The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-07
. Richmond
yHg SEAT or THE GREAT tS?oNIiUN'
The Most Interesting CIV ia
the Union.


The brst permanent settieTnen' q lho
English Speaking race on The American eon-
t;rent was on a peninsula jutting out mo
I.,nas river , short distance below Rich
popd. The English had already established
themselves in Virginia and had explored
the country far above the site OF iAchmohu,
md had taken it in the name U the1 OV"
and their King, ard had representative as
ssr,hlv when the Pilgrim Fathers set 'oo'
nm Plymouth Rock. Povhatan had traced
oorn with The Virginia settlers. bad maze
reace and war with them for years ana A"u
,stired from the scene AMID his native forests
On the banks of the Powhatan 10y tie
bomeick colonsis foolishly changed TO the
lanes long before Massasoit and saInose
Of the Wampanseys made their treaty "''n
Governor Carver and taught The Aaj siai''d
vs,nnant Of the pilgrims 10 raise corn
james river from Richmond TO ola io'h'
Comfort was the highway for Virginia boat
mon and jamestown Newport News Der
muda Hundreds and HcnTco we're horIish-
,og colonies wien New York was Dutch
trading post and Boston was forest
No, manv miles below Richmond a'e me
wing Of the Oldest Christian church "n.eh
the Saxon race built in America and TIE
Peninsula IS the scene Of the first struggle
hs.veen the English race and tie forces OF
,he wilderness and The savage. livery ioW
of ground is more directly soc'a'ed VIVID
the settlement Of this continent than is las
.oric Plymouth Rock.
Thus Virginia is the oldest Of all the states
4, ,he Union. nee that time she has poe
tanned her historic prestige
The first representative assembly "i-.h
ever me, on American soil convened al
L. The last Of the British Dom'n-
ions winch held true 10 inc ,.~. --oe Vir-
riuia. which gained thus the r.ett 90 oe
chartered on British Ann. TIE fist armed
resistance made against yicc-r'eal tyranny
was made in Virginia and was headed 10y a
voupr plante- who owned the very spot Oh
which a portion Of the city Of Richmond
now stands. one If the boundaries q the
city being named in incidental commemoia-
ton Of the fact Bacon Quarter Branch
On Virginia soil 'ook place the long sirue-
PIE between the colonies and the crown, be
tweennberty and oppression. and finally from
Virginia burst forihthat ma CHESS Galaxy of
stars which founded this nation and estab-
hshed the American Union.
Along the banks of the james foas.shed a
race which Las had no parallel IN this LAID,
arace of Engli gentry who added TO traits
Inherited ana transferred from their British
ancestors love Of freedom and passion
for the rights Of the individual born Of the
liberty of the forest. The splendid man
mons falling 70 decay We, 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 to the end Of
,he great Civil War she retained nnin'er-
iapted her prestige
II was Virginan. Henry, who first flung
down the gauntlet AT the feet of an armed
and mailclad tyranny and declared for lib
erty or death !, was a Virginian, Nelson.
who first moved in o general assembly that
the Delegates Of the colony inthe Colonial
Congress be instructed 10 declare US free and
independent States. /, Was Nirginian, Ma
on.who drafted thcgreat Bill Cf Right Il was
aVirgnian. Lee,who was selected to draw the
Declaration Of Independence, and in his un-
ayoidable absence the task deyolyed upon
another VirgInan, jefferson.
It was Virginans who first in the worlds
history ordained a written Constitution rs q
compact between the Governor and the gov
erned. Il was Nifsnian who TOOK COM
nand Of tie armies OF the Revolution. AID
after concucrirg Freedom for the new land,
took and he'd the hem Of State steady
through the rough seas which preceded Tie
launching Of nation u wasa Nirgn'an
who presided for nearly half a century over
the Supreme Bench Of the United States and
there expounded the laws and laid down tie
principles upon which the new government
was founded. with a wisdom which was
their yindication and reason which was
Their proof.
AT the tine Of the war Virginia had held
the Office Of presiden, during half the period
which lad elapsed since the formation Of the
government Virginians had commanded
the armies Of the country in the only TWO
wars which had taken place and Virglnians
had taken the lead in nearly every act in
voly.ng The welfare and progress Of tie
country.
In 1861, Virginia after long and painful
deAberallon and doubt as 20 her duty. and
AFTER exhausting every oaor, to effect %
Cancellation between the hostile sections
upon her peace comm ssioners being treated
/. with disdain and upon President Lincoln's
call for troops and demand for passage way
through her borders, deeming this i'nal
violation Of Aer constitutional rights, with
drew from the Union, and prepared for war.
heinmed.a,ely became the, battle-ground.
Within lhIee months one Of the. blocdict