The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-15
PRESERY
OF OUR HISTORY
Or. Keut's Splendid Address Before
the A. P. v. A.
MUCH WORK YET TO BE DONE,
The APP. Y. A. ard Other Societies OF the
Kind Praised for What They Have
Cone-Iceturc Enjoyed by
Fine Audience.

Tar Charles ". Keni, OF the University
OF Virginia, lecturcd 10 a iiiae audience
sn the Haul OF the House OF beiesaics
,a.t ,,irl.. under The auspices OF the As
.so,;a.ton 10, The Preservation Of Virginia
Antiquities.
MS subject was Tho Preservation Of
.be Past and right wei did he handle
!, lie used no manuscript. DR.. Kent is
-, f,oe,ent sneaker and held The close
attention OF his audience for more than
an hour.
.bc resi- known literary people OF the
CITY. Every scat III the hail was occu-
,,iod and several persons were standing
Mr.. Virginius Newton GRACEFUL! intro
duced DR.. Kent.
DIR. KENT'S ADDRESS.
In his opening remarks the speaker re,
seircd lie the opening century and
.s1i,,iea bv way OF Introduction,
10 the Scuth's evolution o. progress
and the prospect of her development, TO
Sircinia-s natural leadership and TO ncr
present obligations. lie then noted the
many signs of Itichnlond'S abundant me-
as illustrated by her shipyard, loceno-
Tive works, factories. strcct-car systems.
superb river power, railway systems, ctc-,
and in numerous other ways. With q
declaration OF his confidence in the future
and his assured hope of seeing the South,
when her national conscience became
GU chened take her place, II not her
former pTirnacy, in the afTairS OF the ma
ton and with an injunction to strive for
This. he; ADDED that pride in the past is
The receneratirc force of the future, and
trat there was no Inconsistency IN en-
7,hasizing the duty Of preserving the past,
Stree memory must furnish us the :-la
tes,ial out OF which imagination shall con-
strrcl the programme for the future. No
,,la,,e could be better chosen for such q
theme than the State Capitol and the
platform occupied.
CONVENTION OF go.
Using then The Hall, the Capitol and
the surroundings for his starting points
the speaker recalled as Illustrative of his
them tho Convention of 1890 held in
this room. Briefly mentioning Philip
Barbour Madison. Monroe. Marshall,
Randolph and others. he called attention
TO the significance OF the year 1929, when
Monroe WAS Governor when Madison was
moving IN this room The famous Virginia
resolutions which James Barbour sup
ported SO ably in his maiden speech. he
spoke of WasfinEtons interest il this
event and OF his solicitation OF Iicnrys
support. of the death OF both. just as
Randolph and Marshall We're returned as
elected TO the Federal Congress. PuT-
suing this thought OF Virginia great de-
Lucrative bodies he called special atten
ton to the fact that il was Archer who
first proposed an American Parliament.
Sandys who drafted Americas first popu-
lar character, YcardIy VINO first inaugu-
rated popular government; that the origin
OF the House Of BurgesseS aug. 9th. 1919
antedatcs all other American legislative
bodies. and that in their contributions to
popular and representative government
these We're the imperislabie beginnings
Of American independence. But With The
knowledge OF these things comes the
saddening thought that NirsinianS made
little Of them. That every Virginia school
boy knew of the May Flower and Ply
mouth Rock, while many of them, and
older people. too. were sadly ignorant of
Jamestown S secular and sacred historic
significance. had utterly forgot the Sarah
Constant, the Geodspeed and the diScoT-
cry; no longer recalled The name OF any
of the first settlers save the romantic
John Smith, and concerned themselves no
whit about The careers or the resi- ing
places OF their carly heroes. And this
suggested the private burial places in
every community left desolate and neg
lected. or entrusted TO the rcverent but
uncertain care Of chance tenants OF the
neighhoring fields.
THE HISTORIC OLD CAPITOL.
A6vert,nr TO the fact that these
thoughts had been suggested by the hall
he referred next to the building, the
Naiscn Carve, which should ever stand
fur square againt all forms Of person.
al INJURY, public vice. or hidden injus-
lice, OF Whatever form. lurking nnN, for
instance. in the threat of DISTINGUISHING
the best of one race because the worst
had forfeited their rights. and giving the
highest privileges to the worst Of another
race because their best had deserved
them limiting that every house had its
f,aIs. -,
lhen Tor the preservation OF the few ex-
a!nPles still left of colonial architecture
iheSe buildings themselves are the re-
cores OF our race. the legibIe signs OF its
progress and ideals. But they were co,lb-
iy worth preserving because of their con-
tents and their associations; the colo
MAI homes, with their traditions and their
G-rfets. rich in old letters. the colonial
churches and their imprinted parish reg
listers. Inc old coGrthouScS with lIreyam
lned and unknown records.
Mentioning then the Capito! Souar. as
the richest spot in America in historic
statuary, the speaker alluded first 10 the
statue OF Washington. Passing by Jefrer-
son, Marsllall Mason and Henry he al
llsded to Thomas Nelson's services sn7
ms yorktown home. still IN private pos
session. and TO Andrew Lewis, whose
ancient and honorable memory our new
est city, Roanoke, was striving 10 nra-
serve Brt the group there suggested
others who should be more widely known
What peculiar honor has Virginia Maid
Daniel Boomer Who concerns himself To-
cay with the first Governor OF the State
Of Franklin, John Sevierc Has f,ock-
bridge showed in tangible form her pride
IN Houston" Docs Orange know where
Taylor livcdr and albenarle. Sc rich in
men Of greatness, has never marked even
with rugged stone the fading site OF The
house whore George Rogers Clarke was;
born. These are but examples and sug-