Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-03-03
SENATOR LODGES TRIBUTE TO
VIRGINIA.

A1~s~-~O
ator Lodge of Massachusetts in his
eulogy of Senator Daniel in the United
States Senate last Monday has been a
surprise to most of the country. He is
generally regarded as type Of New
who cannot see any good In
south of the Mason and Dix
on line, one who has been persistent in
meddling with the peculiar negro
problem as it affects the South, and
who has always been ready to indorse
any legislation that would bear hard
upon this section. And the South has
never had any especial regard for him.
Of course it was not strange that he
should be willing to bear witness to
the honor and integrity of Senator
Daniel. No man could be thrown in
close contact with that stalwart old
Virginian without learning to love
him, no matter how much he might
disagree with him on matters of poll
tics or craftsmanship. But the tribute
of the Massachusetts man to Senator
Daniels State was another matter, and
one that could hardly have been ex-
pected of him. He even gives this
State the credit of having the first
permanent English settlement, in
America tact which had been slur-
red over or suppressed in most OF the
school histories used throughout the
country until the last few years. A
few extracts from his speech follow:
81 will repeat here what I have said
elsewhere, that, except in the golden
age of Athens, do not think that any
community of equal size, only few
thousand in reality, has produced In
brief time as much ability as was pro-
duced by the Virginian planters at the
period of the American Revolution.
Washington and Marshall, Jefferson
and Madison, Patrick Henry, the Lees
and the Randolphs, Masons and Wythe
what list it is of soldiers AID states
men, of orators and lawyers. The re-
sponsibiIity of representing such past
and such tradition Is as great as the
honor. Senator Daniel never forgot the
honor or the responsibility. Can more
be said in his praise than that nj
VI orthily guarded the one and sustained
the other!
1.-THE Civil War brought many trag
edies to North and South alike. Non'
greater, certainly, than the division o
Virginia. To State with such his
tory, with such memOrles and sucf
traditions, there was peculiar cruelty
n such a fate. Virginia alone among
the States has SO suffered. Othe
wounds have healed. This land tina
was rent in twain Is one again. III
old enmities have grown cold; the OLE
friendships and affections are ono
more warm and strong as they were q
the beginning. But the wound which
the war dealt to Virginia can never b
healed. There and there alone the pas
, cannot be restored. One bows to tn
, inevitable, but as lover OF my countr
. and my country's past ! have felt
deep pride in the history OF Virgins
in which l, as an American, had
! right to share, and have always Sol
e rowed that an inexorble destiny ma
severed that land where SO many braV
and shining memories were garnere
: up. That thought was often in m
: mind as I looked at Senator Daniel i
q this chamber. Not only did he fiji
;, and highly represent the great pas
;. with all Its memories and tradition
t but he also represented the tragedy, I
o great as the history, which had falle
l. upon Virginia to the cause in whle
she believed and to which in her d
= votion she had given her all, even
'e part of herself. The manned soldi
n scars which commanded the admi
10 alton of the world finely typifed b
a. great Staten her losses as in her glori
and her pride"
% Of course Virginians ARE not to
!. caught by honeyed phrases, but tt
y speech has the ring of sincerity in
q and not only Virginia but the who
:, South will feel more kindly now
~ Senator Lodge than it has felt in t
- past.