The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-16
ae,ec,s q, h,s native State because he

| defectS or MS native Stdsc oeeo"oe ~"
| simply states the fact that our fore
fathers selected the names OF our coun-
ties from the crowned heads and leading
noblemen OF old England. a glance at
the map Will prove the accuracy OF this
| statement. but II IS Mr. Mccarthy VINO
| draws the inference that those fore
fathers were "bootlicks." Why should so
| insidlous a name be given 10 them for
thus displaying. that loyalty when MS
| tory shows was>their most cherished at
| tribute? IL is a wel-known fact that our
State received it's pseudonym, the Ola
| Dominion" from the fact that wheh
Charles III. was driven from England ne
was invited to Virginia TO rule as her
monarch. TO our enlightened eyes the
Stuarts and their Hanoverian successors
seem very unfit objects Of worship, but
In those days men were firm believers In
the divinity that hedges In king
and II we consider II so vile n reproach
in the early colonists IL must be equally
so In Walter Scott and many another
enthusiastic Jacobite in England. II was
this belief in old traditions Of Church
and State" which gave the Episcopal
Church that supremacy in the Virginia
of Long Ago" which is the only Virginia
TO which Mr.. Page refers, though Mr..
Mccarthy seems quite 10 Ignore that
point. The writer of this article was
fully grown before the war and remem-
bers well the manners and customs or
that period, and the faithful accuracy
OF Mr.. Pages descriptions has often
struck her with wonder. knowing how
young he was in those days Of prosperity.
The same adherence to cid English ideas
certainly did induce q very marked class
line. but It was the negroes. as Mr.. Page
remarks. that talked Of poor white
trash" and half 5trainers." Among the
gentry such expressions were not heard.
and / have never read line In one OF
Mr. Pages writings which would give
you such an impression; on the contrary
he has shown. more than any other
writer, the spirit OF courtesy and tru,
nobility which characterized the ladies
and gentlemen Of that day. Mr.. McCar-
thy rejoices In the extinction of so many
OF the old families with such peculiar
delight that l can but wonder II there
was any private feud between his peo-
pie and the gentry Of Hanover. Surely
there must be some cause for such bit
terness against them
At least, however, the best families Of
Virginia are well represented In the an
nails Of history. Beginning with Wash
ington, down to the present day. we find
their names among Presidents, among
Governors. as foreign ministers, as jur-
lists OF eminence and as gallant soldiers
on the field Of battle. Ought not such
record TO save them from the doom OF
entire annihilatiOn which Mr.. Mccarthy
desires?
In the present day Virginia Is more
especially prominent in the field Of let
tiers and the leading writer's are first Mr..
Page admitted generally to be our chief
pride and glory) then Alexander Brown,
the foremost genealogist and antiquarian
Of the day: Writ Henry, n prominent
biOgrapher; Amclie Rives-Chanler, VI. G..
McCleland Frances Courtney BaylOe
and Julia Magruder ! know there are
others / might name. but are not these
names sufficient TO make us differ from
Mr.. Mccarthy in his estimate Of the
worthlessness Of the best families? l am
sure that neither Mr.. Page nor any one
else has ever claimed for them a mo-
nopoly Of the virtues. but IL is a favo-
rite axiom in literature. write Of what
you know" and since It was in this
class that Mr.. Page was raised, it does
seem hard to blame him for making
them the subjects of his pen.
The field Of literature is open for all.
and If Mr.. Mccarthy considers that the
middle classes of Virginia have suffered
from neglect let me suggest TO him
to employ his pen in drawing attention
to the many noble and heroic men which
undoubtedly have risen from their ranks.
1t would be a much better use OF his
time than wasting it in an utterly useless
crusade against the writings Of Thomas
Nelson Page. Public opinion is already
too firmly settled on that point for him
to shape it in any way.
I must say here however, that Il Is
popular error TO say that Patrick
Henry was one of the "despised poor
white people" "Wirt's Life" says that
his father. Colonel John Henry, a native
Of Scotland was a first cousin Of the
editor Of THE Gentlemans Magazine"
and was himself the author of several
literary tracts.
Writ also states that John Henry was
a nephew in the maternal line of DR..
Robertson, the great Scotch historian,
and If so he must have been a first
cousin to the famous Lord Brougham.
whose mother was a sister OF DR.. Rob
ertson. He was colonel OF his regiment,
the principal surveyor Of the county,
and the presiding magistrate of the
county court. lie married the widow Of
Colonel Syme who was OF the good old
family of Winstons. Her brother VII
liam, the father Of Judge Winston, is
SdlQ 10 nave been eminent as an OIdloE
in those times, so that Patrick Henry's
claim TO honorable origin is well estab-
lished by his biographer, though. as he
says "such men derive no lustre from
their pedigree but are the founders OF
their own fortunes"
Before closing ! must express my sur
prise at the severe animadversion be-
slowed on Mr.. Page for having been af |
fected by Uncle Toms Cabin" l |
thought that 1t was universally con- |
coded to be one OF the most powerful |
works OF fiction ever written. and as 1t |
was undoubtedly an instrument in the |
work Of emancipation Of the white race |
in the South, | think we all owe Mrs. |
Stowe a debt of gratitude, even IL she |
did draw purely ideal scenes and char
ac.crs.
How old world it sounds TO read of |
abolition as n reproach! II gives an al |
most prehistoric flavor to Mr.. McCar- |
thys article. In conclusion, ] must say |
that / do not intend this as a defense of |
Thomas Nelson Page. for l am sure he |
needs none; but I must beg Mr.. McCar-
thy to follow my advice TO spend his |
time in writing Of 1.-THE people that are"
and II he gives as true and lovable de- |
scriptions Of them as Mr. Page has done |
of "the people that are not" he will win |
for himself similar laurcls.
a LOVER OF JUSTICE.
Nelson county.
N",v Found River.
Editor Times:
| was so glad TO see Mr. McCarthy's