Reminiscences of A Rebel And A Heroic Slave's Tale

THE State of Virginia is famous in American annals for the multitudinous array of her statesmen and heroes. She has been dignified by some the mother of statesmen. History has not been sparing in recording their names or in blazoning their deeds. Her high position in this respect has given her an enviable distinction among her sister States. With Virginia for his birth-place even a man of ordinary parts on account of the general partiality for her sons easily rises to eminent stations.... THAT was an admirable idea of De Quincey's formally to postulate any startling theory upon which he desired to build an argument or a story and to insist that his readers should regard the postulate as proved on pain of losing altogether what he had to say....