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
By referring to the Supplement of the _Daily Advertiser_ of the 31st
of May, I see that "pool" has again overflowed, and the result is a
wishy-washy everlasting flood of nearly four columns in small type,
some of which seem to be a reply to the fairly-written statements and
comments of "Sabino;" but the most of it reads very much like one of
Van Buren's old messages with which we were served annually, some
twenty-five years ago, while in barefaced effrontery it much resembles
the speeches of Jeff. Davis and Wigfall, at the commencement of the
late rebellion. Let us wade through this mass of matter which reaches
from the voyage of Noah to the latest raid on the Pophamites; and here
let me remark, that the writer handles that ancient navigator's
character very much as he does Chief Justice Popham's, looking only at
its worst side. Why does he not assert that his ark was built of
"green pine," and no one would embark in it, or, if they did, they
went a fishing, and never arrived at Mount Ararat; for there is just
as much evidence of this as there is in his assertions relative to the
vessel built at Sabino. But let us follow the writer, and see how he
replies to "Sabino." First, he finds great difficulty in understanding
what all others clearly appreciate, and this accounts for many of his
misstatements, for if a man cannot understand the truth, how can he
communicate it? Secondly, he gives us a short lesson on style; but
finally concludes "that, after all, it is greatly a matter of taste
for which there is no accounting." I agree with him on this point;
and, as evidence of what his taste is, let me make an extract from his
description of the discovery of the locality of the Popham Colony.
"Nothing would satisfy a few excellent people of Maine, but to dig up
the sickening remains, and flaunt them under the nostrils of the
community. Here was an offense against decency and sanitary
regulations, indictable at common law. In cholera times the proceeding
is insufferable. Their first mistake was, that when they came to the
putrid mass they did not carefully replace the sod." Does this read
like a review from a student of history? Does it not more likely
resemble the report of a city scavenger, when the cholera is expected?
Then, next, comes a quotation from Lord Bacon's essays on plantations
in general, published about twenty years after the Popham expedition;
and it is difficult to see what it has to do with the Popham Colony.
If it could be referred to any one in particular, it must have been
the then transporting of such people as he talks of to Virginia. Next,
he asserts that the Colony only occupied "a few acres of ground on the
promontory of Sabino." Will he tell how many more acres were really
occupied at Jamestown or Plymouth the first six months of their
existence?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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