The Ordway new era., 1913-08-16

penrance than most powdered folks
In their conversation"
The high bearing and capacity of
the southern delegates came upon the
New England men like a great sur.
prise: where they had expected to SEQ
rustic squires they found men OF ele-
gance and learning.
But there was. in fact, no good rea-
son to wonder at the natural leader
ship of these men. Their life had
bred them more literally than others.
1t required much more various ca.
pacity and knowledge OF the world to
administer great property and live
the life Of local magnate in the
south than sufiiced to put man at
the front Of trade or Of legal practice
in Boston or New York or Philadel-
phia.
The southern colonies, besides, had
lived more in sympathy with the life
OF the empire than had their northern
neighbors. Their life had depended
directly upon that Of England hitherto.
and had partaken OF 1t with a con.
slant zcst They had no rival trade;
they had wanted no rival government.
The general air OF the wide empire
had blown in all ordinary seasons
through their affairs. and they had cul-
tvated none Of that shrewd antago.
nism toward the home government
which had SO sharpened the wits and
narrowed the political interests Of the
best men in New England.
Reasons for virgInIa's Primaey.
They had read law because they
were men Of business, without caring
too much about Its niceties or mean.
ing to practice 1t in litigation. They
had read their English history with.
out feeling that they were separate
from it. Their passion for freedom
was born not OF local feeling SO much
as of personal pride and the spirit OF
those who love old practices and the
Just exemptions of an ancient consti-
tuition.
1t was the life they had lived. and
the conceptions of personal dignity
and immemorial privilege that had
gone always with it, that gave them
30 striking an air OF mastery. 1t was
not simply because the Massachusetts,
oCAC6aAGo hCpt thch6CiNSb
In the background and the rest yield.
ed to her pretenslons that Virginia
was accorded primacy in the con.
gress It was also because her repre-.
sentatives were men to whom power
naturally fell. and because she had
won SO honorable a place OF leader.
ship already In the common affairs OF
the continent.
Washington Not q Leader.
Colonel Washington. striking and
forcible man though he was, did not
figure as a leader among the Virginian
delegates.
Peyton Randolph was elected presi.
dent OF the congress; Richard Henry
Lee and Patrick Henry stood forth rs
the virginian leaders on the floor.
"If you speak Of solid information
and sound Judgment, Colonel Washing
ton is unquestionably the greatest man
ON that floor" was Henry's confident
and generous verdict; but Washington
was no politician. and did not stand In
exactly the same class with the rest.
He had headed committees and pre-
sided over popular meetings among
his OWN UelSHDOTS III dIIldA, hAu hau
been prompt to join them in speaking
with high spirit against the course OF
the ministry in England. He had been
forward In urging and punctiliously
careful in practicing non-importation.
He had declared Cages conduct in
Boston more becoming a Turkish b.
shaw than an English governor"
Deeds and Not Words.
But he was man OF action. rather
than of parliament. 81 will raise one
thousand men, enlist them at my own
expense. and march myself at their
head for the relief of Boston," had
been his impetuous utterance in the
Virginia convention-"the most elo-
uuent speech that was ever made" Mr.
Lynch declared. 81 have heard he
said' reported an admiring Philadel.
phian-T have heard he said he
wished to God the liberties Of Amer
lea were to be determined by single
combat between himself and George!
But his fellow Virginians understood
him better. They had chosen him for
force and sobriety; not as an orator,
but as the first soldier and one Of the
first characters of the commonwealth;
and he had made the impression they
expected.
(To BE coNTINuED3