New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-05-12


ular idea of a gallant kntlh is certainly not of
one who logged women and sold Into bondage
his own basc-born chdren-the Paynims may
(most enormously, of course) be supposed to
have done such things but not consecrated
warriors with the cross upon their breasts. and
with spurs upon their heels Whether histor-
ically accurate or not, the common notion OF a
chevaler is of one who went about upon horse
back, clad in complete steel, succorng distressed
virgins. shaving unreasonable griilins. demOlish-
ing altitudinous giants, and very fierce to re-
dress wrongs and avenge outrages. Now
Virginian planter, with straw hat upon his
head, and a cato '-nine-tas in his hand, and
linen coat upon his back, with his mouth full
of tobacco and blasphemy, with one wife at
home in the great house. and score or two oil
concubnes in the little hutS, if he did descend
from ancestors without shame and without
reproach, has made, indeed, descent most
decided and most fearful. At the best, in this
busting and striding century, no man need care
to be precisely like his ancestors; and, as II hap
pens in the case Of many Virginians, it should
often be the study Of his days and of his nights,
to be as exactly unlike them As possible. To have
had noble ancestry, and to disgrace it by <,
noble tendencies, is the shamefulest crime OF
which any people can be guilty; but 1t is some
thing meaner to set mp mythical paragons Of
perfect forelathers, and TO make their imaginary
excellence an excuse for ingrained cruelty and
dishOnOrable habits. History proves plainly
enough that Virginia was settled by gentlemen
of very dubious standing at home - thieves,
sharpers, swashbucklers, Alsatians-what Dean
Swift, with his usual vigor, calls tho spawn
Of Bridewel and the stews." There is the fact;
and it is one which pretenson, now carried into
criminal performance, c0mpels us conspicuously
to parade. The lords of the lash account it
shameful TO the people of New-Eugland that
they come Of q God fearing and God-praising
stock; but certainly II is better 10 find ones
ancestor in a conyenticie than in a br0thel, If
it be deemed necessary to unearth ones an
cestor at all. il it be disgraceful TO have
sprung from those who paid hypocritical hon.
age to virtue, does it follow that it is honor
able 10 discover your neutrality-suspicious.
dangling from public and not from the family
treel The very first President of the Virginia
Colony, Edward NJ. Wingfeld, signal
lied himself by embezzling the pub
lie stores, and converting them to his own
Use; and afterward plotted to sneak back TO
England in the colony's bark, and to leave his
associates in the lurch. OF the eglty-two persons
who first came over TO jamestown, forty-cght
designated themselves as gentlemen" and these
are thus described by Smith: "They had little or
no care of anything but to pamper their bellies,
to fly away with our pnnaces, or procure their
means TO return for England" Smith says
further, that most Of his settlers were "poor
gentlemen, tradesmen, serying-mcn, libertines,
and such like; ten times more fit TO spoil q
commonwealth than either TO begin one, or but
help to maintain one" The biographer of Capt.
Smith says: " He had much to contend against
in the characters of many of the settlers them
selves, whom the Old World seems to have
shaken off, AS being too worthless and desperate
to be any longer tolerated at home"
lUb uuliulb VI lIlC ANch-IsIEiullu COlOilcA ul'
often dark with doubt and somber with suffer-
ing, but they make no revelations so discredta-
bic TO human nature as these. The Puritans
may have been fanatical, but they did not well
ter in godlessness. What they encountered
was met without any attempt at clandestinc
evasion, and inevitable want was tempered by
q community Of patience and fortitude.
Daniel De Foe, when he wrote his remarka-
bic novel Of "Moll Flanders" painted, almost
from personal observation, the characteristics OF
Virginan colonization. His book is one of
those rare works in which facts are honestly set
forth through the medium Of fiction. Here is
his record of the proud beginnings of this AFRO
CANT commonwealth:
The greatest part Of the inhabitants Of that colony esme
orally speaking they were Of two sorts either si, such as
were brought by masters Of ships TO be sold servants
or 10 such transported after having been found guilty
Of crimes punishable with death"
"Wben they como here" continues the narrator, ave
make differences the planters buy them and they work
together in the field till their time Is out When rs expired
they have encouragement given them to p for themselves
9r they have certain number Of acres Of land allotted them
Hence many He1g1te bird becomes great and re
naf % .e,sal ys',t. Of ne paaee eDse, re t'aintane
ia the haaG'
Ncwgate birds great men, justices of the
peace burned in the hand the ancestors of
these " first families Of whom we have heard
so much, the mere overlooking scum of New
gate replete with rascality! Why, these pea
cocks Of mettle might as well have come from
Observation-Disclosures or some other scripturally
nomened ornament of the Rump Parliament!
We protest against being considered at all