Year: 1866

A long succession of writers, embracing
many of the most illustrious in either hemi
sphere, have occupied themselves in celebrat-
ing the praises of Virginia, whose position
as nearly the oldest State by settlement on
the American continent gave her prestige
of which no other colony of the early times
could boast The name of Sir Walter
Raleigh, as an original pioneer in the settle
ment of the new world. was alone sufficient
to consecrate her in the minds of all posteri
ty as the chosen future abode of learning
and religion. Her founders were men of
high repute and incorruptible character,
and there is every probability that had she
not, at an early stage in her history, given
herself over to the enervating and corrupt


ing influence of slavery, Virginia might
have stood; half century ago, in the front
rank of American commonwealth, instead
of tugging laboriously along among the last
in the race, content with rearing few states
men and heroes, whose great deeds reflected
credit upon the land of their origin, and
cherishing pride of derivation peculiar to
- first families while negroes purchased
at the auction block, titled the broad. fer
tile fields, and so kept full the Golfers of
their masters at the mere expense of supply
ing them with food.


Under such favoring circumstances, life
became a condition of luxury to the few
who lorded it over the land, and time was
given for the enlargement of the mental
faculties, which the magnates were not
slow to improve, by the liberal patronage of
northern colleges. Other colonies, similarly
endowed. dragged out their slow existence
until the formation of the Union, when
field for exertion disclosed itself of which
great and free race might well be proud.


Among the constellation of brilliant in
tellects who figured on the floors of Congress
in the early days of the Republic were men
whose abilities would have enabled them to
shine in the foremost rank of European
statesmen, and whose achievements. both in
the halls of legislation and in the field, won
for them high reputation abroad. Fore
most of the group stood Washington, under
whose guidance the poorest of States should
have risen to matchless prosperity. Yet all
this while the Southern States languished,
while the North, relying on free labor for
its maintenance, and populated principally
bv self.made men, made rapid strides in the
career towards wealth and refinement, and
in all the arts which constitute the grandeur
of nation Wrapped. in her mantle of
pride, the Old Dominion, fountain head of
aristocracy in the new world. slept secure,
nor bestowed thought upon the worm that
was slowly sapping her vitals. What is
it to-day? A province After nearly one
hundred years experience as sovereign
State, pride has had its fall, and Virginia.
mother of statesmen, has reverted nearly 10
the condition in which the founders of the
nation took her up. Her matchless re-
sources are still but partially improved, and
until the conclusion of the war put an end
to the insanity under which she labored,
everything within her borders was hasten
ing to decay. The system upon which the
South had based its hopes of prosperity had
produced its fruits. Slavery was dead. and
with it the almost Satanic pride which slave
nv fosters What influence will cement again
the bond of brotherhood?


The distinction between the North and the
South has been that the North has always
been national while the South has been
sectional +; and herein is distinctly revealed
the key to all our public disasters.


The great men of Virginia, the intellec-
tual giants, are dead and in their graves
Where, then, are we to look for the mother
of statesmen? After the fatal delusion
under which the West SO long has labored,
must we yet turn to- New England as the
bearer of the palm Bee.