The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-20
THE JOHN SMITH QUESTION.
Confirmation Of Mr.. Alexander Browns
Appeal for True History.
CHARACTERS OF MANY MEN INVOLVED.
The Council of ytrginta-Some KemarkSpi'
Facts Cited-Tbe oxford Tracts nno
Smiths True Rotation.



Smith and have brought such charges against
Smiths peers as 10 make II necessary Tor the
historian 20 handle his case without gloves.
As these claims and charges rest upon the
same evidence wo cannot accept tho one
without being obliged 70 accept the other,
And. therefore i will be readily seen that
''the John Smith question" is a much broader
one than some seem to suppose. The charac-
fers Of many men are involved, the honor OF
our founders IS at stake We cannot accept
Che glorifcatiOn of Smith without accepting
Tie condemnation OF his peers. And. there
Tore. unless the Smith story can stand a cru
ciai test. it IS the duty Of the historian 10 ie-
ject It's personalities.
The principal parties 70 this case are on tho
one side Captain John Smith and hls authors
fwhoever they were). and on the other ms
Najestie's Colonial Council, the managers IN
England and their agents, the Counch IN
Virginia during 1907 1909. Smith was hp-
pointed 10 the Council in Virginia by the
members for South Virginia III H. M =;
N. GG*). and removed by the same men ana
others Opp. 231 232). Their biographies ia
Vol H. will give Us a fair idea as 10 VINO lne
parties 10 the case were.
COUNCIL IN VIRGINIA.
The Council in Virginia Of lG07-l6O9 may be
divided into three classes:
First. Those who never returned 10 Eng
-GosnOld Kendall, ScrIvener. Waldo
ard Wynne There is evidence that the man
ayers reposod especial confidence in Gosnold,
Scrigener and Wynne; that Scrlyener was NJ
first friendly 20 Smith, but WAS afterwards OPP
posed TO him as Waldo and Wynne were Ike
wise before their deaths.
Second Those who went back TO England,
but we're true to duty and returned TO W.
ginia"-Archer Martin. Newport, Ratclifie
and Francis West. There is ample evidence
that the managers reposed espeesi conn
fence in these men although they did not in
dorse all of their acts. All Of them continued
20 he active agents in planting Virginia and
Ielieye that all Of them died in Virginia, save
Newport The Smith story IS not 30 untavor
able 10 West as 1t Is 10 the rest Of these men
1T may be because the West family
influence in England was SO strong
but all five of them were opposed
90 Smith. and there is reason to believe that
West was especially SO. Captain John Martin
has the honor of having been one OF those Sc
lected by Sir Philip Sidney 10 command IN
the very celebrated Drake-Siduey voyage 20
America OF 1855. And in justice 10 Ratcllfe,
when reading the Smith story, we should re-
member that Smith had Endorsed him with
his vote and aided i'll making him president.
Third. Those who went or were sent back
60 England for sundry causes, and who tor
sundry reasons were not sent back to VIZ
and Percy in lGl2. The Smith story, for
cogent reasons. is not unfayorable to Percy
Is il ia 70 Wingfeld but there IS ample evil
uence that both Of these men were opposed
10 Smith. In brief Smith was the only coun-
rilor in Virginia who could have accepted
tbalwhole OF the Smith story as true. for it
virtually asserts that Smith was really the
only man in Virginia"
A REMARKABLE FACT.
=. IL g. -
ginians especially should bear in mind. that
NE have no full account of the proceedings in
Virginia (f607 5000 written by any one of the
council who remained, or who, having gone
back to England, was true to duty and re-
turned 10 Virginia, " and yet tits the first duty
of our historians TO see that Justice is done
these men. While. on the other hand, each
member of the council who failed to return 10
Virginia felt called upon to prepare or to
have prepared in England, white washing"
statements, and 1t is greatly to be
fieDlored that these very Objectionable
counts. yet found of events in Virginia dur
Ing l607-lG09. The relations of Wingtield md
Percy (1612) were not published at that time
.-Percy's never has been aud therefore they
have done no great historic harm; but the
Oxford Tract. presenting the Smith story,
WAS published and was afterwards enlarged
and published again in Smiths 20 enerale
Historic" which work has done great historic
injustice.
So far as can find out, Percy cave salts
faction to the managers until he left Virginia ia
rhe Trial, III April, 1912, and returned to Eng
land. which event gave the grestest dissatis
faction The accounts spread abroad by
those who returned with Percy had very
bad effect generally iii England, until tbe
arrival of The Elizabeth with moro favorable
reports, as will be seen 10y reference to the
documents IA The Genesis, pages go 80 $50.
They placed the enterprise in jeopardy.
stirred up and encouraged criticism of the
management strengthened such claims and
assertions as those of the Smith faction, then
being circulated in England, and tc, the
minds of some men. seemed to JUSTLY their
publication at Oxford
THE OXFORD TRACTS
The real authors of The OxforfI Tracts
whoever they We're. must have bes N ,nembers
of the Smith faction, as the claims and
charges contained therein coulfi neyer have
been held as true by the oths members of
the Council IN Virginia, 10y u % managers in
or by their friends -eitber in yir
ginia or in England Their were then about
900 members Of the Viz, dnia oomnanv. and
although the majority of lem were dissatisfied
] have seen no eylden "a that more than four
members Including : mith) were in anv way
INTERESTED III TINS J publication. These four
P@lu ivss .nsn 4 ~ y over 40 900, which was
-" " 80 cause; ana tneTe was tnen
mucn hVie heeo lOr their money than there
was for their ADJ ice or CRITICISM. The real
"causes of the defailement" were not even
iuiiy KNOWN these critics; but they were
Wen uhoers" cd by tho managers, who were
then then NEE ting all difficulties and
disasters with constant and patient
fesoiuuor in the face OF oppo-
nentS az d critics, foreign and domestic.
yleiulE : tn cir purses. credit and COUNSEL
1rom fime 80 time so make new supplies,
even even Seyon' their proportion u uphold the
!. aah' atom Up. 776), See photographers III
no Gen .esis" for those who paid more than
the! sub scribed. anu for those who paid 40
orr Aors.
And il must be noted that the Oxford
Tract we're preferable 10 sundry other &C
coup Is then BENG circulated in England in
tha' they did not traduce Virginia but
Ies lily commended highly the country,
G innate. etc. The objection 10 these tracts
for historical Csc lies IN the partisan personal
narrative which must have been minor
matter tomany uniformed yet really friendly
critics OF the management at that time. when
20 many real enemies of the ENTERPRISE were
urgently contendng Tor the abandonment of
the colony u Spain as being an unwholesome.
barren and in every way most undesirable
possession for England But the historian
OF Virginia cannot now accept a narrative
biindiy which traduces our founders. even il
is does not traduce tho climate and soil If
Virginia. We cannot sacrifice those who did
She work 10 those who did the writing.
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