CW Journal
: Spring 08 : Message from the President
President Colin G. Campbell
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History Passed This Way
Virginia’s General Assembly, America’s oldest
representative legislature, met January 26 in the Hall of the House of
Burgesses at Colonial Williamsburg’s reconstructed Capitol, inviting President
Colin Campbell to speak. An excerpt of his remarks:
This quadrennial commemorative
session occurs on the site where representative government in Virginia threw
aside its colonial shackles and reached for independence. This Capitol . . .
was at the heart of our Revolutionary City.
The man who would
lead the fight—General George Washington—received his first acclaim
here. . .
Here, a country
lawyer by the name of Patrick Henry would decry the powers of tyranny and the
arbitrariness of a distant king.
Some say the first shots of the Revolution were fired at Lexington. In a literal sense, that’s true.
But in a substantive
sense, Patrick Henry unleashed the first volley in this room—a volley
that inspired cries of “treason”—when he attacked and denounced the Stamp
Act.
It was also here that
George Mason proposed the Virginia Declaration of Rights, precursor to the Bill
of Rights. . . .
Such were the great events of the past . . . the rumblings of revolution, the
foundations of nationhood . . . removed, perhaps, but not so removed that we
cannot reach back and understand.
And that’s what we try to do here every day. Colonial Williamsburg works to cut the distance
between the past and the present—to make the events of long ago
immediate. . . .
The Burgesses sought to craft the laws and policies of a demanding colonial culture. There were
issues of education. Issues of infrastructure. Issues of law and order. Above
all, there were issues that simply emerged from different points of view,
different philosophies of governance.
Of course, the specific circumstances of the eighteenth century defined that era just as
issues you are confronting define these times. Still, the dynamics of
resolution and the dependence upon citizen participation to achieve political
objectives bear a strong similarity to today’s realities. . . .
The Burgesses . . . were constantly pressed to find creative, workable answers.
And how else would you describe what you do today?
Indeed, the legislative process—sorting out differences, molding compromises,
providing leadership . . . is essentially the same. The gilded coaches and the
powdered wigs have gone away, but the trials and tribulations, as well as the satisfactions,
of making laws in a constantly changing society endure.
Though it may not
ease your deliberations and choices, it may be comforting to know that you
share a kinship with those who preceded you—even those who once occupied
this sacred space where we gather today. . . .
In effect, by being
here, you acknowledge that history passed this way. Just as European
civilization built upon the classical forms of Greece and Rome,
Americans—working here, in Williamsburg—built anew once more,
extracting lessons from past triumphs and failures, in firm conviction that
they could make something better.
Historian Douglas
Southall Freeman perhaps expressed it best when he said, “We Virginians do not
go to the storied shrines
of the past to do worship, but rather to gain
inspiration.”
At this spot, in this
historic town of Williamsburg, where the grandest experiment in political
freedom and representative democracy took root, I hope you will find your own
comfort and inspiration.
Colin G. Campbell
Chairman and President
Learn More:
Virginia’s General Assembly
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Historic Triangle