The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-04-30
ENQUIRER.
RcaMoND, Ap2yL 80, 1895.


pious bilfory Of Yirginia, is acknowledged and
Iamented by every citizen of this common
wealth, who is deiirous of becoming acquainted
with the rife, progrefs and Establishment of our
political, civil and domeftic contributions, laws
and cuitoms. But the difficulty of the work
has hitherto deferred any perfon, qualified TO
undertake 1t, from attempting 70 ariuousa talk /;
difficulties perhaps which are peculiar to the
competition ofthis hifory. Two are obvious ):
during the yreateA part of The tine which fiich
4 work would embrace, Virginia was depen-
dent COLONY. 1t will be feen, at glance, that
the hitory of colony requires more than
common talents to render il in the fnalleft de-
gree generally intereiting. It's traufactions are
thrown into the fhade of obfcurity, by the fu-
per'or Iuitre of thofe of the parent fate. Pro-
vlncial Legislatures converfant with little ellie
tnan local regulations; colonial iudiciaries, de-
ciding IN unimportant and petty cafes of ,uexr,
ana fnarn dependent executives, or proprie-
tors, fquahb'ing with their foveyeign or their
iovereIgn's subordinate tyrants-thefe it mutt
he confeifed require the fafcination of eIo
quence, and the determination of philosophical
rretearch, to render them ntereting to anv
but the natives of the country, Whole hiforv
IT IS propofed to write. The compofer of the
hi'tory ofVirginia has another difficulty to en-
counter; the want of authentic documents.
Many of the mott important trantactions, whe-
Their they relate to internal affairs, or are con-
nected with the tiftory of Britain, are handed
down to us in incomplete hiftories, loofe and
mutiiated manufcripts, or, by tradition. The
colonial government feems to have been ihame
fully negligent of preferving accounts of their
early trau!aetions. And where, from the forms
or Office fuch documents were preferved, the
detolating hand ola Britifh fo'diery confirmed
them, during our revolutionary CONTEXT. Ma
ny OF our mott valuable public records were
hurnt by the Bfrifh in their predatory incur
mons into this ftate.--thefe m,rauders carried
on the American war with the disholical arts of
modern ages, and the irfnr;ate barbarity of an
Attila or an Alaric. Mott ofthe valuable ma
nuicilpts, or printed documents that were pre-
terved by private individuals, are 70 fcattered
rs TO render their obtainment almoft impractical
ole are 10 muti!ated and ohlitrated by time
that If obtained they would be nearly ufeefs
or the owners ignorant of their value, and the
curious, where to look for them, it is almoft
the lame rs ifthey were loft, or never had ex-
iftence.
notwithstanding thefe difficulties, the frt
volume of hiftory Of Virginia has recently az
peared, the writer of which, by talents ard nv
good fortune has been able TO cononer every
embarraiinent that was not actually infimmount-
an'e. alinde TO Mr.. BURKE of Petersburg,
VINO mas been 'ome-time engaged in compiling
THE HISTORY OF VIRGINIA. From the ac-
knowledged abilities of the writer, we have
much to expect from this performance. lean
alert with confidence, confidencefounded up-
on an intimate knowledge of this gentleman's
literary requirements, that 70 far as the eraces
or tyle, jEf determination fthe intereftne
from the uninterelting facts, with appetite re-
hactlons on their moral and political caufes and
CONTINGENCIES, are concerned, he will be able
70 Preient us with very elegant and intereR-
ing work. After thefe qualifications in the
writer, tipreis little eife neceiiary in the COM
poht,on OF the hiftory, than that the author
fhould have accefs to the moR authentic mate
rails, and Efficient induGry. Luckily for Mr..
Burke and our well founded curioiity, he has
Uncovered Manuscript, which, asst relates TO
our colonial hiftory, is the mott valuable pro-
badly, now extant. The cfs vas long depIor
cd by our fate antiquaries nor was there fup-
po'ed to be copy IL cxitence, until this was
round by Mr.. Burke. 1t confifts of two large
foiio volumes, and contains the proceedings of
the Colonial government, for about century
and an half. 1t commences with all the char
tiers that were ever given to Virginia gives the
proceedings ofthe different London companies:
and in l SCI details the tranfsftions of the 6ra
V'reIn'an Afiembly-it continues, according
TO CHRONOLOGY during the period before ment
oned. The fecond volume contains the iudic
al dccihons, during the fame period This ma
nufcrpt was purchaied by Colonel Byrd. At the
Earl of Southampton flle, at fixty guineas. for
the two volumes. Ii will form an appendix ma
king the 4th volume of Mr.. Burk's hiftory.
Mr.. Burke means TO prefent this invaluable
nanuicript to our fate executive.
The Editor Of the Aurora, in his paper of the
22d infant, has devoted two columns in reply
to fome ftrictures which were lately publilbed
IN the Enquirer, in relation TO the editorial cha
racter OF MIR. Duane. The writer of this article
is the friend of Mr.. Richie he has too. for
many years, admired and venerated the zeal &
talents which have dftinguiihed the Aurora.
With firmnefs and difintereRednefs which re-
fleet much honor upon Mr. Duane, he has deyo-
ted his talents to the inveftigation of PRINCIPLES
and of characters; and if found political OPT
mons, combined with integrity, vigilancet d
experience, confpire to render man ufefuI, we
may with fafety affirm, that very few in thefe
ftates rank before Mr.. Duane.-With this pre-
face, we muf be executed from taking full
view of the two columns with which this paper
has been honored /; preferring that Mr.. Richie,
when ne returns, ihoud purfue or abandon this
Perional CONTEXT, as his own ideas of proprietv
may direct.-I cannot, however, help exprefFny
with, that this paragraph may terminate dif-
pute, which can only excite fenfations of pain
to the parties, and of regret and modification TO
their friends.
The Aurora fays, That the Editor of the