The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-25

La Fayette when he toasted at Bunker
Hill in 1875 ''Enfranchised Europe the
toast may be drunk with enthusiasm Tor
TO none of the combatdnts IN I'oI were
the results more fortunate than to Great
Britain. The surrender at yorktown en-
slred the success of the ambitious dream
of the British statesmen. Daniel Webster
once spoke of the morning drum-beat
following the sun. keeping company with
the hours, and circiing the earth dairy
with one unbroken strain of the martial
airs of England. To the North, 10 the
East. TO the West proudly floats the
flag of our Colonial ancestors but II
should have inscribed upon It's folds the
name of our Yorktown! The British con-
stituton Of to-day is the only one that
would admit OF such variety or nations
and distant territories under one destiny.
by defeat the British nation learned the
sublime secret Of holding together its
Heterogeneous and widely separated
elements. BY conceding 10 its fullest eX-
tent the principle for which Americans
contended-no representation, no taxa
tion-it uniteS under colossal policy the
most perfect instance of local self gov
eminent with imperial unity. that ever
was known. ! do not forget the eXcep-
ton in the way of local self-goyernment
offered by Ireland and Nirglnians can not
forget It: for an lrishmdn named John
Daily Burk. wrote the history OF our
commonwealth. But the greatest states
man Of the age. William =. Gladstone.
has said that Irelands day OF enfranchise
ment will come, and believe It. And when
the day arrives IT will be the eonsum-
nation OF the lesson taught by the oldest
colony of Great Britain AT yorktown,
assisted by her sister colonies.
YORKTOWN SACRIFICED.
Well might the little city be content
at any cost with this glorious result. II
indeed laid its trade, almost its very eN-
istence On the altar. During It's hours OF
trial no other thought seemed To ami
mate its citizens, than one Of patriotism
and self~abnegatiOn. Its leading citizen,
Gen. Thomas Nelson, offered guinea
for the first cannon ball put through ms
own residence. And during eight terri
bic days a hundred cannon hurled their
terrible missiles through the town. with
appalling results. Alexander Macaulay,
VINO had married a daughter of Francis
JerdOne, reached the place on his bridal
trip BEFORE the peace was made and
CALCULATED, Poor RUNE IJrktOWu.
(3D. A British traveller Cjj) came d year
later and testified that many Of the
people had not even thought of returning
to their habitatiOns," that traces Of de-
strucuon met the sight every whore
and many families still lived in the ruins
OF buildings rIudied by the shot ana
shell of the besieging forces, 'and that the
vessels sunk by the BRUSH in the hdr-
Dor, 10 impede the passage Of the French
fleet, were still lying in the same place.
where they had been scuttled and no
trade ana wealth were entirely destroyed.
Isaac Weld visited the town In 1877 and
found the houses still bearing evident
marks or this siege but the inhabitants
looked on their misfortuneS as badge
OF honor; for" he says, they would
not on any account suffer the holes per-
iorated by the cannon balls 10 be re-
paired on the outside"
PRESENT APPEARANCE.
The present appearance of the town is
much as follows. one long street fol-
lowing the course of the river, with three
or TOUR cross streets. one leading down
the hlti 10 the wharf where the steamer
from West Point to Baltimore stops sew
eral times in the week. There are about
thirty I'VE houses, among them d new
JAIL courthouse, and clerks office. In
the last building can be seen the ven
cradle record books of the county of
York, going back TO about the year
1919. They were happily saved from the
general wreck of the late war by being
carried to the poor house In King WIZ
liam county. This was done at the in
stance of Or. Robert II. Power presid-
ing magistrate of the county In 1861, and
under the surveillance OF the clerk Mr..
Bolivar neutrality-suspicious. OF TWO
old York families. The old church, built
at the laying out OF the town. was burnt
down in 1914 (S6). but before the war IL
was rehabiiitated on Its old walls. The
material of the church was remarkable
The walls were made OF blocks OF mari
taken out OF the banks OF the river on
which II stood and which hardened by
exposure. 1t was cemented yet more by
the fire. which caused II 20 melt some
what and thus form one solid wall which
continued TO stand until the roof and
other parts were renewed The old bell
which had upon IL the inscription:
County OF York, l725" has been recast
and the material OF the present bell Is
the same as the old In the graveyard
are tombstones of the Nelson family and
others connected with the history OF
Yorktown. On the main street are 10 be
seen the colonial custom house, probably
the oldest structure OF the kind in the
United States, and the house of Gen.
Thomas Nelson. But the houses OF Pres.
idcnt William Nelson. hts father and OF
Philip Lightfoot which the ''itinerant"
specialIy named In 1746 as equal TO any
al ST, James" have long ago disap-
peared. There IL a cave near the river