Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-06-09

| Establishment was regulated by spirit OF discipi"e
and integrity which promised the most henefciaeon'
sequences. How rapidly was this condition OF things
altered upon his retiring from the Presidency ana re-
turning to Engand;-a all fell again into disorder anu
in short time the numbers of the settlers when ha
heen augmented to 500, were reduced to oo-ana
they half starved aud miserable.
need not remind you that these wre.ched surV'
vors resolved abandon the country and under Inc
command of Sir Thomas Gates and Sir George so
| Iners, who had been wrecked ON 1.-THE Bermudas IN
the Sea Venture which incident gave birth 10 Shak
speare's play of the Tempest, they babe, rs they
supposed, final adi-u to Virginia, where they had
buried so many OF their comrades, and where they
| themselves had experienced so much OF suif-rng.-
But it was ordained by the higher power that TINS
should not BE- Every sail was set, and every heart
was filled with Joy at what Was considered al escape
from DEATH when Lord Delaware, with we'll appoint.
ed ships, more than thre, hundred emgranfs, and
abundant supplies, met them in the river. off Muber-
| ry Island and induced their return TO Jamestown
| 1t deserves 10 be mentioned that Lord Delaware
wss the fret who bore the title OF Governor He as
sumed style of display but little suited TO the condl
| ton Of ths colony. In town whose buildings were
covered with clap-bOards and Indian mats, he main
tanned state which would not have dsgrsced the
sovereiyns of England. Yet his rule was wise, ener-
getic and beneficial.
| A morning of more promise was now to dawn upon
| the colony-a new charter had been granted by the
King and underSir Thomas Dale, land, were assign
ed TO each person who chUse TO cultivate them, aud
their profits Injured to the industrious cutvator for
his inclusive benefit under easy spulaons and COLI
ditions. William Spencer and Thomas Barrett two
Of the original settlers wh0se names familiar To
the Inhabitants of this country at this day, the
first who went forth 10 cultivate the lands, and were
speedily followed by others, and from that moment
We hear more OF "the starving times as the year
succeeding Smith departure for England, had been
universally termed. profound peace prevailed With
the aborgnes who, for moderate wages, rendered the
settler aid in clearing and cuvating his land. From
this period the permanent exisence Of ths colony may
be dated The dreams in which some had 50 freely In
duged of the precious metals, gave way 10 the safe
and rational conclusion tina, substantial independence
was to be acquired readily by cultiva:lng the
land than by ndulging in Utupan visions OF mines
of gold or mountains OF precious stones And now
the woodlands awakened echoes IN The dense
forest which had slumbered since the great Hood -
Tn. humble but comfortable dwelling house, which
was destined to become the seat Ut unooundsd hosp
tnlty arose the shores OF the rivers, and IN the
bosom of the wilderness new plantations and hundreds
were established Large donations were made OF
lands for the endowment of College, proposed 10 be
located at a new town called Henrco and considera
Bile gifta Of money for the education aud civilization
OF the savages were freely made aud emigration
was inv ID by voluntary donations of fifty acre
frseholds to all who would settle and cultivate them.
The effect of this wise regulation, together with the
facility Of acquiring larger tracts OF land for
moderate prices, soon made Itself apparent IN large
additions to the population. In lblb, when Gov.
Dale returned to England the population wac less
than 400. Six years afterwards il had increased TO
more than 4OUU. One thousand arrived shortly after
his return, bringing with them an abundant supply al
provisions and all other necessariea IL Is true that
no slight drawback to these important changes in the
policy OF the company, existed in tie substitution OF
martial law in place of those noble Deritages which
had been secured to every Engshmaa by the charter
at Runnem-de-but during the excellent adinlnslra-
ton of Gov Dale the arbitrary code was rarely ever
enforced. Unhappily he was succeeded by Capt.
Aryall, who had rendered considerable service
by e1pelIing the French from the territory of
Maine, which tell within the chartered limits
of Virginia, and had caused the Dutch. who had
settled at New York, to acknowledge the suthori-
ty of the Virginia Company. His rule over the colo
ny was tyrannioal, and the authority which was al
most harmless in the hand. Of Gov. Dsle became an
engine of dsspotism in his He had, however, 10 deal
with people who could be better governed by lie.
