Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-16
VIRGINIA'S LOYALTY.
MR. rHoMAys LECTURE BEFORE
THE 8. p. v. A. LAST NIGHT.
The Colony from 1es2 to 1900. and
n. Relation. to the Regal and the
parliamentary Governments OF
England.
England.

Another Of the series OF lectures under
.ho ,usn,ces OF the Association for the
Preservation OF Virginia Antiquities was
given in the hall of the House OF pfie-
gates last night, and to large ana mose
cultured audience.
The lecturer was Mr. r. s. Thomas. Oh
smithfeld, Isle of Wight county. ana ne
was most gracefully introduced by Judge
Henry w. Flournoy. who alluded IN APP
propriate terms as well to Mr.. Thomass
services to his State with his sword as
TO his services TO her in the field OF MS
toric search.
Mr.. Thomas's subject was Affairs In
Virginia from 1912 to 1860. and the Rela-
lions Of the Colony to the Governments
OF England, Regal and Parliamentary.
Before taking II up, however, he thanked
the ladies of the society for the aid they
had rendered in the restoration OF the
old church near SmithAeld, and stated
that the money they had furnished had
been devoted In part to paying Tor the
sections OF the windows devoted to John
Smith and John Rolf. His tribute TO the
society was a most eloquent one.
AFFAIRS IN ENGLAND.
Mr.. Thomas then announced his SUBJECT
and after taking occasion TO thank pup-
licly MIR, Stanard for calling his atten-
ton to the Salisbury papers, called at
tention to the condition OF affairs In
England beginning about 1872 and to some
of the leading events during that period.
and said nowhere else on Gods green
earth could refugees from the Mother
Country find place so congenial as In
the Colony. He gave In close sequence
the historic facts leading into the division
OF the people OF England into the Cava-
lier and the Roundhead parties, traced the
rise and fall of the Rump parliament, and
then, coming back across the sea, de-
scribed the condition OF affairs under the
administration OF Berkeley. which caused
the Englishmen who loved the King and
the Church of England to come to Vir-
ginia.
VIRGINIA WAS LOYAL.
The loyalty OF Virginia to Charles I
and afterwards to Charles ii was graphi-
cally described. and a most interesting
sketch was given OF the Norwood voyage
and the hardships II encountered. The
feeling In Virginia was. as well known IN
London as IL was In the Colony, SAID
Mr.. Thomas, and al consequence hun
dreds fiocked here. preferring freedom In
Virginia to tyranny In England.
Mr.. Thomas dwelt at some length Upon
the action of Berkeley In placing virginia
In a state of defence. gave description
Of the expedition sent over TO reduce the
Colony to subsection. and showed that
instead of Jamestown surrendertng TO the
feet. the fleet surrendered to James,
town.
His description OF the merry Co
lonlal virginian. who could raise
| to the herolsm OF facing any
hardshlps and daring all consequences,
was a splendid dissection OF character,
| and when he followed up that deserip-
| ton with an aliuslon 10 the fact ttat
| that stock was the same that marched
| from Bethel to Gettysburg he was most
enthusiastically applauded.
REINFORCED BY HER SONS.
The men OF l6i9I50. said the lecturer.
did not make Virginia, but hey rein
forced her. and helped to make her
strong and vigorous. Mr.. Thomas re-
ferred to many OF the historic settlers OF
the period. and gave evidence throughout
his lecture OF most careful and pains
taking research and wide reading and
study. He made a most enective poih'
with his audience when he said the
Colony only at last yielded to brute force
as Virginia had yielded to the game force
April 9. 1865.
Mr.. Thomas, in closing. paid snothei
high tribute to the society under whose
auspices the lecture was delivered, anc
also made most complimentary reference
TO the work OF the Virginia Historical
Society. -,
At the conclusion OF the lecture Mr.. nj
NJ. Gillian arose and. In few yer,
happy words rendered the thanks OF tbs
society to Mr.. Thomas,