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APPROBATORY REMARKS
The
foregoing Lecture was published in the
Lancaster papers soon after its delivery.
James Percival, Esq., the then editor of the
Lancaster Gazette and Express, introduced it
to his readers in the following approbatory
and truthful remarks : ' ' Our paper of this
week, as will be seen, contains nothing like
its usual variety, but is mostly filled with
a Lecture of our fellow-townsman, G-en. Geo.
Sanderson, on the early settlement of this
town and its vicinity. This, it is presumed,
no one will regret, for there can be no
subject more interesting to the present
inhabitants of this county, than a faithful
history of the incidents and events
connected with the first set- tlement of the
American wilds, and more particularly with
those that oc- curred on the spot where we
now dwell in peace and undisturbed
tranquility, surrounded by all the comforts
and plenty found in the older settled
portions of the east. In the recital of the
facts here recorded, the present and
succeeding generations are made acquainted
with the perils and hardships which the
first settlers endured for their sakes ; for
it is not often that the father of a family
undertakes the dangers and sufferings of a
frontier life for his own benefit, but for
the sake of his children and their
descendants. ' ' The actors in the scenes so
well described in the history under
consideration, have mostly passed away ; and
had not the man, to whom we are indebted for
this Lecture, undertaken the task of
embodying, and
[Pg. 6]
giving to the public so many interesting
facts, many of them would have been lost
forever ; for he is now almost the only
living witness of the scenes and times
spoken of—we will venture to say, the only
one who is competent to the task of
collecting and arranging them for public
use. As the manners that prevail, and the
customs observed are nearly the same in all
new settlements, we can say from much
experience and personal observation, that
the Lecturer has confined his descriptions
to simple facts —nothing has been added by
way of embellishment. In all new settlements
the inhabitants are remarkably kind and
neighborly, though they may have previously
been entire strangers to each other. Knowing
their mutual dependence they live almost
like one family, each rendering to his
neighbor all the kind offices in his power.
Articles of food, in particular, are divided
with a generous hand, and the owner never
reserves any portion to himself while a
neighbor is destitute. As it respects
kindness to each other and mutual
dependence, the denizens of the woods seem
to have escaped the curse of Adam's fall." |
