Sentence:  We toiled not in the acquirement or establishment of them—they are a legacy bequeathed us, by a once hardy, brave, and patriotic, but now lamented and departed <WSD>race</WSD> of ancestors. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A large group of people distinguished from others on the basis of a common heritage (compare "ethnic group"). "See Wikipedia's article on (historical definitions of race)."