Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-05

1929 after the dissolution OF the vir-
ginia Company OF London when the
Company had many more enemies than
friends), under the patronage OF mem
Der Of the most powerful kt m IN CaIno-
lie family in England the commenda.
tory poetry uI.der the authors portrait
was written by Catholic every. map.
in this history OF colonies planted espe-
cialIy "to check the dangerous and In
creasing power OF the Jesuits IN Ameri-
en- a" is stamped with coat OF arms said
70 have been granted to the author by
one of the leading Jesuits in Europe ;
the colony was established under the
management Of some oil the greatest
men in England, and their faithful agents
in Virginia were mainly old soldiers OF
the Reformation wars but Smith $
history misrepresents, belittles, and
IGNORES the acts and services OF these
men and gives the prime position IN
the enterprise to Smith himselt-a dis-
charged official, soldier OF the holy
Roman empire under the uncle OF Phliip
Ill. of Spain. free lance IN letters as
he had been in war, mere adVenturer'
who WAS not even in the service OF the
company which established the colony
of Virginia it ia n criticism OF the acts
of that company and unquestionably. a
trayesty on the history OF the founda-
ton of the first Protestant colony IN Nir'
ginia.
TIE WRITER'S MOTIVES.
Mr.. Arber was under the impression
that with the single exception OF the 70
cahontas incident every Other statement
in Smiths works was unquestloned,
and thus Mr.. Henry's quotation IRON
MIR. Arber affords very fair Illustration
of tile ideas conveyed by those works ;
but these ideas are not sustained ny the
facts. understand that Or. ESgleslon
regards Smiths history as untrIlst'
worthy. and that is really the root OF the
controversy. - =,
am not moved by any "mania,
onuitv. or personal ill-will whatever to-
ward CAPTAIN John Smith When be-
gan the study of our earliest history. L
had implicit faith in his stoGry-hr,.
Henry's hero was the nero oil
nv Youthful days but l was
OBLIGED TO abandon one idea after
another, which | had derived from hls
story. until was finally literally Obltgcd
10 abandon my faith in Smith. 1t is
simply impossible to convey a correct
and lust idea of the men and motives OF
our first foundation without tnlpeochih0
"tbe Smith evidence again and again
and again. And when Mr.. Henry states
that he "accords all honor to others
who. with Smith, succeeded IN making
successful the plantation of the English
colony et jamestown he takes issue
with 1.-The Smith evidence as distinctly
| as ever have done.
SMITH USTRUTHFUL.
do not object to Mr.. Henry's regard
inc Smith as a hero if it suits him to do
SO but when Mr.. Henry asserts that l
nm the "onIy" one to deny that honor
10 Smith he is very much mistaken in
deed. Since the publication of my work
have received over a thousand letters
from leading men Of letters and hlsto-
rians commencing it most highly. Hun
dreds of them have taken pains to say
that they agreed with me fully as to
CAPTAIN John Smith and his history.
Many Of them state that they would have
been even more emphatic than L was,
and one of the leading historians OF
England writes that Smith was a mas
ter liar.
If Smiths history conveyed fair and
honorable idea of the men and motives
of our first foundation, l could under
stand why Mr.. Henry should contend
for it even though it were par.
tisan evidence, but, as it is,
cannot understand why he should
wish to fasten this barbarous and IN
couth " incubus on our earliest history,
or why he should adjective me for pro-
testing against it.
THE FIRST ENGLISH PROTESTANT COLONY.
Our knowledge of the establishment
of the first English Protestant colony
in America has been derived almost en-
tirely from the evidence of the critics,
opponents. or enemies Of those who ac-
complished that task.
| have tried 20 correct, at least IN
part, this great national and historical
wrong. According to my conscience
and my ability, have tried to take oul
earliest history out of the John Smith
ruts and to place it on the broad and
high foundation where 1t rightly be-
longs. l have not o. yet published an
account of events in Virginia from l6OI
to 1924, or in England from 1916 to 1914
and of course l cannot enter into con
troversy over them until | do. / be
heye that / have now said enough t.
show that have some reasons for my
own opinions, and if Mr.. Henry, be
cause / do not agree with him, wishes L
continue to make special plea for Smitl
by trying to place me before the people
of Virginia as a criminal at the bar whc
has made "an unjustiiiable attack " OF
his faultless client he is very welcome t
do 50. The cause of Virginia histor.
has everything to lose and nothing t
gain by that kind OF controversy, and
am not willing to engage in it.
ALEXANDER BROWN,