New-York tribune., 1899-12-23
"OUR REUNITED COUNTRY"

VI IL hEl MI w y NJ.
"our Reunited Country was the theme Of
Professor W Gordon McCabe, who spoke next
In part he said:
Much as have enjoyed these speeches. one thing
I confess mas puzzled me little. And that is that
wellnigh every one of your distinguished orators
has Insisted directly or 10y Implication that the
Of on Nsog ia and that I but }or New England
patriotism and Puritan devotion TO duty and to
principle that little revolt OF 76 would have proved
somewha, OF hasco. God forbid that here or else
whore shall seek TO abate one jot or title Of the
England grit and sagacious New England state
craft.
In your December oratory here tonight you nat
uraly have unfolded TO you the New England point
OF view. But come down TO Virginia and clink
glasses with me in May. when meet TO celebrate
dn far moro Puritanical fashion than this) the
anniversary OF the first permanent English settle
ment in America. yonder at jamestown; where
than year before the landing OF the May
flower was convened the first legislative assembly
In the New World. and you VIII near our after
dinner orators unblushngly declare that when the
dun war cloud I9wered IN ihe East ana tne foosh m
critics OF our OLD Dominion and her sister colonies
Mason Ehe drew the the immortal "B Of Rights
that 1t was Virginisn. Richard Henry Lee: who
colonies are and OF right ought 70 be free and in
dependent States; that II was NirSinan. Thomas S
pendenct. and that 1t was that glorious rebel and
great Nirginian. George Washington. who made
Come to us with your memories Of Lexington.
where that shot was fired that went echoing round
10
Hill where the old Puritan spirit hlazed high and
defeat wore the mantle OF glory and we will stand
uncovered before yonder noble monument I'm Rich
mond from which looks down upon us I'm i'm
perishable bronze the counterfeit presentment" Of
the Nations greatest son-seated In easy majesty
on his metted steed, serene and resolute, such as
he may have seemed 10 his ragged New Eng land
sodiery and his own Virginia Rifemen" I'm deer
skin leggings and fringed hunting shirt. he rode
slowly down his lines under the Cambridge elms on
that summers morning more than century ago
while grouped beneath him stand the heroic figures
Of those great Virginians who shared with him and
with your fathers the peril and the glory OF guild
ing the new Nation out OF the dark and narrow
bondage OF "A royal tyranny into the broad sun
light OF republican freedom.
] but think sir. that blending Of the two
points OF view gives us the truer perspective as
our National development. What you call the
Puritan spirit OF which you Justly proud has
never. ] think, been confined TO New England
alone; nor do believe that Virginia can claim ex-
elusive heritage in the gracious and generous quail
ties OF the Cavalier.
given by Southern men in this Spanish war TO ST.
ence forever the cavils and doubtngs Of many aus
tere patriots who for thirty years and more had
proved them as invncibe In peace as they had
been invisible In war" Above the first fierce mutt
terings Of the coming store high and clear yor
der al Havana the voice OF Fiizhugh ee .iemand-
ing with solderly drectness prompt Spanish recog-
milton OF the sanctity OF American citizenship
Then. when the die cast. and the Olympia on
that memorable May morning stood into Manila
Bay 'on the bridge" close alongside OF George
Dewey Of Vermont, stood Tom Brumby OF Geor-
Tia God rest his noble southland so. when the