The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-24
nounrs Anor1r rocAHoNrAs.

Now we are going to have it all over again, and worse than ever. The proposition to recover and bring back the remains of Pocahontas has, as The St. Louis Star says, ''raised considera- bie discussion in London and has drawn from one writer half column of doubt as to whether Pocahontas and whether she ever went to Eng land as the wife of John Rolfe. This iconoclast declares Pocahontas was an Indian adventures, brought over as a speculation by the Governor of vir- ginia for exhibition purposes, and that she was called princess to make her more interesting"
 Such unbelief as this Is really dis couraging. but fortunately it is prin- cipally confined to the English, wno evidently think it detracts from the fame of their John Smith to have it said that such valiant soldier was only saved from death by an Indian girl. If the tradition had been that he whipped the savages single-nanded and carried their king off captive we suppose no Englishman would doubt 1t. for then all the glory would have been his. and none of 1t have gone to the girl.
 That Pocahontas was not a princess in the modern English acceptation of the term may be true enough be- cause her father had not been crowned king as English Kings are crowned. Looking at 1t in that way 1t might be denied that she was a princess, but that view is not a correct one. In fact, the father of the girl was really king over his own people. He had absolute rule over more than twenty tribes of Indians. Though they be- longed to the Algonquin group they were known as Powhatan Indians, from their leader.
 Nor should we forget that this rul- CT was really crowned. When Poca- hontas saved Smiths life her father sent him back to Jamestown with many valuable presents. Afterwards, vessel returning from England
 
 brought valuable presents for the chief. among them being crown, and a few days afterwards he was crowned with great ceremonies. So 1t seems that he was really a King, as much so as any one has ever been in this country, and his daughter had as much right to. the title of princess .as the 4 ne Ufna Edxvar1 hoa
 That attempts nave been made to cast doubts on the story of the part Pocahontas played Is not surprising when all the circumstances are con sidered. Great stress is laid on the fact that Smith. in his accounts of his adventures in Virginia, does not mention the episode, but that Is not strange. With all his good qualities he was vain man and 1t may be that he thought the saving of his life by Pocahontas would detract from his own reputation. or he may have con- sidered 1t a matter of not enough importance to find a place in his his tory. But 1t is not fact that he ignored her brave deed. In 1616. after she went to England, Smith sent to Queen Anne a strong petition in her favor and In that petition he mem tioned the service the princess rem dered him by interceding with her father and thus saving his life. This Is proof enough of the fact and of his grateful remembrance. Evidently our English cousins want to keep our princess and are trying to belittle her so as to prevent efforts on the part of Virginians to return her to her na- tive land. We hope they will refuse to be prevented from carrying out their commendable intentions. If she can be found she is ours and we should have her.
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