The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-25
JOHN SMITH.
MIR. Henry's Address Upon tbe Settlement at
jamestown, with Particular Reference 20
the Late Attacks upon Captnin John smith,
Pocahontas, and John Rolse."

House OF Delegates last night " ice-Presi-
dent Beverly u. Wexford in the chair TO
hear an address from lion. ". W. Henry
on Captain John Smith. Poeahontas, and
John Rolfe. All the seats were filled, and
every person present must have derived
both satisfaction and instruction from the
discourse. Mr.. Henry has given much
study TO the history OF Smith. His QUOTA
tons last night showed how thoroughly he
had searched musty volumes aud forgotten
lore, how patiently he had weighed the
evidence found, and how carefully he had
arrived at his conclusions. lie pronounced
jamestown in the good old virginia way
! JcemstOwn.
Mr. Henry commenced by calling atten-
ton 10 the bearing upon the worlds his
/ tory of the settlement al Jamestown. BY
ii the continent was secured 10 the English
instead OF the Spaniards, who. already set
| tied i'm Florida, claimed by right Of dis
coycry. aud by u grant from The Pope of
Rome in 1893. Not only hos North Ameri-
ca been thus secured % the foremost race
Of the earth, and enjoyed tae most adj
yanced civilization, becoming one Of the
greatest of nations, hui this settlement was
the first successful attempt VI the English
at colonization, and led 10 that system
which has made Great Britain TIE foremost
Power in this or any other aye ~ the world.
Mr. Henry then showed that the success
| ful planting OF the colony at Jamestown
was mainly due ~ Captain John Smith
who, by trade with and control over the
! Indians, by forcing the men TO work, and
/ by preventing them from abandoning the
settlement, demonstrated lts practicability
and assured its success. lie then passed in
review the attacks upon Smiths Neracity as
/ a historian, commenced in 1850 by Mr.
/ Charles Dcane, Of Massachusetts, and fol-
lowed up by Mr.. Henry Adams and others,
| including the Rev. Il. ID. Ncill, who also at
/ tackled the characters Of Pocahontas and
Rofe in his History of the Virginia Com
/ pany OF London.
| The grounds q the attack upon Smith
were stated 10 be--tirst, the absence Of all
mention OF his rescue by PoeahOntas in the
early writings Of himself and other colo
nisis. and the alleged failure 70 relate the
| incident till years afterwards, when she had
! become IN important parsonage and been
handsomely received in London; second.
the alleged Inconsistencies between Smiths
early writings on Virginia and his history
OF the colony Published in 1924, seventeen
years after the settlement.
were then reviewed, and il was shown that
when the colony was sent ont it was with
instructions 10 permit nothing 10 be writ
ten back which might discourage emigra-
ton: that accordingly The determination OF
the savages 10 Kill smith after he had sur
rendered TO them ~ % prisoner with the
pledge OF protection might have been
deemed a matter calculated 20 discourage
emigration, and therefore suppressed; but
whether Smith mentioned il in his first
writing. which was letter to y friend in
England. or no, ~ matter which cam
not be now determined, ~ that let
ter was never published IN iull.
The next publication noticed Waa the de-
fence of Wingiield's administration rs first
president of the colony, written by him.
self after lis return 10 England. II was
shown that he was an enemy Of smith, who
had been active in having him removed
from his office, and only wrote IN his own
defence, and that his omission of an ac-
count Of the incidents OF Smiths captivity
was not remarkable. The Oxford Tract.
published in 1912, giving history Of the coll
ony. was next discussed. and il was shown
that it was q condensation OF the writings
OF the other cOlOn>ts. not made by smith,
but by DR.. symOnds, and gives none of
the details of Smiths captivity, and but
little more than n mention OF II, and that
the original writings are now lost. A. to
Strachcy and IIamor, the other authors re-
lied on TO di.crcdit Smith, il Wes shown
that they did rot profess TO give any OF the
history OF the colony while smith was
with it, and therefore had no occasion TO
relate his rescue by POcahmtas.
The review OF the charges against Smith
Of Inconsistency in ms various writings
had TO be omitted in The delivery of MI
Henry's address because OF the time 1t
would occupy, but viii be printed with the
address.
The direct evidence as 10 the yeracity Of
Smith as 4 historian was then taken up. 1t
was shown that the most remarkable oi his
adventures before he came 10 Virginia, in
cudng hi- killing of three Turks, were
attcstcd by the patent Ci Sigismun-
dis, Prince oi Transllyania, unGer whom
he served. which il Of record in the
English registry Of heraldry. II wa'
shown that thirty-threc persons. by
tributes published with his history, bore
testimony 10 his high character ana to the
trustworthinesS OF his book. That amongst
these were several who had been with him
in Virginia, and others who were members
OF the Virginia Company IN London and
were familiar with Virginia matters; ana
that the book was written az tie instance OF
. the company Itself, and from Its hrst ap-
|, pearance, in 1923, was regarded das Standard
authority.
The speaker next discussed particularly
, the authority for the account Oh tine rescue
, as given in smiths history. lie showed
/ that il was substantially the same account
| 4. -. IA. l.tf 70 n
and her court in 1916, when upon the ar
rival OF POcahOntas and Rofe WIN the IN
dian counsellor IN England he eXerted him
self to obtain Tor her a proper reception at
court, In which he Was successful.
The testimony vi samuel Purehas was
next given. II was shown that he was q
, man Of high character and great learning;
was "A member OF the Virginia Company ;
was personally acquainted with f0cahon-
tas. Rolfe. the Indian counsellor, and smith,
and thus had every opportunity OF learning
= the truth OF this incident, and that he not
only endorsed Smiths history as rue, but
In his own book, published in iC2j under
the name Of Purchas-llis Pilgrims" he
relates the rescue ia the words OF smith.
II was also shown that Smith related his
, rescue in several OF his writings, all pub
, lished while number Of his companions In
, Virginia were alive and no one ever called
. in question the truth oi his statement.
The speaker next took up the charge Of
, Mr.. Neill that Pocahontas and Role were
married 10 other persons, who were living
, when they were married in i6i4, and
showed that the passage In Straehey upon
, which il was sought 10 prove the previous
marriage OF Pocahontas referred 70 her
marriage with l;oie, and that the ey:-
, dencc is conclusive that the first wife Of
, polse was dead In i6li He then gave the