The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-25

t1ty came Hittf TIC iNfNtAtAh'Nf othA A
omit them from my enumeration on that
account.
Was | not right when | said that Vir-
ginia was made up Of more distinct ele-
ments of population than any other OF
the old colonies?
do we not plainly see the distinct inlu-
ence OF each OF these elements upon the
making OF the republic
But let us look az some of the leading
events in the jamestown Colony as a
whole which have influenced the making
Of the republic:
No man can read the history Of Bacon's
rebellion Of 1876 without realizing that the
reasons assigned for their action by Ba-
con and his associates. the grievances al
legged as its origin. and the appeals they
made for support TO the colOnists, mad
a deep impression, which bore fruit in the
revolution Of a hundred years later.
In settling the territory Of Kentucky
and voluntarily ceding IL as a state; I'm
her explorations of the Northwest Terri
tory and subsequent cessiOn Of all her
claims thereto; in her abolition Of a
Church establishment; In the forfeiture
Of -glebe lands: In the abolition Of the
laws OF primogeniture and entail; in
adopting statutes for securing religious
freedom. Virginia was foremost in the
Tisr~ towards American freedom and
American glory.
II was her committee OF safety that
commissioner officers long before the out
break OF the Revolutionary war, and
opened correspondence with her sister
colonies. Ii was the voice of Henry hat
reused them TO action. II was the pen
Of Jefferson that wrote the Declaration Of
independence. IT was Mason who framed
her Bill Of Rights and furnished Ameri-
can freeman with a matches chart OF
liberty. IL was the purse Of Nelson that
gave a kingly fortune TO the continental
cause in its darkest hour. 1t was the
sword of Washington that led the armies
Of the republic. And It was Madison
who. with Jay and Hamilton, in-uced
the colonies TO enter into the bonds OF
perpetual union after liberty was Sc
cured.
The Revolutionary soldiers Of Virginia
and Connecticut founded the Ohio coll
ony, taking her savage lands as poor
pay for good service. And in Congress
the Virglnians were foremost in framing
and securing the passage OF the great
ordinances OF Ohio, under which slavery
was prohibited, and alternate sections OF
public lands were dedicated to the edu-
cation Of the people.
Her sons. from then until now, have
pcopled the bOundlcss West and South
and Southwest, and the spirit Of her
constitution and bin of rights has been
Incorporated into the laws Of many
States.
Is it vanity 10 declare in the light Of
these undisputcd facts that the influence
of the jamestown colony IN the making
of the republic was greater than that OF
any other colony?
II may be that I'm later years her in
Auence has declined, but no one can
gaiusay it's pred0minance in the forma-
ton OF the republic.
What grim irony OF Fate is seen when
we behold Virginia dismembered and the
State of West Virginia torn from her
against her Will.
OF all the ancient colonies, she alone
has suffered this humiliation.
Does the spirit which made the iniu-
cnce of the Virginia colony SO powerful
sin survive?
once in our " day we have had the
opportunity 10 judge Of this for ourselves.
Less than thirty years ago our country,
now so happy. so prosperous, so
united. was torn asunder by iratricidal
strife.
IN the two hundred and fifty years since
the jamestown colony was founded, Nir-
einia had changed less than any Of the
States. Her population was almost eX-
composed of the descendants Of
her original settlers. She was slow and
most bitterly reluctant 20 recognize that
strife must come. she was almost the
last State to take her stand. But when
her decision was made. nobody doubted
where Virginia stood.
Let us pass over the causes which LED
TO that sad period. Let us omit the de-
tails OF those bloody years, looking only
at one CHASTITY episode.
The decisive moment of the civil wal
the third day at Gettysburg.
In command If the Confederate army
was General Lee, a descendant from the
stock that l have designated as forming
the second migration OF Englishmen 10
Virginia, the cavaliers Of the upper
James.
In the supreme crisis Of his fate, Lee
to the flower Of his army, and
uIon the Virginia division, COM
maded by Pickett. TO do or die.
Pickett himself was from the same
strain as Lee. The three b~rigades, COM
posing his division, were led by Armistead
and Garnett. two scions of the old En-
alish yeomanry of ~Tidcwator. and by
Kcmper. a descendant Of one of Spots
woods colonists upon the Itappahannock-
In their REGIMENTS assembled hat day
the blue ensign. with It's lcgenu
'Sic Sempcr Tyrannis," were ranged
every class Of Nirginia's sons. None were
absent. The battlc-roll Of Pickett con-
.ained almost every name that had been
prominent in Virginia for two hundred
fifty years. Even among the officers
different types appear.
There were the Hodges. the Williamses,
the Taylors. the Bookcrs, the Richard
SONS. the Montaguts, the Marsdens. the
Naidens. the Carriers. the Taliaferros. the
the Mayos. the Macons. and their
from the Virginia lowlanGs. BY their
tides were the Watts. the Slaushters, the
itriblings. the Edmundses, the Huntons.
he M|agfuders. the Harrisons. the
Pages. the Byrds, from the upper
and Piedmont. There too
we're the Scotch-Irish. the Stuarts, the
,lcDowolls, the Hamiltons, the McClana-
lans. the Peytons. the Lewises.the Terrys.
he AlcXanders. the McLaughlins. the
'ampbells. and their kin.
But why pursue the sad theme further.
The soul Of Virginia was stirred as 1t had
never been before. She poured out at
he foot Of Cemetery Ridge that day. in
lch libations. the hearts blood Of every
that had eyer contributed to make
Ter great. / am not dealing with the
question whether she was right or wrong.
Vor Will the question whittier she won
n lost. She thought she was right. Her
'alor proved her sincerity. Victory or
Iefeat do not increase or diminish our
.dmiration OF dauntless courage.
In coming years Americans will ask no
title Of nobility from any man
han that his ancestor fought at Gettys-
,urg, and the record Of her sons upon
day will stand forever as N~irginia's