Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-20
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH.
A Letter from the Author OF 1.-THE Genesis
of the United States"


To he Editor Of The Dispatch:
The movement during 1605-'16 for Sc
curing to England all that part OF America
living between "a and 40 degrees, north
latitude, is very intricate and very IN
teresting study. For cogent reasons II Was
then necessary to conceal from the public
the exact status of affairs both in the
colony and in England. and as the trans
action has never since been thoroughly
looked into il has not been correctly I'M
derstood.
A REMARKABLE EVENT.
The establishment of an English Pro-
testant colony in country claimed by
Catholic Spain without breaking the
treaty. and without firing gun. while tho
management was constantly under the
espionage Of critics, spies. and enemies
foreign and domestic-is one OF the most
remarkable events in history, IL eould
have been managed successfully only by
men of the greatest skill and Judgment,
with splendid diplomacy and protound
secrecy. And it would be hard indeed TO
find in any age or nation more capable
r1en than those selected for his Majesty's
Council for the management of the London
Company and Colony of Virginia. lsee
The Genesis of the United States, pages
231-232, and the biographical
DARKEST DAYS.
usually the case IN all great enter
prises, the opposing and criticlsing eie-
ments became more outspokon when the
outlook was darkest and Irlenuiy CO.
operation most needed. The Oxford
tracts. which were circulated and finally
published during the darkest days OF tine
undertaking. and Smiths General History,
compiled during and strengthened BY, the
bitter dissensions between the FIRST andlast
administrations of the Virginia Company
(Which began in 1919 and fingered IN eitect
until l642 or later, really present Smiths
side of the issue. which 1t pleased MN anu
his authors to make with the first managers
OF the Virginia enterprise. All sucn matters
as the Council were willing for the public
TO know were published by them or by
their authority and not otherwise. Inc
authors Of all contemporary publications.
without this authority who attempted 70
make public or to criticise the affairs IN
the colony were really proving thereby
that they were unfrlendly or that they
lacked proper knowledge OF the true
of the case.
THE OXFORD TRACT.
And the Oxford Tract, which was pub
lished especially "to show the cause OF the
defailement, how tho businesse hath beene
carried, and why there was no better
speed and successe in the proceedings"
furnishes very striking example. II not
only shows that the authors were ignorant
of the real troubles. but it also shows the
damage 10 the enterprise apt TO result
from such unauthorized publications. The
business had been conducted by the mana
gers with such circumspection that tho
Spanish ambassadors in England, Win
all their trained diplomacy, agents.
spies, and ample corruption fund,
had been unable to obtain &C.
counts that were sufficiently definite aud
satisfactory to the Spanish Government as
TO the location of the colony ia Virginia or
as to the condition of affairs therein. And
Philip III. himself hsd felt obliged to send
spies to Virginia for the purposs OF obtain