ana set
great tides OF emigration TO flowing; when
The multiplication Of inventions lightcned
| toll and stn uated enterprise: when conf
mercc enriched the world by the exchange
| Of commodities; when printed books hld
| 50 replaced the rare and costly manuscript
rs TO bring within popular reach Whatever
was most worthy Of remembrance ~ NJ
| tory, whatever was most instructive IN DE-
ogTaphy, Whatever was most equitable in
| lazy. whatever was sweetest in song, what
ever was profoundest in philosophy.
Above all. 1t was the era OF the great
conflict between religious liberty and cccle-
siastical dcspOti>m; between popular rigAt
and arbitrary government. That cpOoh
was 10 the one which succeeded 1t what
youth. with lis intense emotional life and
conscious physical yigOr, is 10 the manhood
into which il natures. II was the epoch
when elemental forces, long latent, burst
forth into an activity as irrepre.slblc u the
floods Of melting glaciers when iiamed over
by tOrrid suns, or ~ the pent-up electricity
Of thunder clouds forces lis cleaning path
way through the air, shining from one part
a. l..N, ala tool NtrT.
coming out Of the east and shining even
unto The west, Wa on emblem not only o!
the resi>iess forces suddenly released, but
Of tie direction which these outbursting
forccs'tOoS when the colonization OF this
continent opened way for the Yves ward
march Of the new empire OF free thought,
free speech, free religion, and free govern
ment. II was the epoch made luminous
by consultations Of illustriOus writers,
statesmen, and soldiers in every part OF
Europe. II saw the splendid court OF Eliza
beth, with Bacon for her lord chancellor,
Raleigh for her councillor. SpcnScr for her
laureate, and Shakespeare for her muse in
all the realms OF song. II was the era OF
Seldon and Hale, Of Locke, Of Newton. OF
Milton. So, too, on the continent pant
Ing, sculpture, poetry, science, romance,
and theology were represented bv Raphael,
Michael Angelo, TasSO, CcTyantcs, Copper
nicuS. Kcpior, Calvin, and GrotiuS. 1t saw
the revolt Of the Netherlands, the eStab-
lishment OF fhe Republic Of Holland. the
Revocation OF the Edict OF Nantes, the
dawning splCndOr Of the reign Of LOUIS
XIV, The decline OF feudallsm, the recoil
Of the world from prioStly dcspoiism, the
triumph Of the doctrines OF the Rcf0rma-
ton. out OF these centuries came the prln-
ri, Loo oh
bv hundreds and thousands TO colonize the
wilderness and to cause bounde's UNI
titled territory to blossom a the rose.
THE COLONISTS OF THE VALLEY.
To appreciate their work, we must make
a RAPID review OF the causes which con.
strained them 10 abandon their native homes
and the countries where their forefathers
had contendcd for their rights with such
varying success. To Eastern Virginia
England contributed tho largest number OF
cOl0nists- some Of them cavaliers, more OF
them veomen- while the banks OF the
James FLYER more than hundred miles
from the sea were dotted with tle settle
ments Of the French lIuguenOtS arranged
after the fashion OF their own country
their farms divided into long, narrow pa
rallclogramS, with few hundred yards
fronting on the water, but running back
mile or more INTO the interior, that their
habitations might stand near each other
in close. continuous line along
the river, thus Illustrating their fOndne,S
for village life and their social dispositions.
Genial, cheerful touched with the bright
ness OF their own sunny skies and kindly
cline frugal, industrious, chivalric, with
vivacity which a century and half OF
persecution could not suppress. II they dld
not make such q contribution in number to
the reputation Of the colony a. did other
emigrants they cXcrted an influence in the
! great struggle for Independence quite out
| Of proportion TO their numerical strength.
| That influence has been compared TO the
| cold which some one cast into the mould
| flllod with the melted metals which were
| TO compose the great bell OF Moscow-the
! gold was not much in quantity, but it gave
| 10 the great bell u tineneSs OF tone and
! nclodious ring it would not have possessed
| without ii.
The SCOTCH-IRlSU.
| But the Valley OF Virginia, which sur
| rounds this University like the magnificent
! framework Of picture worthy OF such u
setting, was chiefly occupied by people OF
| kindred principles but OF different origin.
| In Scotland during the reign Of James. OF
| Charles I. and H., when prelacy was thrust
on an unwilling people by tyfannlcil eulcls;
| when courts of high commission were es.
| tabliShed To enforce them; when house
| holders were required TO give bond that
| their families should not attend the services
| OF "a Church endearcd TO them by all that
was sacred In their convictions, traditions.
and memories; when prisons were filled
| with the victims Of intolerance; when SOL
diers were Quartered on the deienceleSS
| inhabitants and restrained from no out
| rago-then il was that these great protests
| against oppression found voices which will
never cease to sound while winds blow and
waters flow, and while the great heart Of
| humanity thrills in sympathy with the s0r-
rows OF those who suffer for con-
sciences sake. Then it was that thou
sands Of the prosecuted sought refuge in
the north OF Ireland, where for \ time
they found the rest which liberation If
forded, though religious liberty was yet
unknown. But even this repOse was not TO
continue long. | have no time 10 pursue
the story Of the conflict between the ever
antagonistic forces of despotism aud lber-
| ty-the irrepressible conflict Of the ages.
But In the providence Of God a new land,
| indeed new world, in more senses than
one, was disclosed TO the vision Of the OPP
pressed, and new hope, like morning
star, rose above the darkened horizon. The
| prospect Of territory OF unknown magnl-
| tude, with the ocean for its eastern