Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-02-04
Janesteuu Soelety.

In another column will be found the proceedings
Of meeting in Washington, composed of sons OF
the Old Dominion, to form society to commemorate
the landing Of the Cavaliers at Jamestown. We are
glad to see this movement, and stamp it promptly
with our cordial approval. We only trust that what
ever is done may 10 worthly and permanently done.
There is too little of tenacty and vitality in vr-
gnian organizations of this kind. We commence
with spirit enough, but there seems to be want of
cohesive quality, and very soon our societies grow
small by degrees and beautifully less until they fin
ally expire.
Now jamestown the first Of the settle
mcnts made, from which have sprung up this
great glorious and growing confederacy. If any
State in the Union has cause to commemorate
her carly history, to signalize her anniversaries
with orations and banquets and fetcs none can sur
pass the Old Dominion in this sort of claim. The
annual commemoration Of the event would tend, we
doubt not, by attracting the cultivated minds Of the
State (of which there is ack) to the subject to
elicit many historical facts Of value and curiosity
which now lie hidden for want of some inducement
TO bring them FORTH There are yet in Virginia mar.v
stories Of domestic family history and other historic
circumstance, which, for of some such spur have
been either kept back through modesty or listless
neglect
In all this matter, friends the Yankees, have
far outstripped us. They have talked written sung
and grated about Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrim
fathers until they have persuaded themselves-a good
many people beside in the L. States and the whole of
Europe-that every man. woman and child in the
u States born and to be born lineal unmistakabe
descendants of the hardy, brave and pious men and
women W 10 climbed up that little hill and kneelcd on
that little rock mot historically true by the way
and that all the courage, virtue intelligence science
literature and art which distinguish America were
the legitimate consequences of that suspicious event
Thus we find all European writers, and among them
Macaulay, falling into this error. They utterly g-
more the Cavaliers, the Huguenots, the New York
Dutch, and the Louisiana French Plymouth Rock,
in their eyes the great Nidus of all the pcpula-
ton, arts, enterprise and glory of the United States
Now we do not condemn the Yanlses for this
1t resulted from their doing their duty to the carly
settlers of their barren coast, and Of our not diving
ours.
We trust We see in this new Society the begin.
ming of something like historic justice to other Dor.
tons of the Union We hope the pride of the Old
Dominion may be aroused and that this movement
will not begin under the crushing influences which
have generally attended our efforts of this sort,
horsed to death cliqued into n syncopc. The III,
success, which has far attended our efforts has re.
suited in part from the fact that there always stand
ready certain patriotic gentlemen who mount the colt
before it has attained equine maturity, and fancying
they are making themselves great when thew
are only suprcmey ridiculous, break the poor
things back before it can bear any weight
The greater number withdraw in sheer disgust.
Another, fatality is the p:oclivity which some
of the same said patriotic gentlemen have tn
coterie and clique to get into their own hands all the
power. patronage and honor of the affair." until the
outsiders first stare, then fown and seize their hats
and retire; and then the concern is done for
Now these are plain and homely truths but they
are truths nevertheless and they must be needed and
guarded against before can obtain any permanent
progress in matters Of the kind which head this ar
tice.
Let us have jamestown Society in which all the
people OF Virginia and their descendants, wherever
scattered, may feel deep and ial interest and We
have no fear Of failure nor Of future profit