Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-10
quisten the hearts Of ali sssrus,sd With
its keeping.
4 MArnnAL ACE.

its keeping.
MATERIAL AGE.
This, Mr.. Ohsirmau, hes ben caued
o material age, and II Il natural h should
be so. Individuals pursue thei1 fortunes
with unparalleled avidiSy. not only be-
cause Of their unprecedented opportani-
ties In America, but also beoanSe N Ne
peace and liberty that We possess ths3e
minds are relieved OF questions WHICH
perturbed former generations. You
might expect from me on this ocoas6on,
therefore, some exposition OF To nate.
rial accomplishments and Iesourcss al
Virginia, and the great dvemity OF m
terests she possesses 10 attract brswuy
labor, shrewd capital, and dfsecf1xa
skill. 1t might be interesting 10 fe,ats
how soon she appreciated the great
West. and how, following tho
projections Of Washington, she BUN
turnpikes and sought 10 estxk
lish o water way 10 connect With
the Ohio and the Mississippi;
how. when the system OF railroads be-
came known, no State surpassed her In
internal development, which she created
at great cost, looking in the same
direction. His Excellency Governor
Mckinney is to be congratulated that
the public debt created for this pur-
pose was so happily settled during his
administration. There is no State in
the Union which could better support
a vast population II set apart to itself.
either with the necessaries Of life or the
refinements OF civilization. In the
Tidewater region the Cheapeake Bay,
its rivers and estuaries supply an mex.
haustible larder of fish and oysters, and
from its alluvisl soil the metro
politan markets are supplied with
its early products OF orchard
and garden. The cotton that
clothes man and the genial weed
that comforts his weary spirA grow ado
by side. The great and lovely Valley OF
Virginia is a granary that has fed two
armies and could feed the State. The
bright tobaccos of the Southside are
everywhere sought for their value a.
golden wrappers. The bluegrass plans
aud undulating hills of Piedmont are Q
delight TO oraziers. The Southwest is
storehouse of mineral and Agricultural
wealth which could cash any draft drawn
by Aladdin's Lamp; and tho health
giying waters of the mountains and low
lands alike make the State one great
sanitarium. Bay and river, field, forest
and mine alike extend hospitable returns
for any attention to them.
Our excellent Governor has admara-
bly, shown these things in recent
paper, and this, were there no other
reason, would deter me from speaking
to-day of these material interests Nor
shall 1 turn toward the States arts and
letters, nor to her great work fof edu-
cation, which is conferring 70 murh
honor upon the people that support 1t,
and upon the scholarly and enlightened
men who lead it. The danger OF our
progressive age is not that we will not
paw sufficient but that we will pay TOO
much attention TO those things which IN
natural development take care OF them
selves, to the neglect OF the greet con-
cern OF government which involves thom
all. Our government is complicated
and delicate machine which needs con-
slant thought and attention. The great
republics of the world which have hhh-
erto existed have perished Of congestion
Of oil our thousands Of officials there
is but one. the representative. who Is
elected 10y the people, and each OF these
represents constituency OF l5o,Oso
souls, There is strain upon the
fabric OF government in these rushing
times which none can estimate who have
not witnessed ii, and the vast concen.
trated interest of corporal and individual
wealth nresent TO il to-day problems
which no otiier generations have TO solve,
: and we might we'll turn to those things
which relate to our well l.being as nation.
RIRrH OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
The history of the American people
: begins with the landing at jamestown
, on the 18th of May, 1907, OF tho first
: Englishmen who came to this continent
TO STAY. They came when the angry
, waters which tossed them into the shell
tering arms of Hampton Roads were
less perllous than the savage wilderness
which now welcomed them with a fli9ht
J of Indian arrows. Timely indeed Was
the coming of these strangers, for o
critical period in history was at hand,
: and o different event would have
: changed the history Of the world in all
J its subsequent scenes.
When Queen Elizabeth died IN 1903
: there was not white man on the Ameri-
. can Continent north Of Florida and
|, Mexico and not one Of our kip4red
: blood on this side OF the AtlantiG Tho
: banners of St. George and st. Mark
which Cabot had planted on the north
. ern coast had long since disappeared.
: The colony OF Raleigh at Roanoke IN
what is now North Caroline had been
!, exterminated. Virginia was only the
name of o vague territory in the West.
sometimes called "shs Continent Of
u Virginia" which tho English peopaed
|, with great hopes and expectations and
which was named in compliment 20 tho
. virgin Queen. Three powerful rivals
had fixed their eyes on this distant
land-England, France, and Spain. In
!, 1895 France planted her hhes amifthe
SHOWS of the north and Champlnin was
already hailed as the Father Of Canada.
Ponce dc Leon had planted hinself m
Florida. The continent southwafd was
in the grasp Of Spain under the con-
quest of Cor.ez and Pizarro.
n ever the language OF Shakespeare
4 and Milton is to be spoken here, now u
q the time for some one to speak 1t IN tnn
q waiting wilderness. II ever the Anglo
y Saxon is TO have here his home-rule
= liberties and his parliaments Of the peo.
q ple. now is the time for some bold. hand
h to sow the seed. For over century the
4 beautiful land has laid unwon, but 10,
i the bridegroom cometh
q THE sEA-GATB.
= Through the sea-gate between Caps
= Charles and Henry the nsvies OF th'
l. world came into the placid waters O
o Hampton Roads at the beginning Of thi
# exposition, where the James, the York
|. the Rappahannock. and the Potcma'
d meet in the Chesapeake Bay. ths
: mother of waters" as 1t was called II
> the Indian tongue, and where bay ans
a ocean mingle together. Whether practl
cal or sentimental considerations b
consulted, il was a fitting spot for tht