Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-13
| GALA FETES OVER
LAND AND WATER
Imposing Celebration of the
Landing at Jamestown.
MANY N0TABLES PRESENT
Ambassador Bryce and Gen. Kuroki
Among Those Present.
GREETINGS FROM OLD WORLD
Magnificent Pageants Under Match
less Sky-Parades, Races Of the
Crews and Many Attractions.
Ambassador Bryce and Gen. Kuroki
Among Those Present.
GREETINGS FROM OLD WORLD

| NORFOLK, Va, May 1.-THE celebration
| today on jamestown Island and forty
miles up the James river of the 3OOth an
niversary of the landing there of the first
permanent English settlement. under Sir
Christopher Newport, John Smith and
others, was held under fair skies and con-
| ditions in every way suspicious. The ex-
ercises on the island are directly under
the auspices of the Society for the Preser-
walton of Virginia Antiquities. Joseph
Bryan Of Richmond, Va, presided, and the
Invocation was offered by Bishop Randolph
! Of the diocese of southern Virginia.
The opening address was delivered by
| Governor Swanson of Virginia. and British
| Ambassador Bryce followed, his subject
| being Greetings From the Old World to
| the New
Ambassador Bryce's Remarks.
Ambassador Bryce. in part, said:
The oak of English dominion on the con-
tinent of North America lay hidden in the
| acorn that was planted on this island i'm
| the James river, just as the germ of Eng
fish dominion in the east was to be found
IN the charter that had been granted by
Queen Elizabeth to the East India Company
seven years before this very settlement
here.
THE landing at jamestown was one of
the great events in the history of the
Worid-an event to be compared for its mo-
mentous consequences with the overthrow
OF the Persian empire by Alexander. with
the destruction of Carthage by Rome. with
the conquest of Gaul by Clovis, with the
taking of Constantinople by the Turks: one
might almost say with the discovery of
America by Columbus. But. did any idea OF
the magnitude of this event rise i'm the
minds OF the little band of settlers when
they set TO the building of their. fort called
after the king James Town." and began to
SOW their fields with wheat. There is moth
ing to show that they saw far ahead
Leaves Theme to virginfans.
'Of the legends which cluster around
some of the leading figures, and especially
of Capt. John Smith Nand the delightful
Pocahontas, the Nausicca of this Odyssey
l will not speak, leaving this theme to Vir-
ginians more competent to deal with it.
But of the founders of the colony / may
say TINS; We note in them two qualities
one OF these, the spirit of adventure was
common to them with many others who had
crossed the western sea: but in the other
quality our countrymen and your fore
fathers stood pre-eminent They came from
free country, though it's freedom had not
yet been placed on a secure foundation
and the spirit of liberty and the love Of
sef-government glowed in their hearts,
They carried in their breasts the principles
and traditions of the common law Of Eng
land, which of all the legal systems that
have ever been framed is the one most
fully pervaded with the spirit OF liberty and
the most favorable to the development of
personal self-reliance and individual re-
sponsibility.
The Early Spirit.
''The spirit showed itself very early
among the colonists of Virginia The same
spirit prompted Virginia's action when an
unwise English ministry, igporaLt of the
circumstances and feelings of the colonists,
Numbered into a conflict which ended in
their severance from England; how the
greatest of all Virginians carum ct vener-
abile nomen. led his colony and it's fellow
colonies in that conflict; how the states
manship of Virginia, matured by the ex-
perience Of nearly two centuries, bore its
part, and a most distinguished part, in
framing the constitution of 1857 and gave
to the Union four out of its five first Presi-
dents; how one of Vfrginia's most illus
trious sons, Chief Justice Marshall so ex-
pounded and developed the Constitution as
to become almost its second author-of all
this l must here and now attempt to speak
Nearly fifty years ago dark days de-
scended upon Virginia.
War With Its Evils.
War came, with all the evils that war
brings in Its train. Those were DAYS of
sadness and suffering, suffering borne with
the characteristic gallantry of Virginians,
and they produced in Robert Z. Lee one
of the finest characters of that age But
out of the storm there emerged a land de-
lvered from the curse of slavery, which had,
alas, come down from early colonial days
The republic now began to stand more truly
united than IL had ever stood before. To-
day the jealousles of states, the antagonism
of north and south, have happily vanished.
Virginia and Massachusetts,, the Carolina
OF Callroun and the Illinois OF Lincoln. can
all look back without bitterness on those
Virginia battlefelds where Lee and Grant
won undying fame. The problems that now
occupy the minds of our people have, with
one exception, nothing to do with geo.
this country so strong sense that whatever
the future may have in store, the federal
union-'an indestructible union of indestruc-
tible states-must and will be preserved
1t guarantees your material prosperity. 1t
is guarded by your natural patriotism.
The Motherland.
"In this season of fair weather it is natural
that your eyes should look back across the
seas to the ancient motherland. from
whom you were for a time divided by
clouds of misunderstanding that have now
melted away into the blue. Between you
and her there is now affection and
sympathy such perhaps there never was
before in the days of your political con-
nection. Today she rejoces with you in
your prosperity and your unity. She is
proud of you, and among her many achieve
menus there is none of which she is more
proud than this. that she laid the founda-
ton of your vast and splendid republic.
''You have asked me to say what Eng
lands message to America would be on this
three hundredth anniversary of the birth
of the American nation.
''On the occasion of the opening of the
exposition by the President of the United
States, who made a reference to England
which deeply touched us, and for which
We thank him. / had the honor of trans