The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-08
6Dy {|I.u /
(Continue1 nom iy7r1& Pagel.

lowed him. and Be assured that moth
lng Is further from my purpose than
10 magnify the participation OF the
Virginians or to minimize that OF the
Carolinians. I think Of SEWER OF
Shelby and Of Campbell and their
brave followers as one people. They
were for the most part people Oh
common descent and were themselves
exiles or the descendants of exiles
from the oppression of Europe. They
were trained in the same hard school
Of common sacrifice and suffering.
and they themselves recognized no
dividing line save the almost imagin-
airy boundary line between Virginia
and North Carolina,
WE'RE DARK DAYS IN
AMERICAS EXPERIENCE.
Lot US look at the picture that pre-
scented itself in 1880. The darkest
hour of the Revolution had struck.
Tories and savages ravaged the coll
onies on the West and the British
feet harassed the Atlantic Coast. The
loss OF Charleston, the defeat at Cam
aen, the treason of Benedict Arnold
seemed to point to the end of the
struggle for liberty. Washington had
not dared to risk a battle for two
years The illustrious chiefta1n, su-
preme In courage and patience, was
himself at bay. confronting the crit
icism Of Congress and the machina-
lions of his subordinates. Lord Corn
wallis at the head of q victorious army
had sub3ugated Georgia ana South
Carolina, and Tarleton. his trusted
lieutenant. was riding roughshod over
tho Carclinas, compelling submission
to English authority. Thousands OF
our men were losing hope and flock
ing to the standard OF an alien foe
either a. Loyalists or as Tories. The
rules Of war had been substituted by
savagery and brutality never equailed
before or since on the North American
continent A pail Of black despair
hung over tho land. ana the white lips
OF women ana children trembled at
the mention Of the name OF Tarleton.
The fire of hope seemed to have been
almost extinguished. Colonel Fer
guson, with eleven hundred regulars
of Tories was already approaching the
mountains
1t was then that Tarleton. flushed
with victory. sent the fateful message
to the officers on the western waters OF
Wautauga, Noiaohucky and F3olston
that II they did not desizt from their
opposition to British arms and yield
allegiance to the British crown he
would march his army over the noun
tAluo hho pAt tACit tiAcAJ W ssAV AAe~AeSA
and their homes to the torch
Who were the men to whom this
message was sent?
SOOTCH-LRISH BLOOD
IN THESE AMERICANS.
In the halter part Of the seventeenth
century thousands OF Scotch Irish dis
senters had been driven from their
homes by religious persecution to find
an asylum in the new world. Even
in this newly settled country they were
confronted by many OF the difficulties
they had left behind them. In 1872
William Gooch was Royal 0overnor
of Virginia. II was sixteen years at
ter the knights OF tho Golden Horse
Shoe. under Spotswood. had crossed
the Blue Ridge. and few settlers had
been found to hit the trail they had
blazed. The Indian was not a desir-
able neighbor. An tncorrigtble habit
of giving vent to war-whoops at mop
perfume moments and OF welding the
tomahawk indiscreetly made royal
grants unpopular in his vicinity. qooch
was familiar with the tenets of the
Preshyterians, and no realized that
predestination and final perseverance
were excellent doctrines for the from
tier, so. although the Ola Dominion
was loyal to the Episcopacy, the Gov
ernor guaranteed to ali Scotch-Irish
emigrants religious liberation in re-
turn for their defense OF the western
border.
This was. believe, the first official
concession In Virginia to the people
classed as Dissenters. ana when 1t is
remembered that II was twelve years
before the birth OF jefferson, the au-
thor Of the Statute of Virginia for Re-
ngtous Freedom. the far-reanhtng I'm
portanoe OF this act OF Governor Gooch