The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-10

FIX sglr or THE GREAT EXPOSITION
The Most Interestins inv II"
the Union
Historica1 Sketch.

rt. 6-,t permanent settlement OF 'ne
nre,isb Speaking race on the Amencan .oh-
nrant was on peninsula jutting out ,h'o
100 liver a short distance below Kch-
..,na The English had already estaoiished
.h.mse,yes in Virginia and had explored
the country far above the site Of Richmond,
and had taken it in the name oil their oVu
and their King. and had representative 40
.embly when the Pilgrim Fathers SET 100.
on Plymouth Rock. Powhatan had 'raueo
oorp with the Virginia settlers hsd ni'"s
n..os and war with them for years ana nao
,st;,sd from the scene amid his native forests
nm the banks Of the Powhatan 10y 'he
t,onss;ck oolonists foolishly changed 70 the
lanes long before Massasoit and samose'
ri the Wampanseys made their treaty "iln
Govarnor Carver and taught the half starved
remnant of the pilgrims TO raise corn
I.mes river from Richmond to Oid foih1
oc,rfort was the highway for Virginia boat
men and Jamestown, Newport News Der
muas Hundreds and Henrico were nourish-
sng colonies when New York was Dutch
trading post and Boston was forest
No, many miles below Richmond are the
minis OF The oSdsst Christian church which
N. Saxon race built in America ana 'he
peninsula is the scene Of the hrst struggle
...ween the English race and the forces OF
tbe wilderness and the savage. Every ioo'
&c ground is more directly associated with
the settlement of this continent than Is MS
s..ric Plymouth Rock.
Thus Virginia is the Oldest oil all tne o'a'es
On the Union. nee that time she has re-
tanned her historic prestige.
The first representative assembly "hich
aver met ON American soil convened al
Jamestown. The last Of the British Domih'
ions which held true to the Crown was VIZ
x;nia. which gained thus the right 10 De
onsrtered on British Arms. The hrst armed
resistance made against yice-r'gai tyranny
was made in Virginia and was headed oy d
voung PLANTER who owned the very spot on
vb;ch a portion of the city Of Richmond
now stands. one Of the boundaries OF fhe
c;ty being named in incidental commemora-
t,ou of the fact Bacon's Quarter branch
ON Virginia soil took place the long strug-
xle between the colonies and the crown De-
tween liberty and oppression and finally from
Virginia burst forth that matches galaxy oil
.,ars which founded this nation and estab-
,ished the American Union.
Along the banks of the james 1rished a
race which has had no parallel IN ms iahd'
. rsce ofEngli h gentry who added to trans
,rbsr;ted 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
mons falling to decay yet dignity ana acorn
the banks of the historic river; their work
ran never decay. Its fruit is the Amencah
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 War she retained unin'er-
rapted her prestige.
II WIS a virgnisn. Henry, who first flung
down the gauntlet at the feet OF an armed
and .nailclad tyranny and declared for lib
.tv or death. II was Virginian, Nelson,
Who srst moved in general assembly that
tAe Delegates Of the colony in the Colonial
Cs1s,ress be instructed TO declare us free and
independent States. It was a Virgnian' Ma
son. who drafted the great Bill OF Right II was
q yirginian, Lee, who was selected 70 ORA" the
Declaration Of Independence, ana IN ms I'M
.vo;dable absence, the task deyolved upon
another virginian, Jefferson.
twas virginians who first in the worids
history ordained written Constitution as
coppact between the Governor and the gov
armed. II was Virginian who took com
msrd Of the armies Of the Revolution. ana
amer concuerirg Freedom for the new land,
took and held the helm of State steady
through the rough seas which pre- 'eeded the
launching of a nation. 1t was a Nirgnisn
who presided for nearly half century over
the Supreme Bench Of the United States and
there expounded the laws and laid down the
rrinciples upon which the new government
was founded. with a wisdom which was
their yindcation 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; virginians had commanded
the armies of the country in the only two
vars which had taken place, and Virgnians
had taken the lead in nearly every act in
volying the welfare and progress of the
country.
In 1851, Virginia s1er long and painful
elaboration and doubt Is to her duty, and
after exhausting every effort to effect re-
Cancellation between the hostile sections,
upon her peace commissioners being treated
with disdain, and upon President Lincoln's
call for troops, and demand for passage way
through her borders. dseming this final
violation Of her Constitutional rights, with
drew from the Union, and prepared for war
She Immediately became the. battle-ground.
Within thr~~ op't one Of the. bloodiest