The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-13
Address Of Mr.. Bryan Oh Behalf Of A. p. ". A. Ex
pressing Gratitude Of Entire State to Women
WHO Accomplished Notable Task.

A~l1IAlO sAJIdLC w fO11lCllB
ed Notable Task.
| bnbly the ancestor of the family Of
James Madison
Tile con tinulty and transmission OF
the ability or liberty loving people to
govern themselves lns been tihljroken
from tfat day to this, and I doubt not
there arc before me now many iii
OF those who Slaid the foundations Of
our country. 1t should be recalled that
the church in. which this Legislative
assembly sat was the precise site Of
| tho present church Though 1t was, In
1913, built OF wood, and was subsc-
duently replaced by II brick church, the
site was the same, and the slender brick
may still be seen.
Spirit Of the Times.
The only other event III the history
special attention occurred more than
thirty years after the assembly Of tho
lrst House Of Burgcsscs. AS Is well
the most part by adhercnts OF the
Church Of England. Though thore
were others In Virginia who were In
dependents, and a goodly number were
Purltans, tho great majority Of the
colonists were strict adherents to the
Established Church, and were loyal to
tho crown. When, therefore. the Civil
ton OF Charles L.. in january, 1849,
the House OF Burgesses Of Virginia,
exemplying their sense Of indepond-
ence and self reliance, declared, In
October Of that year. their ,nswerv-
Ing loyalty to the Crown Of England,
acknowledged the fugitive, Charles II.
as their lawful sovereign. and de-
rouncod as traitors all who should, do.
fend or maintain tho proceedings
which had brought Charles I. to tho
scaffold. The English Parliament was
not long In taking stops to punish this
defiance by Virginia. Trade was for
hidden with tho colony. and those peo-
pie in Virginia who Ind been guilty
OF this rebellion against tho English
commonwealth wero declared to be no.
torious traitors, and fleet was sent
out to subdue them. In March, 1862,
this fleet arrived IN tho Virginia wa
tiers. and sailed up the James to de-
mand the surrender of the colony But
the Virgininns, under Berkeley, the
Royal Governor, prepared to fight. =
general muster of the fighting men
was had. cannon were placed, muskets
distributed, and some Dutch ships,
which were lying in tho James, were
seized by the virgnians and converted
into men war. The English ships
came up. and a fight seemed inevitable,
when. by tho Intervention Of an
cured and the remarkable terms OF
surrender were obtained by the vir-
ginians which3,was the first clear an
nounoement of the principles for which
the American Revolution was begun
and fought to a successful endS123
years after. The virglnians treated
with the Parliament party as one ma
ton would with another. The colony
agreed that It would, as a voluntary
act. but not forced or constrained by
/ conquest, agree to obey the Common
wealth. In consideration of this, the
! Virginia people, were to enjoy such
| freedom and privileges as belonged to
the free born people Of England. The
Grand Assembly was to continue and
there was to be total indemnity for. all
acts. words or writings done or spoken
against the Parliament of England.
! The colony was to have free trade
/, with all nations in spiteof the restric-
1itionss Of the English Navigation Act;
the Virginia Assetnbly alone was to
| have the right to tax Virginians, and
all persons refusing to take the oath
Of allegiance to the English Common
wealth should have a year to dispose
of thier property and depart out Of the
colony. Even the Book of Common
/ Prayer was not3wholly prescribed II
is true that the provision touching the
taxation OF Virginians only by their
own BurEesses was not ratified by the
Parliament, but the same spirit which
demanded this process Of raising
taxes in 1862 had only grown stronger
| in 1776. and IL for no other reason,
this church, which was the sacred
shrine of the men,. who behind their
| shotted guns laid down this principle
i should be preserved as O monument to
! the cause of American liberty.
Holy Ground.
j I shall not dctain you longer with
i ancient history but believe that
1 have said enough to convince you all
that tho ground wherein we stand is
reverence men can have for places that
are associated with events of tho ut
i most Importance and benefit to them
selves should belong to jamestown and
/ this venerable church.. 7G
4 Our gratitude, therefore, to those
who have not merely rescued the island
| from wasting waves, but have restored
as noarly as may be this church to its
/ formor proportions and beauty, should
be as great as tho benefits that wa
have derived from those whose labora
were chiefly spnt here. This new
j church is tho sixth church edifice that
has been built hero, and the fourth
4 upon the exact site 1t now occupies
The first brick church, which was
built about 1899, was destroyed in b.
cons Rebellion. but was speedily re.
paired, and 1t lasted noarly tonctfhun.
i dred years, and that rs theiTchurch
whose venerable tower we; n ow2 see be-
n fore us. f aii
After tho capital was removed Itc
:, Williamsburg and the island was prac.
tically deserted, tho church fell into
dlsuse and finally. Into decay and ruin
Jamestown was regarded by historians
and by popular tradition as place OF
great historic interest. but there was
not hand lifted to protect It.. The
: vision of the prophet Isaiah of the
dcsolation of ruined Babylon was com
pletely fulfilled at Jamostown:
And thorns shall come up In hel
: palaces, nettes and Ebrambles in tn
fortresses thereof: ana 1t shall DO mr.
habitatlon of dragons, and q court 70,
owls. The wild beasts of the desert
shall also meet with the wild beasts
Z OF the Island the Bcreech owl shall