nency than by force; and representation made 10
the company in London not only led to bis recall, but
to the recognition of the rights of the inhabitants as
free born Englishmen and among Others, Their right
10 participate in the management OF thar own affairs
And now on the 3Oih July. 1919, for the first Inns
that such thing had occurred on the American Con-
tinent, under call from Governor f=ardley there
came up to Jamestown, from every hwn. hundred
and plantation. representatives OF the people, elected
BY heirIfree surages, TO deliberate in grand assem-
bly, with the Governor aud council upon the affairs OF
the colony, and to assume those high functions and
exercise those important rights OF selfgnvernmenf,
which, through all time thereafter their successors as
serted and maintained. We may We'll imagine the
proud emotions which sweled the Dusoms Of all at
this important event. more especially may wa con
c.ive the intensity of delight with which an old set
tier observed each Burgess as he agh'rd ct the door
of tn. City Hotel to obtain accommodation for the
night
When the morning Of the day on which the Gene
raj Assembly was to meet arrived, and the iro TELLS
from yon old steepie summoned the inhabitants of
jamestown to prayer, how devoutly each and nj re-
turned their thanks to the supreme ruler OF the Uni
verse; for the signal merries he had manifested to
them through all their trials. There was his Excel
lency the Governor, with his household in the pew
which Lord Delaware bad caused to be neatly fitted
up for himself and his successor In another sat the
honorable members of the privy council OF State for
the colony of Virginia whie the Burgesses were
in the several pews .iih their old scquaintsnces of
the city. The church, and all lts interior workman
ship. was built of cedar. Good Master Hunt M
longer lived, but his pnce WAS worhly supplied aud
the yaulted roof echoed with anthems If praise aud
Thanksgiving. A people in miniature had in twelve
yesrs sprung into existence, and their representatives
had come from plantations. some as distant M an
hundred miles, to assist in deliberations i-cting the
public good. With what pleasure should unfold to
your view the journals Of that assembly they were
within my reach; but they not on this side of the
Atlantic. l have been informed by an esteemed
friend Hugh B. Grigsby Esq..l that they have been
seen 10 the State paper Office at London where doubt
Iess they now ara. From the source learn that
| the ancestor of Thomas Jefferson was a member of
that first assembly, as his iusrlous descendant was
nf the last century and half later, which sat under
foreign sway.
An accession of vast importance TO the colony was
soon after made. Without the smiles of woman. the
wilderness would become more wd-the thorns ana
| brambles OF life more keen and piercing. With her.
as mans companion those ihorna bear roses; thn'e
brambes are often turned into blessings. Some time
before Ann Burruss had led Mr.. Layden captive and
that lovely forest maiden Pocahnnas the persontica
ton of romance, had stood before The hymeneal altar
with Mr. John Rolfe many OF the ~ealthest inhablt'
ants had brought over their families but still there
1.ffa laru hpr MI
homes no pleasant sound Of wnman's voice was
heard. Sir Edwin Sandys, who had succeeded SIR
Thomas Smith as Treasurer Of the company, ProVI-
ded passage for l26l new emigrants, "amuDg whom
were ninety agreeable young women poor out r.,
spectacle, who became wives 10 the planters anu
gave permanence and strength to the colony.
The year of 1919 witnessed also two other events
OF no slight Importance to the country ana 10 inc
human race. The frat was the settlenent OF Fly
mouth, in what was called by the original charter
North Virginia of emigrants under authority of the
Virginia company, which settlement al an after Gay,
destined TO play conspicuous part IN me gresl
drama of politics. and whose present ana iuturs
course is so intimately interwoven with the destiny OF
the proudsst republic that the world has known
which its bravery and wisdom 80 greatly AIDED 10 e.
tsblish-ths second, the landing at this place ot
twenty negroes from Africa. from Dutch vessels; In
the course Of time the shipping interests OF . Eng
land and New England entered actively into IN"
trade and all the then colonies became African slave
marts. II nscsrtained however, alter full e1pe
rience that the labor of the black man could only be
proftaoly employed in a warm Climate, and in
strictly speaking agricultural country Hence the
owners and proprietors Of the colder. transferred TO
the warmer climate, large majority OF that class OF
aoorers, and added vastly their number by direct
importa.ions from Africa. Having by An export from
their own soil, the process Of more than century
diminished the number still left among them Ia a
comparative handful they issued after The power sp
pertainsd to them as States, edies of emancipation,
not, in most INSTANCES. in favor of slaves then in e1
i,,ence, but of an unborn of.prng Man every where
is the creature of selfintsrest. That Is the great
activity and enterprise. Ii is that which carries
the whale ship around the cebergs of the frozen
ocean, and bells the world with mercantile marine
Looking to the subject therefore as An isolated fact
am far from complaining of the Northern States for
having carried out that principle in regard either to
the foreign or domestic slave trade. They sod and
ancestors bought and neither seller or buyer hn.
just cause of complaint. Let the vendor and