The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-11-08
THE REPUBLIC.

Professionals, OF which curious account Is given.
The fourteenth chapter embraces the history OF
New England under CHARLES ii. Besides gra-
phic sketch of Philips war, traces the decline and
fall of the New England theocracy, theintroduction
of system of royal custom houses into the colo
mics for the enforcement OF the English laws OF
trade and the final overthrow of that independence
which the New England colonists had earnestly
struggled to maintain, and at times not without
success.
The fifteenth chapter commences with an instruc-
tive contrast between Virginia and New England,
showing how early the origin Of those PECULIAR
ties by which these two commonwealth still
| distinguished. The story of Bacon's rebellion is
told with fulness and graphic force which throws
strong light on the condition of Virginia and the
| manners Of the times. This chapter, which con-
cudes the first volume contains the history of Vir
ginia and Maryland, from the restoration TO the
| last year of JAMES II.
i The second volume opens with the settlement of
Carolina, of which the sixteenth chapter gives as
full an account as the paucity OF material admits.
The seventeenth chapter brings down to the acces-
sion of JAMES ii. the history of New York, the two
Jerseys, and Pennsylvania provinces formed out
of the conquered New Netherland. In the eigh,
| teenth chapter we have sketch of the history of
| New France, of the French missions among the
Hurons, of the French with the Iraquois of the
exploration Of the great lakes of the discovery of
the Mississippi and of the expeditions to explore it
under the leadership of the adventurous and intrepid
La Sale.
| Hitherto, through period of eighty years, the
history of colonies has been given separately,
in groups of those more closely related. From the
accession of JAMES H., for another period of
ninety years, down TO the commencement of the
| xlaa
group, the bond of union being at first slight, but
growing stronger with the progress of the struggle
against the French, and after the conquest of New
France, of disputes with the mother country. The
nineteenth chaptsr which commences this por-
| ton of the work, describes the revolutions in
| New England, New York and Maryland dis
tant echoes of that which expelled James III. from
his throne. The twentieth treats of the acces-
sion Of William H.; of the substitution by that
event OF parliamentary instead of royal
thority OYER the colonies; of the commencement
of the first intercolonial, commonly known as
King Williams, war, in which the French of Cana
da and the eastern Indians were combined against
| New England and New York; of the second char
ter of Massachusetts of the tragical fate of Les-
| Ter, and the still more lamentabe tragedy of the
Salem wtchcraft, of which a very full account is
given. The twenty first chapter contains the pro-
gress and conclusion of the first ntercolona war
also, account of the board of trade and planta-
tons, and of the system of admiralty tribunals es-
tabshed to give effect to the laws of trade imposed
upon the colonies for the benefit of the mother coun
try-aws which supplied the original sources of
that discomfort which resulted finally in the revo-
luton. The twenty second chapter gives the his
! tory of the settlement of Louisiana, and of the
| second intercoonial, commonly known as Queen
al H.
progress of Louisiana under the auspices of the
celebrated Mississippi Company, and the history of
the English colonies during the reign of George H.,
with an account of the issue of colonial paper mo-
ney, to be lent out for the encoura cement of trade
"a species of banking on landed securities revived
in our time under different form, but still with
the same bad success. This matter of colonial pa
! per money-part of it issued a financial re-
source, sort of forced loan in anticipation of
taxes, and part on speculation, to be lent out as a
moneyed capital to those whoc give the required
security-is traced in this and the succeeding vol
| ume, from the first issue by Massachusetts, during
the first intercoonial war; through various scenes
of depreciation and reputation, its final prohi
biton first, by acts of parliament and afterwards,
and still more efiectually, far at least as the
separate States concerned, by the Constitution
of the United States. The twenty fourth chapter
contains the history of the English colonies during
| the first twelve years of George H., with an ac-
count of the settlement of Georgia and the progress
of the French the Mississippi and its tributaries.
The third intercolonial war, first with Spain and
afterwards with France forms the subject of the
twenty fifth chapter, 10 which is added a sketch of
the great religious revival Of l74O and of slavery
and the slave trade, including the curious subject
Of white slaves, or redenptioners-t three very i'm
| Ia uhic Il,
torians have been almost entirely silent, but as
TO which very full details are here given Con
sidering, indeed, how much religion enters into the
life of the American people, and how abundantly it
appears, from the facts collected in these volumes
/ that religion was considered from the beginning
! an object OF hrst-rate importance in every North
American colony, that history of the United States
| must be very incomplete which does not point out
the origin and organization, and trace the internal
revolutions Of the various religious sects into which
our people are divided. Upon this subject, in the
| present work. much attention has been bestowed
and though perhaps sect will be entirely salts
fed with their own portrait and history as here
given, yet we believe they will generally concur in
the impartalty and correctness Of those of all the
others.
/ The twenty sixth and twenty seventh chapters
give rapid and comprehensive account Of the
fourth intercoonial war, marked by great colonial
efforts, and at first by severe checks, but term-
mating in the conquest Of Canada and the expul-
sion of the French from North America in the
colonization of which they had carried on
long, and, at times so pressing a competition
with the English. They contain, among other
things, far more Ineligible account than we
have elsewhere met with, of the bitter struggles in
! Pennsylvania between the proprietaries and the
assembly in which Franklin, as a leading member
Of that body, prepared himself for his share in the
subsequent revolution. Indeed, the whole account
Of Pennsylvania, given in those volumes, forms
the only satisfactory history we have met with Of
that renowned Quaker Commonwealth. Two more
chapters conclude the volume; containing
account Of the passage and repeal of the Stamp act;
the other Of the renewed attempt at parliamentary
taxation, by Townshend's act imposing taxes
tea, glass, &c. Ths chapter, which brings down
the narrative the eve Of the Revolution concludes
with an account of various local matters move.
mont in Massachusetts, for the abolition Of slavery;
| the regulators Of North and South Carolina two