The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-27
PHI SBAr oP rHE GRBAY EXPOSITION.
The Most Interesting City in
the Union.
Historical Sketch.


English speaking race on the American Don
tinent was on peninsula jutting out into
James river a short distance below Rich
mo- d. The English had already established
themselves in Virginia and had explored
the country far above thes.te Of Richmond
and had taken it in the name OF Their Got
and their King. nd had a representative as
sembly when the Pilgrim Fathers ses 100
On Plymouth Rock. Powha'an had traded
corn with the Virginia settlers, had maze
peace and war with them for years and hao
retired from the scene amid bis native forest:
nm the banks Of the Powhatan (by the
bomesck colonists foolishly changed to the
Janes) long before Massasoit and Samose
Of the Wampanseys made their treaty with
Governor Carver and taught the half starved
remnant of the pilgrims to raise corn
James river from Richmond to Old Point
Comfort was the highway for Virginia boat
men. and jamestown, Newport News, Der
muda Hundreds and Henrico were flourish
ING colonies, when New York vas Dutch
trading post and Boston was forest.
Not many mi es below Richmond are the
minis of the old st Christian church which
the Saxon race built in America, and the
Peninsula is the scene OF the iirst struggle
hetween the English race and the ioNes OF
the wilderness and the savage Every foot
of ground is more directly associated with
the settlement Of this continent than Is his
toric Plymouth Rock.
Thus Virginia is the Oldest OF ali the states
In the Union. s nee that time she has re-
tained her historic prestige
Tie first representative assembly which
ever met on American soil convened at
Jamestown. The last of the British Domin.
ions which held true to the Crown was Vir-
ginia. which gained thus the night to be
auartered on British Arm. The Inst armed
resistance made against vicer gal tyranny
was made in Virginia, and was headed by
Young plante- who owned the very spot on
which portion Of the city Of Richmond
now stands. one of the boundaries Of the
civ being named in incid ntal ccmmcmora-
ton Of the fact Pscon's Quarter Branch.
On Virginia soil ook place the long strug-
Gle between the colonies and the crown, be
tween liberty and oppression, and finally from
Virginia burst forth that ma CHESS galaxy OF
stars which founded this nation and estab-
hshed the American Union.
Along the banks of the james toufshed
race which has had no parallel in this land,
a race of Engli gentry who ADDED to traits
inherited and transferred from tneir British
ancestors, q love OF freedom and passion
for the rights Of the individual born of the
liberty of the forest. The splendid man
xons 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 10 the end Of
the great Civil War she retained uninter-
rupted her prestige.
Il was Virgnian, Henry, who first flung
down the gauntlet at the feet Of ali armed
and mailclad tyranny and declared for lib
erty or death. 1t was q Virginian, Nelson,
who first moved in general assembly that
the Delegates of the colony in the Colonial
Congress be instructed TO declare US free and
independent States. 1t wasa Virginian, Ma
son, who drafted the great Bill ,f Right 1t was
Virginian, Lee, who was selected to draw the
Declaration of Independence, and in his un-
avoidabie absence, the task deyolved upon
another Virginian, Jefferson.
1t was virginians who first in the worlds
history ordained q writ en- Constitution as a
com pact between the Governor and the gov
erned. 1t was a Virginian who took COM
mand Of the armies Of the Revoluti on. and
after conquering 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. Ii was Virgin an
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 wisdom which was
their vindication 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; Virginisns 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
voiviDg the welfare and progress of the
country.
In 1861, Virginia after long and painful
elaboration and doubt as to her duty, and
after exhausting every effort TO effect re-
Cancellation between the hostile sections,
upon her peace comm ssioners being treated
with disdain, and upon President LncOln's
call for troops, and demand for passage way
through her borders, deeming this final
violation Of her Constitutional rights, with !
drew from the Union. and prepared for war.
She immedisteay became the battle-ground. |
Within three months one Of the blOodiest