Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-11-27
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH.
Does He Deserve Monument at Vir-
Cinians' Hands?


| To he Editor Of the DisD1fch:
The last work published by Captain
John Smith was his Advertisements for
the inexperienced Planters of New Eng
land" etc. 1t is the first publication IS
sued of sectional character in which
comparisons are drawn. lie gives several
raps at the Pilgrims of 1920, but the motif
of the tract was commandments
to the Purltans of 1G2sl30, and unfayora-
BILE to the planters of Virginia. Next to
lauding himself, which Is always his first
motive, and to dispaTaging others, which
is always his second. the idea of this tract
is as favorable to the Massachusetts colony
of Puritans az the natural bent OF his
mind to patronize and crltlclse Others
would permit him TO lie. The erecting Of
| a monument to Smith IN Virginia IS mat
| ter which concerns NIrglnIans, and they
ought 10 be sure that they are right before
| they 90 ahead. And nv object IL u call
their attention to the foregoing and the
following facts. His last published words
were addressed 10 the PurltGns, and they
contain an unjust slur at The Virginia
Company Of London, who removed HIM
! from office, land under whose auspices the
first lot or portion in the New World was
secured for the Notwithstanding people.
These words are the following:
Lastly. remember rs fiction, pride, and
security produce nothing but confusion,
| n,jsel'io ami dissolution. so the contrarles
| we'll practiced will III short time make you
happy and tie. most admired people Of at Oir
| plantations fJJ yOJ- time N me 1r0rd.
John Smith writ this with his owne
hand And the Purltans dOubtlessly think
that these last words were the words OF a
1 Il. 4. t,..,r D. 10. fftlA Cd
There are some rather hlgh-mlnded eX-
pre5siOns IN Smiths writings, but the
trend of these Is almost invariably toward
Smith himself or against others. On the
other hand, all Of his works, and his later
works especially. are untayOrablo 10 the
| large majority of those engaged in tho
South Virginia enterprise. And II any one
North or South wishes TO ri1icule or con-
denim the officers In, or emigrants TO. Nlr-
GINA. or those on whom the continuance
and final success of the Virginia enterprise
| was really depending. t., the managers
| in Engand-Or If they wish to receive or
| to convey narrow-mlnded ideas OF their
motives and absurd ideas Of the movement
itself, they Will find ample evidence or
material for all of these things IN the pub
| icatlons known as Captain John Smiths
| works.
And if Virginians should erect n monu-
ment 10 Smith it would certainly bear
| over all and IL spite OF every device the
| legend
Erected by VjrgiHdns IN honor Of the man
| rho more ttdH Gjty other trddtced Tie Founders
| Of Virginia, and c0Hreyed in his writings IN
J'tSt IDEAS Of their task and Of The mOtiueS
| tohict inspired them.
There Is an old college story Of a stu
| dent who was preparing a speech to be
| delivered before his society. lie knew no
| LatIn, but, thinking II would be q good
| idea TO set of his Grafton with q little,
asked fellow-student to insert a bit for
hIm-which was done. And at night,
| before the society, when he came to
| II, ne spread himself and said Fellow
members | wish you all 10 know that |
| bear inscribed upon my banner that glo-
| rious motto--EgO ddmnuS St,ttus sum :" The
| applause which greeted HIM was so plea
SAINT To him that he repeated his motto with
increasing success halt dozen times be-
| fore he finished his piece. He did not
know what be was saying, but he was say
| ing II all the same. And this would be
about the size of a monument to Cap
| tam John Smith by NIrginians. They
might not know what they were doing, but
be preiudlcins themselves and the
truth ali the same.
The case of POcahontas is very different.
4 monument should be erected 10 her rs
The firste fruIte of the English Church.
among the Nirginlans.' which really ex-
quislte incident IN her life is u well-auihen-
tlcated tact. 1t does not depend like the
rescue OF Smith on Smiths evidence.
which equally obliges the acceptatlon OF
80 many falsetles and maiycyous detrac
lyons" OF the founders of old Virginia.
And North Carolina has honored V,r-
gina Dare. Why SHOULD not Virginia
honor Virginia Layton! The frs, born
white child to the first English parents,
joined by the first Protestant marriage ser.
vice, IN the first lot or portion actually
held by Protestant nation in the New
World-t3e Trln Of he Colony OF Vtrginiq-
shall she, too, feel the blight which mas
been placed on the earliest history of Vir-
gina! Shall our first colonial dame Ia
main forever unhonoTed in the land and
unknown IN song or story?
Salts SUPERoUE.