The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-05

OF estate rights in piantation-liie. me
made the home the unit In society, ns she
made the State the unit In government.
And the one was a good sclool Tor the
other.
This idea Of personal independence even
showed itsilf IN a pictures IIc hut rather
inconvenient fashion in The arrersement
Of the old churches. where he large.
square, high-backed pews represented
family privileges almost as distiactively
as the ring-fence did around the Di3nta-
ton.
Such was the spirit and leav'n OF VIZ
ginia's life, and IL worked itsch CUT III
spite Of the difficulties end proJudiceS IN
evitable 10 the period. until Il bore im-
mortal fruit in the Bill Of Civil and
Religious Rights. in the Declaration OF
Independence. first made by Virginia Tor
herself. and then drafted Icy Nlrs'nan
for the whole land, and. last and o,s' III
the man, broad and true AMI siioiS
enough to champion the righiS oil All
and become the Father Of His CounsfF'
PUBLIC MONUMENTS RARE.
But. naturally enough, public mon1-
ments were rare i'm a land thus ccEsu-
tuted. This controlling body OF country
gentlemen were not especially intercrteh
i'm erecting memorials In the towns
willie in the country what monnnen's
there were, would be Of private charac-
ter For instance. when Mr. Jefferson
had given directions about his own tonp-
stone. and prepared his own epitath his
most ardent admirers were long content
10 let that monument s1liice. Tais was
one OF the losses which grew out or inc
nature of plantatiOn-life, and the lhdl-
vidualism which it nOurished.
But now the old institution, the inonu-
mental plantation. is gone. and we do not
regret it, 1t has servel its generations OF
white and black. and become thing no
longer desirable nor possible. But be
fore IL passed that unique school or IN
depcndence and self-goyernment gave 20
the land imperishable monuments and
standards I'm the men that II produced,
and i'm the character which 1t wrought
INTO the State. And when such results
come from a system. the lack OF monu-
mcnts may, for a time. at least be par
doned.
Looking back to that day when the
coonists stood around their newly-erect-
ed cross. on the sand-duncS OF Cape
Henry. and considering what has grown
out of that seed blown by the winds
and fallen on this store. we cannot fail
TO be impressed with the combination of
blessings. not unmixed with discipline.
which cOnspirod I'm the founding of Viz
gipia.
We may be thankful that they came
when they ID. and not sooner. 20 be cut
off by the Spaniard. and left TO perish
In the wilderness, As did the pathetic
venture at Roanoke Island. They came
i'm the nick of time. for the first dan
ger. that of the Spanish foe. was past
and the factional period I'm the old coun-
try. which caused so many To leave dis
affected. was not yet at its height 50 1t
was coming when they did. they came
representing the integrity OF old Eng
land and not sect or faction or any
sort. They brought no grievance, they
nursed no bitter memories, they were in
fccted with no morbid tendencies but
such as are common 10 mankind. They
came not 20 seek for themselves privi-
leges political or religious, which they
were by and by to deny to others. They
came simply as Englishmen. witholS re-
gard to caste or condition, to- found
new dominion IN the New
World. II was a genuine and
representative piece of Old England
set down IN the new-found Virginia.
ranging IN rank from gentlemen" like
MASTER Edward Maria Wingheld." and
1.-THE Honorable George Percy" a brother
| of the then Earl of Northumberland.
| down 10 "Nat. PecOck." and 'Dick Nut
ton" "boyeS," as we still call our monde
script young servants. And among them
all moved that man of God. their min
lister, the Rev Robert Hunt. whose UNI
selfish fortitude and endurance as well
as his good doctrine and exhortation."
more than once reconciled them i'm their
difficulties among themselves Chiefly
by his own devoted example qucnching
those flames Of envy and disscnsion."
CENTRE OF POPULATION.
1t is true, a great proportion of the
first planters and the early supplies. were
of poor material and they and the colo
ny suffered accordingly; but there was
no radical restriction OF bias ia the lines
OH which the colony was laid down
They were as broad, at least, as those
| of the English nation; ana so. in due
! time, the quality OF the cOlonists Inn
proved: and. coming as they did in full
| est sympathy with all that was best be-
! hind them TO an environment which in-
| spired and developed all that was best
| within them, they built on through the
| years, their new building on the old
| foundation principles. So that now, tc
| their children. the dearest name Of theil
| rich inheritance is the old Dominion
| Certain il is, that Of all the colonie.
from the Old World, Virginia has haC
least occasion to depart from her orieina
| lines. Puritan New England, Dutch New
| vdnia, the Swedish settlements OF tn,
Jerseys. the Romish colony Of Maryland
! and the French element OF Carolina
| while contributing. no doubt, valuable
| elements 10 our New World have all
| needed TO Dee readjusted and altered. no
alone in government. but in the spr
and atmosphere of their life and civiliza
| ton, until they are far removed from
| what they began 10 be: while the DlC
| Dominion, beginning with no special ec
| centricity has assimilatcd what has come
| TO her from every quarter, herself leas.
| changed Of all. Her influence In this par
| ticular has been none the less real. be
cause 1t has wrought with the unob
| trustive quietness Of a truly natura
force. She has been "the Mother Of
| States" in more senses than one. anC
If we are grateful that our founder,
came when and as they did. we ar,
| equally thankful that they came wher,
they did. without any yet or hindrance
into Chesupisc BAY" For where else on
earth is there spot which all the yea
! round Is equal TO this7
/ have heard that Matthew Maury. In,
| pathfinder Of the deep. and the grea
| physical geOgrapher (whose monument
by the by is yet TO be erected. lonx ae,
| put his finger upon the mouth Of Jane.
river, and predicted that sooner or late
there would be the centre Of population
| In Eastern America. His prediction Il
based upon the natural causes of climate
soil. relative distances. and marine facili
ties: and it begins 10 look a., if the It'd,
might already be setting this way New
| port News is no longer a memory pre-
| served in a mere name. But these thing
| are I'm the hands OF Him who turnetl