Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-02-02
A Duty and al Opportunity

i IL superstlucturc. Al vital thing;
: date from some beginning, and as
= the commencement may be good
} or bad, the continuance most likely
will partake OF the primal charac-
ter
: The foundation is all important.
jamestown was the foundation of
the United States. Had it been
merely the first settlement it would
have ranked with the transcendtn
events Of history, but it has great
claims to abstract reverence for the
reason that its primary consisted
not only Of time, but of measures
which have largely determined the
character of our government and
the trent Of our people.
Shrouded in Il mystery almost in.
equitable, the beginning of Rome
served us Il period from which the
rulers of the world rpckOhcd their
time. As We nse Ammo Domni.
they used Ammo Urbem Conditam.
Jamestown's date and history are
I
tice our country might reckon its
era from G07 instead of The Year
of Independence as L is in state
documents.
That the first EAgIish .>re,king
coloni>ts established their humcs ia
VirgiAia, imposed Il duty upon the
state and gave her IN opportunity;
Virginia realized the duty and re-.
solved to d ischarge it faithfully.
The three hundredth anniv rsarv
IF this important event VA. daily
proclaimed bv the governor under
the direction of The general assem-.
bly,, and the cities within the bor-
ders Of The commonwealth were re.
Qnrsted to formulate plans which
would enable the law max ers To-
decide where the celebration shnuld
be held and what form it should
assume.
The tidewater communities, mn
bining. presented a plan which was
received with fccord. The ida
was not an original mental project
Of this section. A celebration Was
conceived elsew here. but is SAT" to
say that had the original intention
been pursued there would have {
been no exposition, merely an evan
escnt celebration, teaching no last.
ing lesson nor marking 4 departure
from precedent.
The jamestown Exposition Com
panywas chartered, aud ..uhs"qupnt-I
ly the state appropriated S200CCC
to aid the undertaking. So e. Ia,
states duty WAS discharg" S
Now, there is to ca il'r ~" 90
portunity which is or"" to ar
commonwealth. 3
Following VirginiaS procama- Il
ton Of the a+iehrati"n, sixteen
81 ates have pnnc'td laws binding
them to participate. Whether the
Old Dominion realizes the fact or I
not she viii be the hostess Of the {
occasion. Other states will erect :,
and IA Virginia building a
must occupy the principal point Of
vantage. The Mother ct States q
will be surrounded by her children.
In all the plans exhibited here t.
MD elsewhere the binding of this A
common wealth has been the cen
raj feature Of the states section,
md if no structure occupies the II
designated spot, vacant field will y
mark the place where Virginia's "
building should have stood. ="
Virginia, which has IL record for lC
hospitality running through cen IL
uries, must receive her visitors; 4
his is an obligation which cannot S,
,e shirked. 1t would reflect dis e.
.rcdit upon the courtesy Of the 81 81
iate.tO act otherwise. And there -,
; another side to this Important Sc
|uestion. 70
IN these hustling days of com
Oercial effort no common wealth
:as the right to disregard such an o,
opportunity as is now (irginia's. fl
there is perhaps no state in the
IniOn. which can offer more to the ~, ~
n9estor than ours. There ale 40
core fertile fields for Industry in er
many lines thon we possess. th
1t were worse than folly. 1t were pl
not to take full advant. %
90 &c liz In,naaEon. l. .nanI an;al v