Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-03
OLD POINT COMFORT.
Point Of The Period that Bias Pune
tuited Historical EIents.
coxrAR'D WITH PLYMOUTH ROCK.
Some Valuable Commercial Hints
for Virginia and the south By an
Ex-Union Soldier, Ex-Consui, and
journalist. -

RICHMOND, VA. January %. 1895.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
The "nawsty'' weather you have here
lately develops some war memories IN
the shape of rheumatics. and sore places
chargeable to a former brief residence In
Dixie with the same result Of keeping me
within doors q prisoner. My apology Tor
this note is. that as l can't call 10 see
you personally send my regrets. which,
no doubt, you will be glad to consign.
While at Old Point sent you hastily
prepared note of wedding down there,
with some comments or comparisons be-
tween the ancient and modern "sassiety
OF that period" I'm not at all sur
prised that you didn't use 1t. but here is
an Idea that I've been trying to evolve
through the press. e.. A great deal OIL
the accepted ancient history OF America
Is only universal fable, and that which
ID true Is not properly understood. For
example, compare Plymouth ROCK OF the
Puritans with Old Point Of the Cavaliers.
In the town of Plymouth, In Massachu-
sets, Is a rock with fence around H.
1t is a sort OF New England fetish. On
Forefathers'- DAY every year exercises are
held there concentrating the alleged
fact that on this rock the Pilgrims landed.
Our histories and school books, which are
generally edited in New England, state
that the Pilgrims arrived on sunday
but that they refrained from landing until
Monday, lest they should break the SAB
bath" That is pure nonsense. II IS known
A.. nhtI Inngf
of the fathers stayed on the ship all
winter because II was more comfortable,
AS a matter OF fact, there Is no evidence
that they landed on Plymouth Rock at
all. New England historical expert
Professor Claiming, Of Harvard. mas
traced the story back and believes IL 10
have been started by an old man named
Faunce. who many years ago pointed out
the rock 10 some children. saying Here
they landed"
1t is entirely q different story that
establishes Old Point Comfort, Va, as
the landing place Of the Captain John
Smith and his tempest-tossed mariners
Of the seventeenth century.
BEFORE THE PURITANS.
Historical records arc preserved that
show beyond question that the Cavaliers
landed seventeen years before the Puri-
tans. There is the original map to prove
that the sandy Old Point was the first
landing, therefore. the Virginia Historical
Society may justly claim that the genuine
Plymouth Rock is the sandy point in
Virginia.
All honor to the Pilgrim fathers and
their descendants OF New England. who
braved the cold. cherries rock-bound
coasts Of an inhospitable climate that
they might worship God according TO
the dictates of their own conscience.
But in honoring the Puritans We should
not overlook the fact that they banished
the Quakers OF Pennsylvania for con-
science sake, because the Quakers' con-
science did not agree with their own.
And we should not allow the wonderful
story of the early Cavaliers to become
clouded by the later records. The story
of Pocahontas is. perhaps. not more
authentic than is that of Barbara Frei-
tchie, or Washington's early regard for
veracity, coupled with his later episodes.
HISTORICAL EVENTS.
Old Point may fifty be named the point
of the period that has punctuated the
most historical events OF American his
tory. From this point began the Colonial
subsequently recorded at James
town and Williamsburg, as also the end
Ing OF the Revolutionary period near by
at Yorktown as WELL as that of the seces-
sion period. which closed another eventful
period Of our history on another branch
at Appomattox.
Every inch Of this soil is of historic
and sacred interest. and not one event
may be recalled TO mar the harmony
Of the whole to the discredit Of the Cava-
iers. Slavery was forced upon the set
lers by the Dutch traders. 1t was on this
peninsula point that slaves were first
reed by the contra band-of-war condi-
ion.
The surprise TO the foreign traveller
who visits this region is that Norfolk
and Portsmouth should not have been the
New York and Brooklyn OF America.
The statue OF liberty should be on the
Rip Raps with Hampton for Jersey City
and Hoboken, and Richmond the Albany.
Luckily Old Point Comfort remains
government reservation,
protected by the frowning guns OF the
largest enclosed fertilization In the
world enclosing eighty acres. But II is
also the most useless fort. Its mile and
A quarter Of stone walls would AFFORD no
defence against a gun OF the cruiser
Columbia. but rather add to the danger
rom projectiles that would scatter the
stones like flying schrapnel.
The elegant hosiery at Old Point Com
'ort, with its crowds of gayly-dressed
aides and gentlemen. representing the
wealth and prosperity OF all the land,
itly crowns the point as marking another
epoch-thst Of peace and prosperity.
ITS ADVANTAGES.
The superior waters of Hampton Roads
bar q
shorter and more direct rail route 10
he great interior Ohio and Mississippi
Valley and equable climate seem to still
invite the comparison as we'll as 10 justify
he conclusion that In the future the
growth OF the country will lie In this
direction instead OF westward on the
northern parallel.
A few years ago Mr.. Blaine, as a per-
'onal matter. nominated the writer TO
he Senate as United States Consul to
Para, Brazil. When 1 saw my name
n the papers really didn't know where
Para was except in a general way that
I was where Para rubber came from.
In making some inquiries j found that
very little was known Of Brazil. even
n official circles. In conversation with
Mr.. Blaine on the subject he laughingly
observed: IT'S the best / could do. We
nave more plugs than there are holes to
put them in, and this is the best hole /
,ould find TO put you into. because we
,on't know enough about the country,
md / thought you, being a newspaper
scout, could stand II and look up the
acts FOR business on a reciprocity basis"
So Il. is about our own country. on the
part of foreigners. who judge all America
D the lower part of New York city.
ter an official residence. against my
y. III. In the consular hades, at the I'M
iea lthful mouth of the Amazon, ascend
"a o the head waters of that great river
~ canoeing for weeks with Indians
ga he'd the Cordilleras. and thence muled
t over the Andes from Para TO Lima.
But need not tell you about this. as
we been occupied at the Hygeia in pre-
)aring tie 0sing chapters OF the book
descriptive of his trip Across Equatorial
America" which was partly published in
Dispatch. Post. etc, that the
will bring out under the title OF
the land OF tomorrow.
sailed from Newport News on
steamer OF line then running direct to
Brazil. We took on acres OF lard, flour.
,acon, and coal. While Consul made II
special point TO show that those re-
lions require our -four, bacon, lard, and
oal. which are articles the English can't
ell Except coaD. / proved that the
Amazon Valley got all their goods from
europe. That New England manufac-
urers consume three fourths OF the rub
ttnx x-n 40 900 mar va.r. that