The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-07-28
Pocahontas and the Spanish
American War.

Pooahontas and the Spanish
American War.
We hear much Of Shafter ant
Merritt and Miles on land, of Dewey
Schley and Sampson on the seas
during the progress Of this war
Their glories are sung from one enc
to the other of this land, but little dc
we hear concerning a woman who
struck the first blow against Spain
and her growing power. That wo-
man was Pocahontas. She displayed
to marked degree those virtues Of
mind and of heart which are the
browning glory of womankind. She
was not Cleopatra. She was not
that type of woman who have plung-
ed nations in war, arrayed brother
against brother and made towards of
the bravest men. A glance from her
eyes was not perhaps like Tightening
from the heavens, or flames from the
slow burning Volcano. Her person
atty did not raise hopes, which flying
through space on heavenly pinions
scared to the sublimest flights Of
fancy and were then dashed to pieces
in the twinkling of an eye against the
crags aud peaks of bleak despair.
BaSking in the sunlight of her charms
there was probably room for thoughts
Of heaven and her voice may not
have been of that silvery sweetness
which floats through the air an elo-
quent chant of love eternal, but she
was more than this. She was one of
natures noble woman. The savage
exterior was there. Upon her 1.-THE
and graceful form was the costume of
the Indian, but inside that wild ex-
terror was as true and az tender
heart as ever beat in a wOman's
breast. She studied God from nature
and in the mountain Businesses beside
the ripping brook came to know
Him. The Jewels of the heavens she
studied by night and IN the stars
were reflected the beauty of her
character. This wild romantic little
savage was az great hero as ever
lived and to her the American nation
owe an everlasting debt of gratitude.
In a speech delivered bv Lord
Chancellor Bacon on the 18th of
June, 1921, that distinguished man
gave utterance to these words:
"ThiS kingdom Great Britain) now
first in his majesties time hath gotten
lot or portion in the new world by
the plantation of Virginia and the
Summer Islands, and as it is in the
Kingdom of Heaven sometimes
grain Of mustard seed proves a great
tree. Who can tell?" What Bacon
hoped for has been realized far be-
yond the most brilliant conception of
his great genius. The little English
colony planted at jamestown proved
TO be the source of great and pow
erful nation. Three centuries have
not passed and they occupy a vast
and number over seventy
millions. Had jamestown fallen a {
victim to Indian treachery rs had the
previous colonies sent out from Great
the Spaniards would have
the future destiny of
America. They claimed this con- a
.inent upon two grounds. 1t was
Ferdinand aud Isabella who gave
Columbus encouragement in his ex.
,loratiOn schemes, Isabella partic-
llarly interested herself in his behalf b
o the extent that the expedition was '
tilted out and Columbus was started =
lpon that wonderful voyage, the v
of which was the dis '
overy of the new world. Alexander v
II was then the pontifcal potentate {.
nd in 1893 granted to Spain the :
lew world thus discovered giving her It
wo grounds upon which to base her s
lain. Il
But it was ordered otherwise and "
'ortl America through the James ~
own settlement was secured TO the d
Inglo-Ssxon race and to civilization, N
esulting in people the most indie
endent and self reliant of any in II
he world and who have secured for a. !,
themselves and their children the "
riceless blessing Of liberty. A W
eople who combine in marked de-
rec the wisdom OF the old Greeks, Ia
le sense for organization iu the u.
omans aud the sense tor righteous. vi
ess in the old Jews. 1t has resulted Oh
the development OF our institutions pr
wards all men. What was once 70
he sport and luxury of Kings is now ne
le common lot OF Americans. and
'ery path that has been blszed in he
10 wilderness leads with firm and
npartisl pace TO the palace aud the
'ttsge gazette the veal of the n,
imblest in the land asd strengthens y,
I'd revives the ever onward march Of no
iumphant democracy" 81,
The successful installation of that os