The Republican journal., 1905-10-05
MAJOR HERBFRr's LETTERS.

Major Sidney Herbert's weekly let
tiers from Maitland. Florida. to the
Savannah, Georgia, Morning News,
contain much of interest to war vet
Grams and others, and show that the
writer has lost none of his love for and
interest in his native State. We quote
as follows from one of his recent letters:
All! me, how our ancient idols are
being shattered or belittled by dupli-
Gates, For years unnumbered we have
revered the name and fame of Virginia's
beautiful Indian maiden, Pocahontas,
the rescuer of Capt. John Smith. And
now comes a penny-a-liner with the
story that in 1914, down about Gardiner,
Me-, this same Capt. John Smith was
rescued by beautiful Indian maiden,
/ Schools, who was killed by the arrow,
shot at Capt. Smith. Well, am proud
of my native State of Maine, but she
has legends and honors enough without
seeking to rob the "Old Dominion of
the familiar and beautiful traditions
that cluster around the time-honored
name of beautiful PocahOntas. The
Gardiner story may be all true, but the
writer can't 'poke-it-on- to- us"-not this
year.
1t was suggested that the peace COM
mission take its farewell of President
Roosevelt in Washington, D. c., and
that the treaty be called the Treaty
of Washington" Well, it doesn't make
any difference whether or not you call
it the Treaty of Portsmouth," or
Oyster Bay, or Washington, the cold,
hard fact remains, as solid as the rock
OF Gibralter, that the whole work of
the commission was done in kittery,
Me, where the building now stands in
which the work was begun and CON
tipued, and in which it ended so glori-
ously. York, Me-, is near Kittery, and
Baron komura and Minister Takahira
attended a garden party there, for the
benefit of the York Hospital, and
generously contributed $1,000 to the
fund. 1t is possible that the Dove of
Peace turned loose at Kittery, like
Noah's dove of old, may not find rest
ing place anywhere in the worlds sea
of troubles, as Japan don't want it, nor
does Russia, and it may yet come back
to its starting point with its white
wings red with the blood of Japan and
Russian rioters. But if the prayers and
pleadings of good people everywhere
prevail, IL Will ma SaIe ana perma-
nent resting place with the two warning
nations over whom it spread its broad
white wings at kittery, Me-, when it
took flight across the intervening
oceans.
"Ihe angels sang their song that night,
Ger kittery'S quiet bay;
For once again had Peace, 'gainst Might,
Won its triumphal way;
oh, blessed be this Christian age!
That strikes at Wars foul blot.
No longer may our passions rage,
Our manhood be forgot"
The recent action of President Roose-
welt, in so greatly promoting the peace
negotiations at Kittery, Me-, has again
brought the United States to the fore
front as mighty world-power. And,
although the late William Cullen Bry-
ant was poet and not prophet, he
seems to have anticipated as far back
as 1925, our Cuban, Porto Rico, Ha-
walian, Philippines and Japan-Russian
experiences, for he wrote these pro-
phetic lines:
The years that DER each sister land
Shall lift the country of my birth
The pride and pattern of the earth;
III younger commonwealth, for aid,
Shall cling about her ample robe,
And from her frOWn shall shrink afraid
The crowned oppreSSors of the globe.