The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-16
MORE LIGHT ON SUBJECT
pr. Lyon Tyler Agrees With %. r. W.
Against Or. MowrY.

Editor Of The Times Dlspatch: u.s.
sr.-I read with much interest the let
ter Of DR.. William a. Mowry and the an
swer thereto Of b. r. W., in your issue
of May 10th. It appears to me that the
objections Of B. R. w. to the text Of Dr..
Mowrys book are well taken and ably
sustained. Virginia's conquest Of the
Northwest territory is the only real fac
tor to be considered by the historian in
awarding credit in the matter Of Its ces-
sion to the United States.
While other States surrendered claims,
they were cessions Of nothing more than
paper claims. which were OF no value at
all In securing the United States that
magnificent domain They therefore do
not deserve to be mentioned in the same
breath with the cession OF Virginia. B..
r. W. Is more generous than think the
facts permit In conceding that Or. Mowry
ginia did limit her claim to the forty
first parallel. assuming that to be the
northern boundary OF Virginia under her
charter" No charter of Virginia ever
assigned the forty-first parallel AZ it's
northern boundary, as the examina ton
OF the charters granted ut different times
will certainly show. Under the charter
OF 1906. while claim was made for Eng
land to all the territory between "a de-
grees and IS degrees north latitude. two
companies We're created. whose terri
torial possessions were expressly con-
fined to small tracts represented by two
rectangles. each 100 miles wide by 200
miles long. In 1909 one OF these COM
panies. known by the name Of the London
Company. which had planted settlement
nj Jamestown, obtained separate char
ter by means OF which Its territory was
enormously extended. 1t fronted on the
sea coast for 200 miles north OF Point
Comfort and 200 miles south thereof. and
extended west and northwest from sea
to sea-" These limits were confirmed
by the charter Of 1919; and. therefore.
whatever rights Virginia had in the
Northwest country under the charters
must have oeen to territory south OF a
line trending northwesterly from n point
200 miles north OF Point Comfort. A
study OF the map Of the United States
will show the great difference in area
such line. ever dlverging northward.
would make IN the claim to the NORTH
west territory over the forty-f first paral-
lel
The mistake OF DR.. Mowry in substi-
tutlng the term THE National Govern
United States OF America" and thus
forcing his opinion upon the student as
to the asserted national character of the
Union alb ovo. Is nlso properly objected
to. would not debar any historian from
his opinion. but 1t should be made sec
ondary to tho fact always, What Dr.
Mowry states In vindicatfon OF his mis-
use OF words Is. In no sense permissible.
for he certainly ought to know that able
writer's and speakers--some from his own
section OF country-from tho earliest
period OF the Union, have denied that
the quotations made by him In favor of
national government import any such
conclusions as he draws from them. On
the other hand, he cannot but know that
authority for the opposite view abounds
IN archeves OF every State The articles
OF confederation positively declare the
Union to be league. and there is not
State of the old thirteen at least that
did not insist by legislative resolves and
otherwise upon Its Independence, free
dom and sovereignty" even down to 1861.
Al the very moment that Virginia con-
summated her cession to tho Northwest
territory she passed an act denounctng
death upon any person Who should at
tempt to overthrow 'the Constitution,
sovereignty and independence of the
state"
Language so definite and precise must
carry greater convection than that which
Or. Mowry quotes bearing only an In
ferential argument In favor OF his idea.
For DR.. Mowry or anybody else to argue
against the obvious meaning OF such
language is to detract very much from
the common sense Which all good patriots
are fond OF imputing to our ancest tors.
1t Is claiming. In fact, to know the mean
Ing Of words and the character of Things
better than did they who We're the makers
Of the country. LYON G, TYLER.
william and Mary. williamsburg, 18th
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