Ship Warming.
--Yesterday, the stockholders in the new and beautiful ship "Virginia Dare, " gave an entertainment on board, which was attended by most of the leading merchants, business and professional men of
Richmond, and several distinguished strangers from other portions of the
State.
The entertainment was a grand one of the kind, the feast of good things being abundant, and the accompaniments being of the choicest brands.
After dinner was concluded a number of speeches were made all in commendation of the enterprise just started of establishing direct trade with
Europe.
Most of the speakers spoke despairingly of the
Union, but hopefully of the future for the
South; and all of them for
Virginia, one and indivisible —
Virginia, right or wrong.--The company remained on board till a late hour in the afternoon.
The following regular toasts were drunk, and appropriately responded to. We publish them as indicative of the spirit of enterprise and Southern independence, which now characterize our entire community:
The Richmond and Liverpool Line of Packets — A well-established trade across the ocean, with the completion of the
James River Canal to the
Ohio, will give
Virginia a back-bone which will enable her to bear any weight in or out of the
Union.
The Virginia Dare — As her namesake was the first-born of the white race on these shores, so may she prove to be the forerunner of the fleets of our State, destined to whiten every sea.
The
City of New York--She shines out amid the general blackness of the
Northern horizon with all the effulgence and beauty of the
Aurora Sorealis.
It is only in a spirit of general rivalry that we seek to extend our direct trade.
She deserves and has our love and respect.
An for her immense commerce--"
Este perpetua." 
