The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-19
Virginia and the 7 er-centenary.
Editor Of The Tlmes-Dlspatch:

Editor OF The Times Dspatch: H43
sir.-As 1907 pproaches the Ter-Cen-
tenary 10 lie held In Yirglni Will excite
no little comnfent and attract much no.
lice to the Old Dominion. the Mother
State. It lis no fault Of Mr.. Thomas
Nelson Page and Miss Mary Johnston nndt
Miss Ellen Glasgow and other conteln-
porary Virginia writer's should their ma.
tive soil. whose Traditions and stored pa st
they have accorded cd such entertaining
mention lapse into oblivion 1890. q!
tits fitting SO important a. centennial
Virginia is. OF course, tho logical soil
upon which such an&anniversnry& the
ono mentioned should he celebrated. The
National Government. will, no doubt, ten
der offices and support to an enterprise SO
deserving. Indeed the three hundredth
birthday Of the grea American nation. the
United States. ought to be a gala affair.
In which MI the States will desire part!-
cipatlon and all take pride.
z Virginia will take pleasure In playing
hostess to her numerous sprlghtly daugh-
tors From the Rio Grande to the Great
Lakes from California to the Atlantic.
tho old mother summons her children.
This Tar ahead. while: the matter Is
mainly4 incipjent. success promises to att
tend the ter centenary. The movement
appeals strongly to boil, local and ma.
tional pride IT'S a gratnlatory matter
ln1L 1OTCy OUC .tL''tl SSVSAte' W
ritories have been fashioned from tho
crowns fair dominion In the Western
Hemisphere. ,.lt !.
England named after herself is by nn5old
writer described rs follows: The
bounds thereof on the east side are the
ocean: on the south. lIeth Florida: on the
north. Novin Fra ncda (Canada) as for the
west thereof the limits are unknown"
The S"South sSea''sorg Pa cdftc Ocean. was a
first mentioned as VirGinla's western
boundary.
The glamour OF romance clusters around
many OF the associations and names
dominating the early annals.
e. sd III VTRGlNIA! 5f
The magic name stlrs the singers harp
to sweetest symphony.
Current literature nttests tho fact that
muses. have not forsaken Virginia In
whose realm there exists material Tor the
making OF divers hooks: themes suited to.
fnsplre immortal lays and deed and daring
to invite tho whole worlds admiration
Looking back. one sees the gentry OF old
England Drawing the perils Of the New
World. Cavalier and courtior unused
to hardshlps. sally forth to the fray chnl-
Hanged to prove tho blood Of valiant an
cestors. 10 assert their right to the soil
upon which they Ind dared plant Al len
feet. Gauntleted sire, spurred SOD, mall
ed knight fair women. all through the
rest respect, ali figure IN Virgnias past!
B Gone nov nre the ten thousand crafty
Reds who peopled Vlrginln when white
men became minded to fashion homes IN
a land where Heaven and ear1n never
agreed together In framing filter abode
for man. The Indians name Is but
memory and his relics passing, few The
soil has been wrested from Idle tenants;
forests levclled and cities reared where
the wolf the bear, the wildcat the deer.
were wont to range, Perchane some va
grant fancy may imagine the stealthy
football along the rivers. the war-whoop
echoing adown the amending forest aisles
and the skulking savage roaming ut Will
But fact anon dlspels such fantasies arls-
Ing out of tho past.
+ Here Powha tan. the great chlc1, Whxed
old and died in the land Of his tnthers;
thorn In his flesh, The warriors cum
ming, devilish' contriyance. savage coun-
Gil brute force, all. all qualled before the
tread OF the pale faces from beyond tho
Here fierce opechancanoush lived and
placahle foe. observation-disclosures spare
The fair name-guarled well tho nations
cradle and warind harm from the infant
republic. since Grown into the prot1dest
nation upon which tho sun OF heaven
smiles, nil years shall wax and wane
no more her memory must i've,
',Whose t,reless hand vouohsared Its aid,
A nations germ to save"
Here, too, lived and wrought the re-
doubtable Captain John Smith. he Of tho
valiant sword, he Of the Turkish wars
In sooth hardest hero who ehamploned
Weakness and nung de1ance IN dangers
face.
The dusky tribes OF the forest were no
match for Captain Smith, tho greatest of
ali the pale faces, whom tho forest clans
Nor sooanfshall fall his memroory. but Sc
tor the ESQ sod ,aya tartH ns t a
IIore also is due mention Of the Co 4
lonialY povarnors. Delaware, Dale, Gates,