Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-22
VIRGINIA HISTORY.
A CRITICISM or THE "eENEsls or
THE UNITED STATES"
spanish Projects to Acquire Possession Of
tho colony-Story OF Smith
and Pocahontns.
BY r. r How,soS.

tifuliy printed on heavy white paper IN the
English style with rough, uncut edges. IL
has ITO portraits, chiefly OF kings, queens,
princes and princesses, dukes, earls, count
esses, and noblemen Of the period which
Immediately preceded the settlement of
North America. The price Of the work
GREAT LABOR.
The student who examines ii carefully
Will recognize at once the Just claim OF the
learned compiler and editor TO the praise
OF having devoted 10 Il many years OF pa
tent and conscientious labor. Indeed,
nothing less than enthusiastic and per-
sistent love and courage for the work,
aided by self-denial and willingness 70 ex-
pend time and money 10 accomplish 1t,
could have brought into form the material
OF these two volumes. And Virglnians
may well rejoice that such work should
have been done by one whom our state
claims as her own native and resident.
THE WORK OF oLERGYMES.
1t is interesting TO learn from the docu-
ments and narratives presented IN this
work how largely Christian elergymenn
have contributed to the history of North
American civilization. IL all contributions
collected OF composed by such men as
Revs. Richard Hakluyt, Samuel Purchas,
Richard Bancroft, bishop of London. Mat
thew Sutcliffe, Richard Seymour, Edward
II. Hale, William Crashaw, Alexander
Whitaker. Edward d. Neil, the Jesuit "a
theirs Biard, Acquayiva, Masse, and Iren-
ton, and many other Christian ministers
were blotted out from the opening OF Anne
rican history, ii would be O series OF I'M
psssable chasms.
MATERIAL ron HISTORY.
Yet the "Genesis of tho United States F"
does not claim to be a history. II has in
deed an element of unity running through
all Of its contents and ebnnecting them with
the brief period Of eleven years which
elapsed between the return in 1905 OF Cap
tain George Weymouth from his voyage to
America and the return OF Sir Thomas
Dale from Virginia in June, 1916. And 1t
has some historic introductions and cpl
sodes and some biographies by the learned
editor as to which questions of accuracy
may be raised. But the bulk Of the con-
tents is material for history rather than
history itself. If an observer, went into
the GOsport hayward he would not see
ship in the separated masses OF lumber,
iron, cordage, blocks, sail-clOth, copper,
tar, and tow that he would find there.
The Genesis" manifests the genius OF the
antiquarian and the bibliopole rather than
of the historian.
THE DOCUMENTS.
The two volumes contain some seventy
or more documents, charters, narratives,
and other papers which cannot be called
new, inasmuch as they have been hereto
fore printed and published in such works
rs HakluyPs Voyages, PURCHASES Pilgrims,
Smiths General History of Virginia (Which
is really the work of about thirty different
writer's, Stith's History, Henings Statutes,
Sabine's American Fisheries, Johnston's
Bristol and Bremen, Rev. Edward ID.
Neilps English Colonization OF America,
and other works. Strachey's Virginia Bri-
tannia. Peter Forces historical publlca.
ton, and many similar works; All OF
these have been long known, and many OF
them, originally European OF English in
origin, have been reprinted and repub-
lished in the United States. They
are found in all important public libra
ries and in the private libraries of students
of history whose money or enthusiasm has
been sufficient 20 urge them TO obtain
these works. And all the light they throw
on important problems Of American his
tory has been already utilized. Yet they
compose very large part of the two vol
umes of the Genesis 1t will, however,
be a great comfort and advantage TO have
them all gathered in lucid order in a work
which will assuredly be found in all public
and in many private libraries, although its
high price and peculiar character may per-
haps keep it out Of the hands Of general
readers.
THE NEw MATERIAL.
These volumes contain also q number of
documents which were printed and pub
lished in England about the time when the
colonization of North America began, but
which have never been republished IN the
United States. After reading them all II
il probable that q careful student Will
reach the conclusion that they have not
been republished in our country because
their historic importance was hardly sutfi-
cient to Justify it. Many of them record
merely the action and resolutions Of the
guilds Of MERGERS, grOcers. tishmongers,
SINNERS, tailors, salters, and brewers who
had become stockholders in the Virginia
enterprise. However important their ac-
ton may have been to their own interest,
it had very little influence in the New
World.
SPANISH PAPERS.
But the part Of this work which is really
new is the part which has been antlci.
pated with most interest from the time
when the publication of these volumes
was commenced. II consists in documents
from the general archives of Simancas, in
Spain, which have never been published
heretofore. and copies Of which the learned
editor of the " Genesis" obtained by con-
siderable expenditure Of time and money,
and through the aid of Hon. ]. /. NJ. Curry,
lately Minister of the United States at the
Court of Madrid. We think it had been
supposed that these documents would
raise at least q strong presump.
ton that Spain had not only looked
with an angry eye upon the English efforts
TO colonize Virginia from latitude 34 de.
grees TO As degrees north, but that she had
made such armed movements TO prevent
and Illustrate these efforts as seriously 70
threaten them and to enhance our graft.
tude 10 Divine Providence for securing us
from Spanish rule.
Bnt an examination cf this part of the
Genesis will, we believe, only confirm
the previous conclusions of history-ylz.
that there was never really any such dan
ger, and that eli of SPANS dissatisfaction
on the subject came TO very lame and
impotent conclusion"
SPANS PROJECTS.
Spain reached her climax Of power and
commenced her period of decadence and
ruin in the reign of Philip Ii. The very
IL. 4 a ffHN