The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-23

the admlratlOn5 OIL lnes WOi1u. AopiStiii>AitS' "
war, gifted by nature with all the attrac
tions and virtues which adorn a great
man, he wore the white flower OIL
blameless life and enjoyed alike the con,
tidence. esteem and affection OF frieho
and foe.
TO Virginia belongs Gettysburg, before
whose embnttied heights stood her VIII WI
rior sons, where many bled ana HlaiiS
died. but where all fought for virginia.
aud as far in the vistas of time as honor.
courage, devotion and love of country
shall be the badge of true MANHOOD VIII
the names of Virginia and GettysDHfS
be linked in imperishable union.
And if to Virginia belongs the. history
of that innumerable band of her sons.
who in the Civil War offered their lives
a willing sacrifice upon the altar of their
country no less to her belong those who
fought with them, but who survived The
conflict and lived to illustrate the great
ness of our people in a period OF humliia-
ton and OF woe.
When we call the roll of Virginia
statesmen. orators warriors. philoso-
pliers, patriots, heroes and martyrs ana
recount the fame of their EXPLOITS, inc
sacrifices made and sufferlnss ehooltu
for the good of mankind, OF the ioIty
spirit of valor, of generosity, of gentle
ness. of progress, of Independence, tree
dom and love of country, OF virtue anu
LOYALTY which has animated them, Icr
one am not willing to obliterate from inc
State the recollection of single one OF
their great and imperishable acts or 10
mar, blemish or change the evidences Oh
munments left by them to mark ana s.e-
nalizc the temper of the times in "nicn
they lived.
Instead. we should preserve them as
priceless heritage to be transmitted 10
posterty with a solemn injunction TO SO
regard and treat them.
And now, Mr.. President. we have our
part to play in forming THE State
some in a more prominent and others in
a, less conspicuous way. but all charged
with the duty of fidelity to the sacred
cause.
What constitutes State?
Not high raised battlement OF laborcd
mound,
Thick wall or moated gate;
Not Cities proud with spires and tur-
rets crowned.
Not bays and broad-armed ports.
No; men, high minded men
Men who their duties know,
But know their rights, and knowing
dare maintain,
These constitute a State;
And sovereign law, that States collect
ed will,
Ger thrones and globes elate.
Sits empress. browning good, repress-
ing i'll.
CONsECRATED By. MEMORIES.
Mr.. President, the Bill of Rights
comes to us hoary with age and conse-
Grated by memories of the past.
1t was my purpose when this body as
sembled on the 18th of June, the one nun
cgll~ f,ft
adoption of the Declaration of Rights,
to have moved its recognition and adop-
ton here as it was conceived and eX-
pressed by its trainers, but when i Sazed
upon the splendid representation in this
assembly of the Commonwealth moral
and Intellectual powers ana realized
what a minor part l was to play in these
deliberations. the resolution vanished
Since then | have sat in the Committee
Of the Whole all through the lengthy ana
interesting debate which ensued upon the
report of the Committee on the Preamble
and Bill of Rights, chsrishing the hope
that moved by the appeals. the pathos,
the logic and argument of the venerable
delegate from Fluvanna, the committee,
impelled by a common impulse, would
vote all amendments down and report the
measure as it originally came from the
hands of patriotic draughtsmen.
That hope rose and ebbed with each ses-
sion Of the Committee of the Whole, and
finally persisted with its report.
And now, to-day, we stand upon the
brink of a great and grave responsibility
and 1 cannot permit that report to re-
ceive the sanction and become the act of
this convention without entering my SOL
emn protest. and having that protest per-
petuated in an enduring and permanent
manner.
Sir, it was never contemplated or in
tended that the Bill of Rights should nave
the force or form Of law; that like munic-
ipal law it should be a rule OF civil con-
duct prescribing what is right and forbid
ding what is wrong.
1t is an enumeration of the inherent
rights of man expressed in abstract prin-
cipleS designed as chart and guide for
all lovers of liberty, and ever to be kept
in view of framing organic law for States
living under constitutional form of gov
eminent. It was conceived in a period
of public excitement and agitation, when
revolution begets great men and great
principles. or is begotten of them; when
the colony having just thrown off the
yoke of a despotic monarch stood ready
to receive the mantle of statehood.
1t was at such moment that the Dec
laraton of Rights had its origin.
STAR OF LIES OCEAN.
It was placed at the entrance to the
pathway of liberty by the patriot fathers
as a beacon, as a lighthouse which the
poet has SO beautifully compared to
Hope:
THAT stair of llfe's trenlulous ocean,
Sir, it is the po-e star of the constitu-
scure its radiance, but let us rather be
,Iefl nv / Is perfect light along the diff