The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-11
ygy sgiT OF TIE GREAT EXPOSITION
The Most Interesting CIV III
the Union.
Historical sketch.

Ienea river a shOrt distance beloW iiCh
mond. The English had already established
themselves in Virginia and had explored
.be country far above thesite OF Richmond
and had taken It in the name OF 'heI COO
and their King. and had representative as
semhv when the Pilgrim Fathers set 100,
or plvmev,b Rock. Powhaian had iIadeu
oorn With the Virginia settlers. lad maze
r.sce and war with them for years and had
retired from the scene amid BIS naive forests
an the banks Of tie Powha'an 10y the
ho,oesick oolonists fo0lishly changed 20 me
lanes long before Massasoit and sainose
If the Wampanseys made their treaty WIN
Governor Carver and taught the hah s'"i'eu
remnant Of the pilgrims 70 raise corn
lanes river from Richmond to Old Point
Comfort was the highway for Virginia boat
,osn and jamestown, Newport News Der
,onda Hundreds and Henrico were flourish
ing colonies, when New York was a D"'cn
trsdjpg DOS, and Boston was a forest.
Nor many miles below Richmond are the
rnjns Of .he Oldest Christian church when
the Saxon race built in America ana me
Peninsula is the scene Of the first struggle
,,etween the English race and The forces OF
The wilderness and the savage. Every ioo'
If ground is more directly associated with
the settlement Of this continent inan is his
toric Plymouth Rock.
Thus Virginia is the Oldest Of all The states
IN the Union. nee that time She has le-
tanned her historic prestige.
The FIST representative assembly when
ever met on American soil convened m
jamestown. The last ofthe British Domn'
ions which held TINE 20 The Crown was VIZ
sjnia. which gained thus the right TO be
chartered on British Arm-. The first armed
resistance made against ucelssal tyranny
WAS made in Virginia. and was headed hy
young planter who owned the very spot on
which a portion of the city Of Richmond
now stands. one Of the boundaries Of the
CITY being named 10 incidental commemoIa-
tjon Of the fac: bacon Quarter Branch.
On Virginia soil ook place The long ''Tus-
gle between the colonies and The crown be-
tween liberty and oppression.and finally from
Virginia burst forihihat ma'cAlcss galaxy OF
stars which founded this nation and esiao-
lshed the American Union
Along the banks Of the James fourished
race which has had no parallel in this land.
a race Of Enrli-h gentry who added 10 traits
inherited and transferred from their British
ancestors. a love Of freedom and passion
for the rights Of the individual born Of the
liberty of the forest The splendid man
sions falling to decay yet dignity and adorn |
the banks Of the historic river their work |
can never decay. Its fruit is the American
Union.
Thus Virginia is historically the most in
teresting of the States of the Union. From |
the settlement Of the continent 20 the end Of
The great Civil War she retained uninier-
rppted her prestige
Ii was a ViTgnian Henry who first flung |
down the gauntlet at the feet Of an armed |
and mailclad tyranny and declared for lib
erty or death. II was a NirEnian. Nelson.
who first moved in general assembly that
the Delegates of the colony ia the Colonial
Congress be instructed TO declare us free and |
independent states. twas NirgInian, Ma
BON. who drafted thegreat Bill q Right. Il was
Virginian. Lee, who was selected 20 draw the
Declaration Of independence and in his uu-
ayoidable absence. the task deyoiyed upon
another Nirginian, Jefferson.
1t was yirginans who first in the worlds
history ordained a written Constitution as
compact between the Governor and the gov
erned. 1t was virginian who took COM
mand Of the armies of the Revolution and
after conquerirg Freedom for the new land.
took and held the helm of state steady
through the rough seas which pre- eeded the
launching Of nation. II was a Nirginan
who presided for nearly half a century over
the Supreme Bench of the United STATES and
there expounded the laws and laid down the
principles upon which the new government
was founded with a wisdom which was
Their yindication and a reason which was
their proof.
At the time Of the war Virginia had held
the Office Of President during half the period
N4i4Nt VIC A'4 illAA4Nl4 Nl the
government VirginianS had commanded
the armies of the country in the only TWO
wars which bad taken place and Yirginians
had taken the lead in nearly every act in
volv.ng the welfare and progress Of the
country.
In 1861, Virginia after long and Painful
deliberatiOn and doubt a. 10 her duty. and
after exhausting every effort 10 effect re
Cancellation between the hostile sections.
upon her peace comm ssioners being treated
with dsdain, and upon President Lincoln's
call for troops and demand for q passage way
through her borders, deeming this a final
violation of her Constitutional rights, with
drew from the Union, and prepared for war.
he Immediately became Tie. battle ground.
Within three months one Of the. bloodiest