The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-02

cannot indulge the hope of portraying those brilliant characteristics with which the life of this mighty chief abounds;- the noble Powhattan. hope that those Bho read this paper may be stimulated to delve into the conspicuous events that re- late to the epic era when the white man irst set foot on Virginia sof1. and discover what an enormous character was Pow hattan-who, to others of his race, is as the gentle notes of the song birds of those forests to the scream of the eagle when he stoops on his prey. Tacitus says: "Agricola has possessed to the full those enjoyments which alone make man happy. those which spring from virtue he had been adorned with all the dignity which consular rank or triumphal hon. ors could bestow-what more could Tor tune add to his happiness or his fame" Of those civic virtues in the refined sense in which Tacitus writes, the dusKy em- peror of the forests was Ignorant, save in the crudest forms which he discovered in nature, but when the great Indian had been fairly interpreted he must be found not deficient in virtue in it's grandest sense And, in those things which con- spire to the good health of a nation, a happy, independent forest home, honest dealing with fellow man. a generous hos pitality, and an absolute and perfect courage in defense of the home which God gave him, and his brilliant plans for governmental management, Powhattan was greater than Agricola, and far great CT than Agricola's master-Vespacian And, too, Tacitus the historian was the son-in-law of Agricola, of whom he wrote those pretty things. Opportunities considered, Powhattan was the equal of Jefferson as a statesman, the peer or Patrick Henry as an orator, the superior or SuWarrow as a fierce warrior, and type of Stonewall Jackson in his almost solitary field of strategy. After travelling 600 miles, and having carefully examined the histories and biographies of Stith, Wlrt, Campbell, Howe, Wheeler, and oth- CT biographical sketches, traditional statements, official documents found in the libraries of Virginia and North Caro- ina-nearly all of which epithet Powhat- tan as a tyrant and cruel, still, his bril- liant achievem ents, his dauntiess bravery, his generous character and his mournful fate gathers for me halo of admiration and respect around his name.
 The great aboriginal names that are recorded in the scant annals we have of the red men, more or less colored by their exploits of daring, hatred ano meanness, and now and then tinged with romance and sentiment, are King Phillip, Logan, Black Hawk, Tecumseh, Pushmatana, Weatherfurd Sitting Bull, Oseeo1a, etc. CTwo of these, Weatherford and OsceoIa -Ussa- Yohola, meaning the "Black Drink" a decoction from the Holly-berry which they drank to excess before going to battle-were half breeds, the white blood (5s) predominating) All of them are, in intellectual strength ana a genius for warfare but pigmies to Powhattan. The name of Pushmataha means The has won all the powers of his race" and learned Alabamian has written of him: "Of all the Indians of pure blood who have a place in American history, he blended more admirable traits than any other He was intelligent afrab1e, saga