The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-03-09

tror sl,c Dispatch.l

tfor thc Dispatch.l
The Hon. w. w. Henry has an UNI
doubted right to defend Captain smitn.
n smith Is guilty he will not be the nrst
o,iity man who las been ably defended Dy
q disfInguished lawyer. Smith has made
questionable statements, for which MI;
Deane, or any one else, has an 'lndouD,ed
right 10 hold him responsible ana LAY
him by the heels" II possible.
As have only seen their names IN inc
virginia press In connection with the smnth
controversy, I think II but just that the
people Of Virginia should know that Mr.
Charles Deane, of Massachusetts, and the
Rev. y. ID. Neill, of Maryland, have done
something more for the history OF Virginia
bcsidcs the doubling Of some of Captain
.Jobn Smiths slatter-day" statements.
THEY have done more for the history OF the
state. | believe can safely -ay, than any
other men now living and not natives OF
tho State. RI cannot speak for Mr. Henry
| Adams. rs / have not seen his book Oh
books.l
Mr.. Deane has reprinted "a True ReIa-
tjon OF Virginia, by Captain John smith
with most valuable preface OF nearly fifty
papes. and the "Relation il enriched
with copious and pertinent notes OF the
greatest value in the premises. must
confess that In his preface and notes Mr..
Deane impressed me as rather leaning
to- Captain Smith. Nr. Dcane has also
Ireprintcd "a Discourse OF Virginia, by
Edward Maria Wingield," with the like
most valuable accessories In preface and In
notes. thereby rendering Virginia histo-
riaus an especial and a real service. Mr..
Winefield was a man OF standng-he only
man mentioned IN the first charter lchC
came ,c;h "he first planters" and he
,cos the first President Of The first Council
in the first colony Of Virginia. He is en-
titled TO q hearing and TO the most respect
full consideration.
The Rev. L. ID. Neiii has published "Vir-
ginia and Virginiola," "Mcmoir OF the
Rev. Patrick Copeland" "a Study Of the
Virginia Census 1924" "The FairfaXes in
England and America all OF which con-
tain information OF real value to the stu
dent OF Virginia history; but Neill's "Vir'
eipia Company OF London" is mdoubted
" the most valuable addition TO the early
history OF the colony that has been printed
for century or more. l believe that Jus
fice demands that nothing should make Us
lose sight Of the obligations we are under
TO these men. know neither OF then
save by their works, and by their works
believe the future will know them.
AS to their "attacks upon Smiths We
racity rs a historian" the Rev. William
Stith, a warm friend OF Smith, in redlit,
did The same thing more than hundred
and thirty years ago.
And the most serious attack made on tn,
character OF Pocahontas is in the OXFORD
Tract nGl2),, where il a1rms that Smitl
might have married her Pocahontas) "Ol
! hare done ,chdt he listed" 1t l. useless
TO forget that Pocahontas was q savage
W neither Smith was saved by her or not i
a mooted question. Whether Smith wrot'
the letter to Queen Anne Tin 1916 is als'
very doubtful. but there can be no doubt
il he did write il, that il was entirely SUI
periluous. PocahontaS had been "wcl
, written up" by Hamor, and her cOmue
heralded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1911
She was brought over under the especia
patronage OF Sir Thomas Dale. Knight
Deputy Governor OF the Colony OF Yir
ginia. The King was at once notified o
: her arrival. and, accompanied by man!
noble lords and ladies. she was introduced
to the King and Queen "by the RICH
Honorable Sir Thomas West. Knight
Lord Lawarr, Lord Goycrnour and Cap
tame General OF the Colony OF Virginia.
Pocahontas was "Mc rage" aud in Il IA
better position TO serve Smith than he wa
r to aid her, and he needed help the most
| GA few lines" from Pocahontas TO tn
; Queen at that time would have been 90;
, perfect God-send" to Smith-as accept
, able, no doubt, as the "little box God sen
: him" in his earlier days. which wa
} .'worth neere 500 [sequinSJ chiqueenes."
} Captain Smith did not plant the colony o
. Virginia. When he left England he hat
no authority; when he landed he not Onll
had no authority, but was "rcstrained as
prisoner"
Captain Smith did not leave the colony il
prosperous condition. Very far from Il
When he left Tor was sent, about the 9Th 0
October, 1909, the colonists were nearl!
, starving. and had been near six weeks di
yided abroad for their better relief, whicl
: divisions gave occasions to the Indi IN
: treacherollsly to murder them e. neere hal
Of" about 220). and forced the rest, at TIN
end of six weeks, to return to Jamestown
There was 10 harvest TO gather; no rea
J houses t6Sshelter; no comforts OF any kind
the ye'lOlcfeUer was raging at Jamestown
and there were not 800 left alive in tin
, colony-moSt prO60t{y not 200. Because o
; all these things the colony was dbdndOne,
on the 7th OF June, 1910, and therefor
t there was no colony established in Yirgini
by any one prior to that date.
The claims advanced by Captain Smitl
and his friends la his books for service
: rendered, money advanced, &C., durin
+, his stay in the colony, were never allowe
c by the Virginia Company OF London (ac
cording 10 Captain Smiths own statement
1920, and this company was "the mos
public-spirited society that ever existed.
: II was their dirty to kAoc il his statemen
and claims were true or not. and " til
eleuen obstinate jurpnen" brought in
n verdict against the petitioner. Ii is tru
c the names of five ordinary members OF th
4 company POSSIBLY the "pliant iuryman"
: are signed to some OF the verses in prais
= OF Smith, but there is so much Of thi
poetry, and it is chiefly so bad, it seem
, very doubtful how far most OF it was in
( tended rs serious, and how far it was in
tended (the author knowing Smiths weak
messy only TO tickle the old fellow vanity
have made the early history Of Nirgi
: mia an especial study for years. am con
: WINGED that our historians have give
1 Smith too much praise. II any one maj
{ has a right to be called the founder, or th
Father Of the colony OF Virginia, land
think so,) then the blood Of the founder o
! the colony was allied to The Father Of tn
! republic. for it flowed in the veins OF tn
wife Of George Washington; 1t flowed Il
the veins OF the wife of Patrick Henry, Jr
1 and ii fouS in The reins Of The Hon. vi
I liam Wirt Henry
I ALEXANDER BROWN,
: February 81, 1882. Norwood, Va.
compiled by Richard Pots. who was smith
clerk.
!. He Knnu an Iasier XuY n nin