Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-15

| President Cooldges address deliv-
cred this morning at Williamsburg,
| at the College of William and Mary,
| follows in full:
Fellow Americans:
mo one who is interested in the
early beginning Of America or who
| is moved by love of our country could
come into these historic and hallowed
surroundings without being conscious
| of a deep sense of reverence. In a
| land which is rich in the interesting
records of the past. that portion Of
Virginia lying between Washington
and Norfolk stands out unrivaled in
| important events and great names.
Colonial Importance, revolutionary
| fame, the craftsmanship of the early
republic, the great struggle for the
supremacy Of the Union-these epoch
| making stories cannot be told with
out relating the history of this To-
cality and recounting the emnence
| of its illustrious sons. Very much of
| this narrative centers around the VEN
| cradle town of Williamsburg and the
old college of William and Mary.
within this locality are James
| town, where the English settlements
| began, and Yorktown, where English
| dominion ended From Petersburg to
| Arlington stretches a land marked by
many battlefields where the shedding
of fraternal blood rededicated the
| Constitution. Here began the first
| preparation within our country for
| establishment of a college. But the
| unfortunate interruption of hostile ma
tives deferred the completion of the
project, so that this institution ranks
second in age with all our other uni
ha % q
| Of this sovereign Commonwealth. If
the work which is represented by the
great names which have been asso-
ciated with the growth and strength
of this region were struck from the
annals of our country, the richest
heritage Of progress and fame that
every glorif1ed the actions of a people
would sink to comparative poverty.
What a wealth of distinguished fig
ures from the time of John Smith
down to the present day. / cannot
relate them all. these statesmen and
soldiers. these founders and benefac-
tors. who here lived and wrought with
so much enduring glory. They are
represented by such stalwart charac-
ters as Patrick Henry. George Mason,
Richard Henry Lee. Thomas Jefferson
and George Washington. Later came
Monroe. Marshall, Madison. Randolph
and Harrison, with a long list of asso-
ciates almost equally eminent in the
history of our country. All Ameri-
cans 1t was into this region that
Abraham Lincoln made his last jour-
ney from Washington.
Tribute to Senators.
This richest of all our historical
settings made SO great an appeal to
me when 1 was approached by your
two distinguished Senators. Mr.. Swan
son and Mr.. Glass, whom | cherish
as friends. honor for their devotion to
their country, and esteem for the sup
port they have often given when we
have been mutually striving for sound
government, bearing the invitation Of
your General Assembly to participate
in the observance of this day, which
was supported by Col. Henry w. An
derson, lawyer who has contributed
so much of his great learning and
talents to the service Of his country.
and emphasized by my former secre-
tary, Mr.. Slemp, for many years a
prominent leader in Congress. a man
whose loyalty and devotion has i'm
posed upon me so much obligation,
that it seemed almost a patriotic duty
to respond.
at Is difficult to determine where
or when the great movements in hui
man progress had their original in
ception. Our life is complex and in.
terwoven with thousands of varying
motives and cross currents. One act
leads to another. Yet certain actions
stand out with so much prominence
against the background of the past
that we are justified in saying of them
that at least there is an event, which
is one of the beginnings of a new
epoch. In accordance with this stand
ard. we are altogether warranted In
asserting that $50 years ago. on the
18th Of May, 1875. formal action was
taken in this city by a patriotic band
Of loyal Virginians, in her public ca
pacity as servants Of the common
cause of the American colonies, which
had a most direct influence in leading
to the Declaration of independence.
at is not necessary at this time
to relate again the various events that
preceded and caused the American
revolution. The people of this com
monwealth had been constantly alert
in the assertion and maintenance OF
their constitutional rights against
British encroachment. Under the
lead OF Samuel Adams. the Boston
town meeting in May, 1854, adopted
resolutions against the proposed
stamp tax, but the first formal def1-
ance of that act after its passage came
from Virginia, when in May, 1855, Pat
rick Henry introduced series Of res
olutions in the Assembly declaring
that the only power Of taxation lay In
the people themselves or in their
chosen representatives.
Revolt of Virginia Leaders.
Again, in May, 1869, the House of
Rurgesses, numbering among it's mem
bership Washington. Henry and JEFF
ferson. condemned the laws of Parlia-
ment taxing the colonies and request
ed the other colonies to join them IN
this protest. When the governor TOOK
the disciplinary measure OF adJournlng
them, they met at the Raleigh raw
ern. where Washington prepared a
resolution pledging themselves to con
tinue the policy of non-importation,
which was adopted. Also, in March.
1873. the Virginia Assembly unani-
mouslv voted to establish a system Of
, intercoloniai committees of correspond
ence. AS great an authority as John
Fiske calls this the most decided step
toward revolution that had yet been
taken by the Americans This origl-
nal suggestion appears to have come
from the eminent divine, Jonathan
Mayhew, who suggested to James Otis
that the communion of churches fur.
nished an excellent example for a COM
munion of colonies Again, late in
I1772. a Boston town meeting had
taken the lead in adopting a commit
tee for corresponce for the Colony or
sachusetts, and Samuel Adams
wrote to Richard Henry Lee, who had