The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-05-13
THF DAILY DISPATCH.
Anniversary Of the jamestown Ceieefa"
aian...l,anf Iahn Smith,

Anniversary Of the jamestown Ceiesf"
tion...Capt John Smith
On the 10Th Of December, 1906, three smai' Fe'
sels the Joint tonnage of the whole amo.n''e
only 100 tons burthen, sailed from Eos's.1 M
Virginia with . colony Of 100 men
winds detained then, for six weeks IN ssh. Oh
ENGLAND. and their voyage, by the circui'ous fouse
Of tha sCanar;rs and The Yves. India isianas. sFas
a. ,one ard nro,,.e,ed that they did not arrive In
.hs ch...re.ke untI, the 2sth OF April THESE
,o,on,s,. r,.a. settlement at Jamestown, on May
,a,h ,eo, ono huud-e and ten years from the
aiscov.,v If the North American continent by
f,.ho, and about httaen years before the settle
ar,sr, NJ Plymouth, by the Puritans, In the May
r,o-., II was at Jamestown, therefore, on the
N,,,h side of James river, ffty miles from its
month. and not on Plymouth Rock. that the first
sa,.lemert of Englishmen was made, and the
corner stone laid of the vast structure of Ameri'
can now or and civilization. The first church ever
built in America was erected At jamestown, the
Arst free constitution Ia America was promulgated
In 1921 upon that classic spot and the frs. legs-
lstive body that ever assembled on the American
Continent met In the old church OF that place The
time Of meeting, the proceedings and list OF the
members names are among the archives OF the
Historical Society of Virginia, having been pro
cured for it By one OF its members on a re
cent examination of the records of the Foreign
Department In England The elements OF free
government were 10 fact established upon FIrsi'
mia soil before the New England settlement at
Plymouth was made In the month OF August,
1920 q Dutch vessel brought 30 African slaves to
Virginia. Thus the foundations OF the free gov
eminent and the domestic institutions of Virginia
were laid a. abou. the same time, and are dss'
tined, beyond doubt, to be of equal permanence.
The colony which first settled Jamestown, was
composed of brave aud adventurous spirits, who,
under the pacific ADMINISTRATION CT James l., saw
no outlet for their energy and enterprise, except
in colonizipg new world They seem, however
TO have me. with more brilliant success soldiers
under Elizabeth than as pioneers under James In
this company which landed in an unknown will.
derness, filled with savages which lad but a
scanty supply of provisions; which had to cons.
truet its habitatiops and its forts, there were tut
four carpenters, twelve laborrs and fifty four sGn-
tlemea. Nevertheless, each and all fell to work
with courage and energy, blistering their hands
with manual labor. But their sufferiugs from
treachery among themselves, from want of food.
from the climate and the Indiana, were varied
and extreme, that it is little less than miracle
that the colony did not become extinct. That it
survived, that amid the most trying discourage
ments and trials it attsined a vigorous vitality
and, at last became the germ of mighty Gem
monwealIh, is all owing, under Providence, to one
man, to Captain John Smith, the most extraordi-
nary person whose name is associated with the
settIemen of America. 1t would be an act grace.
full, grateful and appropriate, if the multitudes
now assembled at jamestown, celebrating the an.
nversary of its settlement, would take measures
for erecting a monument to the Founder of Vir.
GINA Instead of permitting their enthusiasm to
pass of in scclamations and champagne, let them
embody their sentiments in eternal granite, in
pile that will tower above the marts of Mammon
and last IS long as the rocks and mountains, cons
secrated to the great Pioneer, and Pilgrim Father
of Virginia's Colonial History, Capt. John Smith
. man in whom element of greatness wa
wanting, who was st once the most chivarous and
the most practical, the most adventurous ard most
discreet, the most energetic in temporal and the
most Jealous 10 spiritual things, the wsest and the
mos heroic of all the original leaders of the Vests
ward march of Anglo-saxon civilization.
Joining the colony which settled Jamestown,
after life of romantic adventure and gaantry in
the old world, which reminds us of the tabled ex.
ploi.s of Occur de Leon he became at once the
master spirit CT the expedition, converted its
gentlemen, upon landing, into voluntary laborers,
directed their plans of defence, overthrow the
plots and ntrigues of internal foeS brought order
out of confusion, provided comfortable habitations
in the wilderness. saved the colony from starva.
tion procured it provisions taught it to husband
its resources battles against the savages
whipped the Indians, and at the same time con-
verted them into friends and allies, and was over
and over again the means of saving the colony
.II4l
the council and the field, he found time in 1908. to
make those two wonderful voyages in a small open
boat with ID men, by which he accomplished his long
cherished object of exploring the Chesapeake and
its tributary waters, and of which New England
historian, Bancroft, says: 1.-TWO voyages, made |
in an open boat, with few companions over |
whom his superior courage rather than his sta
ton as magistrate, gave him authority, occupied
him about three months of the summer and EN-.
braced a navigation of nearly three thousand
miles The slenderness of his means has been |
eontrasted with the dignity and utility of his dss
eoveries, and his name has been placed in the
highest rank with the distinguished men who have
enlarged the bounds OF geographical knowledge |
and opened the way, by their investigations, for
colonies and commerce He surveyed the bay of |
the Chesapeake to the Susquehsnna, and left only |
years longer the tabled dwelling place of giant
progeny. The Patspsco was discovered and ex. |.
plored, and Smith probably entered the harbor |
OF Baltimore The majestic Potomac, which at |
It's mouth is seven miles broad, especially invi |
ted curiosity; and passing beyond the heights of
Mount Vernon and the city of Washington, he as
cended to the falls above Georgetown. Nor did he |
merely explore the river and inle.s. He penetra.
Ted the territories, established friendly relations
win the native tribes and laid the foundation for
future beneficial intercourse. The map which he
prepared and sent to the company in London, is
still extant, and deneates correctly the great out.
lines OF nature. The expedition was worthy the
romantic age Of American history" The asto.
nshlng accuracy of this map is corroborated by
Robertson, in his History of Virginia, and by Mar.
shall, who, in his Introduction to the Life of
Washington, says: Capt. Smith brought with him
an account of that large portion of the American
continent, now comprehended in the two provinces
of Virginia and Maryland, 30 full and exact, that
after the progress Of information and research for
century and . half bis map exhibits no inaccu-
rate view of both countries, and is the original
upon whick all subsequent descriptions have been