The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-26
lrui1lia, the Mother of States
Bv FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

trade; chambers of commerce and far
mcrs' institutes.
When jamestown was settled 500
years ago the English found VIRGINIA
the scat of the confed Grated empire of
Pow whatan. Those carly settlers had
much respect for tho tribal government
OF the saVages. and were careful 10
pestow Titles of king and emperor upon
tended over very small territory
when Pocahontas married John Rolfo
ana went with him to England. King
James was inccnscd because Rolfc had
the presumption TO marry princess of
royal blood. So little did James un.
derstand Powhatan. Powhatan knew
as little about James. for he semi a
trusted brave with Pocahontas TO count
the English and sec IL II wonld be
practicable for the Indians 10 cross the
Atlantic and take London The poor
Indian started in .braveIy TO take his
census by cutting n notch on stick
every tlm' he met a man, but the Job
soon proved TOO much for him. He
went back TO Virginia and reported
that the English were as the stars Of
heaven and sands Of the sea But Pow.
hatan would not believe him.
In the lI0 years of the colonial his
tory of Virginia there was as great
development, relatively, as has taken
place IN America since Virginia be.
came State. The population Mt the
time of the first Federal census, 1870
was twice as great rs that OF New
York State. and nearly half of what
II is now. In Tidewater, Va. the pco-
pie lived in the luxury of rural Eng
land. The land was entailed by laws
OF primogcuiturc and the rich planters
were arIstocrats of thc aristocrats Yet
these very arIstocrats were the first
10 cry out against the oppression of
the English government The colonial
Nrginians have been described as
slaves TO church and king. yet they
were the first people in the world To
enact statute guaranteeing absolute
religious freedom. they were the first
people 10 declare by formal enactment
that all men are created equal. TIC
first TO assert that governments should
derive their lUst power from the con
sent of the governed.
The aristocrats of the 'Tidewater
were called Tuckahocs by tho simpler
folk who lived in tho valley of Nir-
glnia and in the foothills of the noun
iains. The latter were called Cohccs
The Tuckahoes were of pure English
stock. Most of them were descended
from the original jamestown colonists
with the adIniSturc of the blood of
the Toyalists, Who fled from England
when Cromwell and Parliament set MP
th. commonwealth. The Cohees were
Of English, Scotch. Irish. Dutch and
German G,sc"uy, much more like the
average american of today. But these
strains pi ElopC did not commiugle as
amlcabiy thon a they do now.
The tuwn Of Winchester was estab
lishcd in 1852. and was settled by Irish
and Dutch On st. Patrck's day the
Dutch always arranged a procession,
and with mock solcmnity would carry
rick and his wife. Shecley About the
good saints shoulders hung neck
lace Of potatoes. and his wife s apron
was also full of the same Irish fruit.
On ST. Michael s day the Irish had
the merry custom of rctaliatiug by pa
radiue \ figure of the Dutch saint
dressed in frills Of saucrkraut.
All these strains Of blood have been
intcrmingled in the century Of state
life. aud the Nirginian of today is y
composite of European bloods, as are
all Americans; but the English is para.
mount Nirginiaus hold 10 their state
pride with great tcnacItN; they are
nearly all experts in tracing family
histories, and but few of them can be
found who Will not confess TO an an
ccstor who was prominent In colonial
or revolutionary DAYS. They are cour-
teous and hospitabIc. and most of them
are striving hard To make money that
they may sec a revival of Virginia s