Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-05-29


living hosts who passed upward
through peril. toll and pain to i'm
mortality. From everlasting to
everlasting Thou are God. and those
who cling !" Thee shall live long
httcr the river ceases to How. Blessed
the memorial and blessed the occa-
sion
Iher" is monument at James
town commemorate the first Gen
"ral Assembly Of Virginia. July 80.
1919 II should be borne in mind
That there was a representative gov
"rnment in Virginia before tho Pu-
grims landed on plymouth Rock
This assembly was summoned by
Governor i"ardlcy. under authority
from tho London Company. pursuant
10 charter granted by King lanes
l.. and convened In tho Jamestown
church. II was composed OF tho
Governor, Council OF state and two
RurScSs"s elected by the people from
each OF IN" eleven plantations. Fol
lowing is tho inscription on the mon
umcnt: Sir George Yeardlcv. the
Governor, being sett downc in his
accustomed place. those Of the coun-
sci OF estate sat next to him on
Doth hands. cKc"pte only the secre-
'ary. ;hen appointed speaker. who sat
right before him. and forasmuch as
mems affairs doe little prosper where
Gods service is neglected. all the
Rurgesses tooks their places in uuire
TIL prayer was said by Mr.. Buckle.
III" minister. that II would please
God 10 guide and to sanctihc all our
proceedings To His ownc glory and
10 the good ~ this plantation'
Is Graphically Depicted.
Tho gniri. :. ~ tn
nihcant event in American history Is
graphically depicted In the NTH act
OF tho pageant, and the whole audi
ence is made TO feel tho force Of tho
words spoknn by the mage OF the
tower: Here was the hour-the FIRST
the mighty hour that established on
this soil the rights OF men. Ia meet
and choose. determine and resolve.
and so a. length to govern by CON
sent, and by consent alone And
from this meeting have grown all
congresses and states. all govern
monitor our America
Rear in mind that tho convention
~ l1I5 was held in 81. Johns Church
Richmond. and the Rev. Miles Selden
chaplain Of the convention sat next
to the aged president. pcvton RAN
dolph. when Patrick Henry made the
speech that reused the storm The
religious atmosphere pcrvadcd that
convention. and IS impressed upon
all who witnessed the pageant. What
was Patrick Henry's support hut n
firm reliance upon tho Cod OF Hosts?'
Sir We shall not fight our battles
alone. There is just God who pre-
sides over the dest!nies OF nations:
and who wilf raise up friends to fight
our battles for us \ year later at
Williamsburg. In his speech support
ing tho resolution for the Dcclara-
tion Of Tndepcnde nee. nc said lot
rs so declare that tho world and the
Scarcher Of Hearts may SOC us in the
open light Of truth These are NOT
the convictions Of Patrick Henry
alone hut Of the leaders and men
who hlcd upon every field OF the Rev
olution. Tho sons Of tho jamestown
Colonists and the New England Pill
crims received a noble heritage. and
we arc not surprised that for such
they weltered in their own blood at
Bunker Hin. at Valley Forge, at
Saratoga. at Kings Mountain and
at Yorktown.
Scene Mt I<nsknskin.
when by So great price civil
and religious liberty had been pro-
cured. it is highly interesting To sec
. how IL was maintained. This Is
'roHGHt OUT aOnlrhblS IN the scene
at Kaskaskia, where Clark, Of Vir-
Rinia. having captured the town. Is
approached by Pcrc Gibault the
French Catholic priest. who. by false
reports given by tho Indians and tho
English concerning tho treatment OF
prisoners by tn" Long Knives. Is
afraid his people will hc killed or
cnslavcd and their property de-
s'royed when nc has hcen assured
by Clark in the kindcst manner that
none Of these things are true. he
ventures The question, Tell me, Mon
siemr Colonel Clark. are they to he
allowed TO come to Worship as they
were? To which Clark replies: We
have nothing To do with churches.
save 10 defend them from insult BY
tho laws of Virginia. your religion
has as great privilege as any other
clark's answer Is the spirit OF Amer
lea. And IL was not the force Of
arms so much as this spirit that
conquered the West. Religious lib
crty IS priceless heritage. We who
have grown up under the protection
OF this spirit little realize what the
condition would he without It, Com
pare Clark at Kaskaskia with the
massacre OF st. Bartholomew Day.
and you begin to see the contrast"