The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-10
Richmond
gBg SEAT OF TIE GREAT ElloIIi0N.
The Most Interesting Citv ia
the Union.
Historical Sketch.

English - eaklLg Iatt Oh '"' -'''
tinent was Cd a peninsula jut'ing ou' mo
lanes river short distance below Ken
uond. The English ladaready established
themselves in Virginia and had explored
.hs countrv far above thesite Of Richmond
and had taken il IN the name Of ihel Dou
and their King, and had a representative as
ssmblv when the Pilgrim Fathers set loot
ON Plymouth Rock. loWha.an had TRACED
corn with the Virginia settlers had mace
neace and war with them for years and had
retired from the scene amid bis nauyeioiesi'
on the banks Of the powhatan lby the
bomesick colonsts fo0lishly changed 20 the
lanes long before Ma.sasoit and samo'e'
of the Wamuanseys made Their treaty WIN
Governor Carver and taught the half starred
remnant Of the pilgrims TO raise corn
james river from Richmond 70 Old Point
Comfort was tie highway for Virginia boat
men and jamestown. Newport News. Der
muda Hundreds and Henr.co were flourish
inr colonies. when New York vas a Dutch
trading post and Boston W., a forest
Not many miles below Richmond are the
rnins OF .be Oldest Christian church winch
tbe Saxon race built IN America. and TIE
Peninsula is the scene Of tie DIST ''i -ssie
between the English race and The forces OF
The wilderness ana the savage. Every foot
of ground is more directly associated WIN
the settlement Of this continent than As Dls-
soric Plymouth Rock.
Thus Virginia is tie Oldest of al the states
In the Union. S nce that time She BIAS Ie-
tanned her historic prestige.
The first representative assembly which
ever met Oh American soil convened at
jamestown. The last Of the British Donin'
sons which held true TO The Crown was Mr.
ginia. which gained thus the right 10 be
ouartered Oh British Arms The first armed
resistance made against yicer7gal tyranny
was made n. Virginia and was headed by
young plante, wLo owned the very spot on
which a portion Of the city Of Richmond
now stands one of the boundaries Of the
city being named in incidental commemoIa-
ton Of the fact Bacon Quarter Branch
On Virginia soil took place the long s'7us-
ole between the colonies and The crown, be-
tween liberty and oppression, and finally from
Virginia burst forhthai matches galaxy OF
stars which founded tins nation and estab-
lished the American Union
Along the banks # the james holr'shed
race which has had no parallel in this land
araoe Of Engli. gentry who added To traits
inherited and transferred from their British
ancestors. q 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 adofn
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 to the end of
The great Civil Wa She retained uninter-
rppted her prestige.
1t was NIginian, Henry, who first flung |
down the gauntlet at the feet Of an armed /
and mailclad tyranny and declared for lib |
erty or death. 1t wa a ViIGnian Nelson
who first moved in general assembly that
the DELEGATES Of the colony in the Colonial /
Congress be instructed to Dc. lare US free and /
independent States Ii wasa Nirginian. Ma /
son. who drafted the great Fiji Ci Right. il was /
aVirgnian, Lee Who was selected to draw the |
Declaration of Independence, and in his un- /
ayoidable absence the task degolyed upon /
another Virsinian, Jefferson.
1t was Virginans who first in the worlds
history ordained written Constitution a,
compact between the Governor and the gov
erned. il was Virgnian who took COM /
mand OF the armies of the Revolution and /
after oonquer.ng Freedom fer the new land, I
took and held the helm Of State steady /
through the rough seas which pre- eeded The /
launching of a nation. Ii wasa Ni1sinan {
who presided for nearly half 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 yindicaton and reason which was
their proof.
At the time Of the war Virginia had held !
the office Of President during half the period |
which had elapsed since the formation Of the !
government. Nirginians had commanded |
the armies of the country in the only two
wars which had taken place, and Virginians |
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
delibera,ion and doubt as TO her duty and
ai,er exhaus;ing every effort to effect re-
Cancellation between the hostile sections, /
upon her peace comm ssioners being treated /
with disdain, and upon President Lincoln's /
call for troops and demand fora passage way
through her borders, deeming this final
violation Of her Constitutional rights, with |
drew from the Union, and prepared for war |
he Immediately became the. battle-ground
Within three months one Of the. bloodiest