The Popham Colony : $b a discussion of its historical claims, with a bibliography of the subjectPoole, William Frederick
History
The Popham Colony : $b a discussion of its historical claims, with a bibliography of the subject
Poole, William Frederick
Maine -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
In reply to these three formal propositions, it is only necessary to
say, that the fact of the building of the vessel rests on as good
authority as any historical statement relating to that colony; that
there were sufficient men and full time to do it in; and that there
can be no doubt it was intended to build a ship when the expedition
left England, from the fact that they brought out a master
ship-builder and workmen. That she was built of "green pine" is an
assumption very improbable, when we know that the growth along that
shore was mainly hardwood, while pine predominates in the interior.
But his most severe tirades are poured out upon the poor colonists,
calling them felons, knaves, cowards, and almost exhausting the
vocabulary of Billingsgate. To this I will not attempt to reply, but
merely remark, that his language, style and logic, is as far removed
from the "pure well of English undefiled" as a _pool_ of stagnant
water is from a perennial fountain.
A passing reader of his famous review would be at a loss to understand
why this terrible onset is made on this small pamphlet,--nine-tenths
of which he says does not refer to the Popham subject at all,--as
though he expected to conquer them, Chinese-like, by only making a
great noise. But a friend at my elbow says that this is a broadside in
advance, or, rather, the fire of his skirmish line, and only
preparatory to the advance of his big guns, which are to come in the
shape of a preface to a reprint, in which he intended to entirely
annihilate the Pophams, the Gorges, all their followers and
biographers, great and small, rich and poor, so completely that our
histories will have to be rewritten, and these old names that have
been so prominent in our early annals obliterated entirely; and
finally to destroy the granite walls of Fort Popham, memorial stone
and all, and by further displays of his cut-and-thrust logic prove
conclusively that it is all a myth, and nothing of the kind ever
existed. _Nous verrons._
ORIENT.
[_Boston Daily Advertiser, May 31, 1866._]
POPHAM AGAIN AND FINALLY.
Our notice of Professor Patterson's Address, in the _Advertiser_ of
the 11th of April, has drawn from "Sabino" an extended reply, which
appeared ten days later. As our object in noticing the Address was not
controversy; and as "Sabino," skirmishing here and there, has made no
effective attack on any historical position taken in the criticism, we
have doubted the propriety of making a rejoinder. The world is not in
haste to become Pophamized. The memories and associations of more than
two centuries, grounded on historic truth, are not to be pushed aside
by the most absurd and baseless theory ever addressed to the human
understanding.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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