The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-01-21
GORDON'S FINE ADDRESS.
COLONIAL HISTORY OF THE
STATE DISCUSSED.

ciets for the Preservation OF virginia An
tiauitie. in the Young Mems Christian
Association HAL Large Audience.
The hall OF the Young Mems Christian
was well filed last night by
fashionable audience TO hear the address by
ex-senator James Lindsey Gordon. The |
address, which was indeed an able one,
was delivered under the auspices Of the As /
ISOLATION for the Preservation Of Virginia |
Antiquities. His subject was 1.-The Early
History OF Virginia"
Mr.. Gordon arrived in the city at 7:i5
o'clock T.. VI. from Charlottesville. lie
was. met at the depot by Mr.. Wyndham X.
Meredith. who will entertain him while |
here. He was very unwell, and expressed
the fear 10 Mr.. Meredith that his effort
would be failure.
On the platform we're Hon. William Writ
Henry, Judge. W. W. Crump and General
Joseph Il. Anderson.
PROMINENT PEOPLE.
Among the prominent persons in the
audience were Messrs. T.. V. Valentine,
John Hunter. Jr., &. T.. Wingo, W. X.
Meredith, II. II. Pollard, {. w. Harwo0d,
r.. +. Daniel, W. Chase Morton, Rev. Dr.
Reade, j. Aston Cabell, K. a. Brock;
Charles Poindexter, Wv. English, Colonel
Tazewell Elicit. Isaac Davenport, Jr.
The speaker was presented by Mr. Hen
nv. who stated that the Society was in
flourishing condition. The sole object, he
said. vas the preservation Of old buildings
and landmarks in the state.
MIR. Gordon began by saying: INT. Chalr-
man, Ladies of the Association for the Pre-
seryation Of Virginia Ani'1",,.,as ~ 'd ,5o
| anu uUnticnen: nave just Solteh oh tnc
train from a long and tedious trip and feel
no little exhausted, and am sure YOU VIII
expect no very extended address from me
tonight.
PATH TO TRAVEL.
81 am commissioned 10 travel TO night
path which is rs beautiful and as endear-
lag a. 10 other path could be for us. This
path is filled With the glOres of our fathers,
who have passed through the portals OF
JASPER. and have walked the streets Of
cold. Yet. when ! received the invitation
of this society TO make this address, hesi-
tated TO accept it because ] could not see
how man could press Within the time al
lOtted him anything tangible IN reference
10 the history of this old Commonwealth,
which would not seem trite and old. or
which would not have been said thou
sand times before.
"Great, indeed, would il be to weave
into this happy night the story OF this
colonial history. Pleasant would it be to
trace the legends Of our past existence as a
state. but time will not allow. and eN-
press ions sufficient 10 the importance OF
the subject would fail TO commemorate
the history Of our lovely achievements.
yet IN the olden time, and ! say the
Olden time, tor 1t Is the olden time To me-
remember standing by the statue OF Lord
! - .,rlt t.l, IfapIs fup al
nv old Alma Mater at Williamsburg. and
looking down the street. where in Olden
times the noble lords and ladies have rolled
Lin their gilded coaches 10 the bathrooms
of the palace. ard where have passed TO an0
fro forms az d figures familiar to the readers
Of colonial history.
HARDsHiPs AND SUFFERING.
/ "Aud yet how little we Of the present
time appreciate the hardships and suffer
, ings or the splendOrs and glories OF tho7'
l forgotten DAYS. | am not here to enter into
. discussion Of the social or political history
of those times. | ain not here 10 trace th'
sequence Of events from the iOanding o
jamestown to the declaration Of lndepend
j ence. for have neither The time 10 DO 81
e nor YOU the patience TO listen. DO no
G mean to tell the story Of John -smIlh and o
= PocahOntas, or tell Of those individuals Wh'
j. rode with Spotsw0od around the land.
IL do not mean 10 tell Of how BacoI
y raised the instruction 10 stand against th'
i authority OF the British crown; OF how w 81
!. liam Berkeley thanked God that in this colo
Il ny there are neither free schools or printin'
, press: OF how the colonies. 30 long suDnIs
f sive, were stirred to resistance; OF how ina
attful Governor removed the powder from
the old magazine at jamestown. whicl
caused, for the first time, the assembling o
an armed force against the royal authority
n - Yet, Mr.. Chairman. IL Is not so much
r. desire TO speak Of the political history o
i those times. for that is common properly L
II us all, but | desire for a while to speal
d somewhat Of the characteristic Of tn
s. colonial Virginia from whom we derive on
u own strength and purity Of character.
IS MANY YEARS PAST.
s. "Many years have fallen into the genera
l. tions of the past since those lords and ladie
h passed TO the balls where brave men ant
IL beautiful women danced down the fleetini
= years. Thank God the royal standards ben
d before the dag that knows no monarch
y high dominion, whose slken folds are fan
le ned by breezes fresh from freedoms snow.
Is piniOns."
)t Referring to the loyalty OF Nirgiuians il
lr DAYS gone by he said: "Now in the frs
ID place, Mr.. Chairman, the impulse Of on
d colonial fathers was 10 be lOyal 10 the king
serve God and honor the king was a com
mand observed in spirit and in truth. Lon
after Charles ceased to be King OF Englan'
10 he was still king OF Virginia. Hawthorn
n has said that we live in dead mems houses
+. but if he were to come back from tha
IN bourne from whence no traveller has eve
, returned he would lind that every man VIII
~ can afford it pulls down the dead man
. house and rcbuilds his own OF granite 0
f. pressed brick. Nothing so completely Illus
/, trates as the houses Of that period how tn
~ cOiOnial Virginia was barOnlal Virginia
, There was "A lavish use of brick and mortar
: a width and breadth of hall and stair tina
m soothod the heart and charmed the eye.
Y, VIRGINIA RELICS.
Gwen in the days in which we live Their
Is are vet standing in Virginia relics OF tina
y period to which we owe all that we are.
N "ln jamestown there stands the las
relics of the hardships through which Gu
fJrefathers passed"
Mr.. Gordon said that when he was boz
e at Williamsburg he used TO 90 down ani
S look at that old Powder Horn aud wonde
n il \ irginia could not afford to save at leas
v that one relic.
d In beautiful language he spoke Of the oil,
II State, the same soil, the same hills and tn
d same valleys as in those days OF hardship
Y and priyations.
IL lie commenced the society Tor It's gOO1
n work in preserving the relics Of the past
d He begged that the young people Of old VII
GINA be taught 10 love their mother State
and IN this connection his words wer
indeed beautiful and touching.
T. LOVE FOR The STATE.
e He said he knew no people upon the fac,
II Of the earth who love their country as d,
o Nirginians. In speaking Of the wonderful
g progress Of the State, he said he woul,
IF rather that il should all Danish than to attec
: the loving memories of Mason, Jefferson
Washington, Henry. Robert Edward Lee
e and all those heroes who added lustre to III,
s. broad record OF Virginia.
"Mr. Chairman, this may be sentiment
and do not deny it, but IL so God be praised
for sentiment. 1t was this same sentiment
= that made crimson the sgpws Of VALLEY
e forge. that piled high Win the dead III,
IS trenches Of Yorktown, that carried that un
e daunted line Of graz up the heights OF Get
!, tysburg or down int the depths Of death a
e the wilderness,
MIR. Chairman, have touched but light
VI Iv npao atr pafpnial hiafprN N This hurrta.