Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-06-13
GOV. SWANSON ON
VlRGlNiA'S RECORD
llconllnned from PAGE Flyel.

H7
OF August 1876, the cavaliers of yir-
Binia assembled and iii stormy ses-
aion, extending from noon to ma.
night, finally, under the flickerlng
light of torches, signed an agreement
that thoy would never lay down
their arms until their wrongs were
jredressed, though the King OF Great
Britain should send troops and try
to suppress them. This was the
boldest, bravest net of the century.
While England, submitted to tho cor.
rupt and wicked Charles Virginia re.
sisted the tyrannical berkeley, and
obtained the reforms demanded. Thus
century before were sown In tho
soil OF Virginia the seed that after
wards opened into the Revolution and
brought independence to the colonies.
No peofles ever chung to individual
and public liberty more tonaciously
Than the proud and imperious cava
{ Hers of yirginia. Liberty or death!s
The cavalier, as he advanced across
the continent. from the Atlantic Ia
the Great Lakes, from thence to thu
Pacific, from the Potomac to the Rta
sifnnde. building communities and
cities, founding great states, has cur.
: ried with him n fierce love of liberty
and FREQ institutions. There is
scarcely Il southern or western state
that has not felt the touch of Ills
5masterful hand and whose social and
political structure docs not bear tas-
tlmony to the greatness of his handi.
work. The ono hundred thousand
persons who emigrated and settled In
sVlrginin have now Increased to five
millions. Rcnttered In every state of
this Union, No industry, no genius
10 sufficient to make an cstimnte of
their achievements In every line OF
human endeavor, or of their gifts
10 national greatness and glory. No
nation was ever adorned mt one time
with 30 many illustrious mon as was
virginia during the Revolutionary war
m dthe few years preceding and fol.
lowing. Neither Greece nor Rome
1 ever possessed ut once such n proll.
gality OF genius and eminence, 1t Ia
almost impossible to conceive that a
population so small could furnish 80
many distinguished men.
Washington Above Them All.
towering above them NIL was Wash.
ington, the foremost man OF all times
( ana OF all countries; whose sword
Won independence for tho colonies.
whose unselfish patriotism. strict ius.
uce, calm Judgment and great
achievements isolate him from all
others and emblazon him with glory
that els Worldwide and eternal. Con.
spicuous In this shining galaxy was
Jefferson, the immortal author of the
Declaration OF Independence, tho hold
est and most successful reformer o;
all ages; who defined the true Dur.
poses of government better than an
others who party tenets have almost
become universal, and whose wisdom
purchased Louisiana, with Its vast
SaSpanse OF territory and THUG made
possible our present national great
ness. Within this group, luminous
with learning and genius, stood the
gentle and philosophic Madison, who
When the thirteen colonies, under the
old articles of confederation, were
flying into fragments and Ndissolyinp
into anarchy, conceived the Federal
Constitution and thus created on,
present national government, the hest
and wisest the wit OF man ever de
5vised. EScelled ny mono in force
and wisdom was resolutc George
Mason, the author of the Virginia Bill
of Rights, the finest declaration o
human rights ever penned, and which
became part Of the Federal Constr
tuition. and of nearly every state con
stitution of the Union. He II was
4 who wrote the constitution of Vir
sginia the first written constitution ol
the world for Republic and who's,
3ssalient features appear in all Others
which have followed Illuminating
& the skies of America with undlmmet
splendor was Patrick Henry, the for
est born nemosthenes, who spoke II.
Homer wrote; the greatest orator o.
modern times, whose burning clio
quence and soul.stirring appeals call
ed q continent to arms and started !,
{ revolution which shall yet encirclt
the globe in Its onward march 70,
relief and reform. Residing ut Chan