The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-25
JUDGE HEUGsIEs' ADDRESS.

NO one can read the address of Hon.
Ro w. Hughes delivered before the
Virginia editors at Charlottesville Tues
day. without being edited and instruct
ed Indeed, whatever comes from the
pen Of this distinguished jurist ana
scholar Is always interesting ana the
address in question is no exception to the
rule.
In his address, Judge Hughes called
| attention TO two facts which are inter-
esting ut this time, namely: That prior
to the war between the States the pop
ulatlon or the counties was greater than
ut the present time, and that the cities
were not as large as now, from which it
is apparent, says Judge Hughes, that
at that time Virginians were rural in
their habits, tastes. and predictions.
Their plantation society presented a pic
ture OF order, contcntment, virtue and
prosperity shown by no other rural
population III the world, except Eng
land. Inteilectual culture and social
refinement Of the highest order distin
guished their domestic life"
Nothing can be trucr than this mic.
ture OF rural life in Virginia before the
war. but unfortunately conditions have
undergone q change, and Virginians
are no longer "rura! in their habits,
tastes, and predlcctions' to the same
degree as In days gone by Country life
III Virginia is not what 1t used to he,
and perhaps the time never was when
the desire was SO great to immigrate
10 the cities as at the present time:
hence there Is q continual contribution
10 the already swelling tide towards the
population Of the cities at the expense Of
the counties, and the fact is to be re-
GREETED. Touching upon the question
or slavery. Judge Hughes said that 'the
mar million Of slaves which our terrific
ry embraced were the happy wards of
the best form Of patriarchaI life eyer
presented on earth. Exceptions did
mere and there present themselves but
universally the blacks were happy and
the whites prosperous The Africans
mad undergone progressive growth in
civilization since they had been thrust
upon our unwilling colonists and pre-
sented the only instance known in the
history Of a savage race (when brought
INTO contact with civilization prosper
ing under the fostership Of its noble vir-
tues instead Of pershing under the
blighting influences of it's vices. False
mood and fiction may say their worst of
the institution OF Southern slavery. but
It IS beyond the power of the most in
ventive ingenious and unscrupulous
mendacty that has ever perverted liter
Azure to false uses to obliterate the ract
mat the African in the Southern States
or the American Union, instead Of be-
ing oyertalen with the moral death
which has bcfallen the dark races IN
Guiding It's ownO wherever else in the
world they have come under the domin-
ion of civilization, has been elevated
amongst us from a savage into q man
capable to exercise the exalted fran
chises Of an American citizen"
These are facts known TO all men, and
Judge Hughes. in so clearly stating
them, but gives emphasis to truths
which cannot be denied. Slavery in
Virginia before the war was an idea,
| life for the negro In comparison to his
condition to-day, but ii would be difn
| cult TO find Il white man in the South
who desires their return to bondage.
The fact remains, however that slavery
was to the benefit Of the negro, and "a
luxury" in which the white pcopl. ID
| not again care to indulge. Candor com
| pels the statement that Virginia and In
fact the entire South would have been
Infinitely better off had there never
been such q thing as slavery
AS might have been expected. the ad-
dress was rich In "reminiscences Of Jour
nalism in Virginia. and the tribute
which he paid to the ability and worth
Of the men who plotted the craft In
ante-bellum times,was not only interest
ing to marked degree. but was ex-
ceedingly instructive as well. No
man in Virginia is better equip
ped for the work assigned him
by tho Press Association OF
Virginia than Judge Hughes, and it is
quite certain that none could be more
| interesting in handling the subject.
|