The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-05-13
ORANGE AND ALBEMARLE
Something About Their Past GlOr,
and Present Beauty.
Burlington, Orange Co.. Va,
MAY, 10, 1911.

~ 4 AAN ~ A~tNAANNf
Since Homer first sang TO tn,
deeds OF proves performed by Hec
tor. the godlike Achilles and othel
Greek heroes before the walls o
sacred Troy and thus immortalizeC
that place, all nations have guarded
with Jealous pride the historic land
marks so full of patriotic memories
as those that adorn the sacred sol
OF Orange and Albemarle
No two counties OF Virginia are
so interviewer with the history OF
the nation as these History and
legend unite to quicken with patri'
Otto thought these hallowed tradi'
tions. and to leave an indellible i'm
press upon the canvas OF time
More distinguished men have
been born and lived with
in a radius OF twenty niles from
Burlington than any other section OF
the same limit In the world Two
presidents. Harrison and Tyler. were
born in Charles City county. and
Williamsburg was called The era
die of Liberty
On one occasion in the House OF
Representatives. celebrated debate
occurred between Judge John T.
Critcher. Of Virginia, and Hon. Geo
F. Hoar. of Massachusetts. In re-
plying to some animadyersions made
by Mr. Hoar. Mr. Critcher said.
Mr. Speaker. / can stand in the
front porch OF my residence in the
county OF Westmoreland and zee
tho homes OF more distinguish
ed men than the entire Common
wealth of Massachusetts can pro-
duce. and thereupon he proceeded
10 call the roll OF her great men
Washington. Monroe, Richard
Henry Lee. Lightfoot Lee. Light
horse Harry Lee. Robert r. Lee.
etc.
But this compliment to Westmore-
land was eclipsed when Albemarle
was given the palm by Daniel Web
ster who. once upon the floor Of
the L. 5. Senate. referred 10 VIM
C. Rives as the Senator from Abe
marie Mr.. Riyes. misconstruing
the intended compliment. replied
that he represented the state Of
Virginia: whereupon Mr.. Webster
declared that he had purposely said
Albemarle. because that county had
contributed more to the glory and
development OF this country than
had any State In the Union
II Russia has furnished Gort-
chakof. Germany a Bismarck. Eng
land a Gladstone. France a Theirs.
Italy Garabaldi and America
Washington and Lee. Orange and
Albemarle have presented to the
world a jefferson. a Maury. a Jas.
Barbour. a Zachary Taylor. a Riyes,
"A Madison. Thomas Walker Gill
more. Philip Pendleton Barbour,
Gov. Spottswood, Speaker Stevenson.
Colonel William Campbell. Shelton
F. Leake, Johnson Barbour. Judge
VIM. j. Robertson, Col. r. +. W.
Duke and many others OF the elite
and Incompatible chivalry OF the
South whose names are entitled TO
DO emblazoncd on fame's proud tenn
pies
Memorials may fade and monu-
ments decay, but this will ever re-
main a charmed region. hallow-
ed with the richest Renaissance,
and with the images or sages and
patriots whose deeds and lives
speak to the Southern heart and
the praise OF men.
Hon. b. Johnson Barbour was pc
culiarly gifted as an orator and MAG
ter OF an elegant and polished die
ton, a gentleman of exquisite liter
airy taste, a profound student OF lit
erature and Shakesperean scholar
His mind was stored with the rich
est essence of boOklore and his or
atOiy can be described as strictly his
own, and there is little danger OF
any imitation.
Burlington was the home OF Hon.
Jas. b. Newman. a nephew OF Gov.
Barbour. He married Sallie Battle
Fitzhugh, a famous belle Of King
George. This is Il historic old Vir-
ginia homestead and has been the
scene Of many brilliant social gather
ings. including the Conveys, Stuarts,
Fitzhughs and many others prom
inent in the social life of Fredericks-
burg.
The celebrated John Randolph
went to school at Burlington. and
Shelton F. Leake was married here
He was several terms a congress-
man. lacked only one vote of the
nomination for governor at the
stanton Democratic Convention in
1895 when Henry A. Wise captured
the honor.
In these two counties lived that
ancient race of the English gentle
man which surpassed all other types
OF manhood, and surely the race Sir
Walter Scott had in mind when he
makes Oliver Cromwell say. All,
but he is also a relic of the ancient
English gentlemen; | wish | knew
how to win the favor OF that race.
This morning ! rose early. threw
omen my window and leaned out to
inhale the dewy sweetness OF the
young day. The birds were twitter-
ing in the trees, and, as II In SYM
pathy with the silent emotions evok-
ed by patriotic memories the ten
der blades Of grass were dripping
with the tears of the departed night.
In the sweet golden glow OF mem
orv we turn a retrospective eye up
ON the vanished splendOrs OF that
golden age when all the world was
Young. or reconstruct the shadowy
fabrics of the legends that enriched
childhood and glorified the nursery
To nv fancy idly roaming comes
picture of the cleaning,
Comes a fragrance from the bios
eoms of the lilac and the rose;
With the yellow sunlight streaming
am sitting here and dreaming
Of a dark-eyed goddess whence
a mellow memory flows
There's a mighty change. The
fine old sentiment is dying out and
the almighty dollar prevails. us I
now and everybody for
himself and the ID take the hind |
most. It's the cry Of a splen-
did past crushed in the pitiless
grasp of a conquering present.
OF all the lovely spots within the
bosom Of the earth Burlington chai-
lenges a peer for the beauty OF
Its location and the glory OF
its scenic environment. Beautiful
land of the mountain, guarding with
your sun-painted cliffs the marvel
Gus beauty OF this fairy realm
This Is the land OF the wild flower
and wild bird, where the blue violet
finds a home in the flower-strewn