The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1885-10-07

The Other Side---Jamestown Sugg's
Democratic Ancestors.

The Other Side---Jamestown Sugg's
Democratic Ancestors.
Editor Herald.
Permit me To give your readers few
items of history, and in doing 40 wish
II understood that | do not aim to up
hold the wrong nor condemn the right
OF any section of our glorious country.
The quotations which follow are from
GoOdrich's History Of the United States:
"a company had been formed in
England under the patronage of King
James l., whose object was to make
settlement in America between the
3lth and 3Sth degrees Of north latitude,
in what was then called South Vir.
GINA"
ain May, 1901, colony of one hum
dred and five persons, under the direc-
ton Of this company, arrived off the
coast of South Virginia. Their first in
tention had been to form settlement
ON Roanoke Island, lying on the coast
of what is now called North Carolina;
but being driven further to the north
by violent storm, they discovered and
entered the mouth Of Chesapeake Bay"
"This first body of emigrants, unfor-
tunately, did not consist of hardy, en-
terprising farmers, and other labOrers
and mechanics. There were only IL
laborers and few mechanics i'm the
cOmpany-'forty-eight gentlemen and
four mechanics as the historian in>
forms us. All, moreover, were single
men, not an organized family being
among them"
They were commanded by Captain
Christopher Newport, an old and ex-
perienced navigator"
"The plan of government for the lit
tie colony had been prepared for the
emigrants before they left England.
This consisted of constitution IA
code of laws and a council of seven
members, one of whom they were to
select rs their President.
"After IA short stay, Capt. Newport
left the colony for England. No set
Element was ever left in more pitia,
BILE condition"
"To complete the catalogue of evils,
they quarreled among themselves.
They first excluded Captain Smith
from the council, professedly on account
of sedition, but really and truly from
motives of envy. Next they deposed
Mr.. Wingfield, the President, and ap,
pointed Mr.. Ratcliff i'm his stead, who
was no better, and thus things, for
some time, went on. They discovered
at last that Captain Smith, whom they
had so much hated, was the best man
among them, and their chief depend
ence. In truth, ~ il afterward proved,
they could not do without him in peace
or in war"
II Smith was the best man among
them, they were certainly a bad set;
for although he was most remarkable
man. he was also murderer and
horse thief. Smith went on an explor-
ing expedition and was captured by the
Indians, but they finally decided to re-
lease him.
before his departure he made a
treaty with the King, by which he was
to send back two cannon and grind>
stone, for which Powhatan was to let
him have large tract of country, and
10 hi L.;
"He reached jamestown ia safety,
but not wishing to send guns to the
savages, he determined to frighten
them. However, he brought forward
the two cannon and a grindstone, but
they thought them too heavy to carry.
He then discharged the cannon, loaded
with stones, among the trees, which so
terrified them that they were glad to
return to Powhatan with a quantity of
toys and trinkets in their stead"
This needs no comment.
"From one hundred and five, who
came over, he found them reduced on
his return to forty, and of these a part |
were contriving to desert the colony.
Attempts had been made at desertion
twice BEFORE"
"At this critical period in the history
of the colony, Captain Newport arrived
from England, with one hundred and
twenty emigrants. The news of this
arrival in James river, raised the droop-
ing courage of the people, and diffused
general joy"
"But the joy was of short duration.
The newcomers, like too many of
those who first emigrated, were chiefly
'vagabond gentlemen as the settlers
called them, and goldsmiths. The lat
ter, no doubt, came over filled with the
idea of obtaining gold. None of them,
however, expected to earn their living
by hard work. All they thought or
talked Of was about digging, washing,
refining, and carrying away the most
precious of metals.
Even Martin. one of the council,
and Captain Newport himself became
absorbed-if, indeed, their brains were
not actually turned-iu the idea of
finding gold. Martin claimed, no doubt
that he had discovered gold
mine, and Newport, after loading his
vessel with what proved III the end to
be worthless yellow earth, believed
himself to he rich, and returned to
England"
After Smiths appointment rs Presi-
dent, Newport came over with seventy
more emigrants, two of whom were
women.
"From the complaints of Smith to
the London company, 1t appears that
the character of this third set of emf
grants was no better than that of the
former. Il entreat you,' says he,