Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-04-16
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THE OLD DOMINION.

Virginia has borne this sobriquet almost
from time immemorial. and We have had the
curiosity to trace or inquire into its origin.
1t grew out of the loyalty of Virginia to
Charles I, and Charles II, and her refusal to
recognize the protectorate of Cromwell. Dur
ing the struggle between Charles L andt the
Parliament, Virginia, under Sir Wilma
Berkley, as Governor, then containing 2O,-
900 inhabitants, remained true to the King,
and the colonists, by solemn act, declared
"that they were born under monarchy,
and would never degenerate, from the con-
dition of their birth, by being subject to any
other government" After the unfortunate
monarch had been behcaded, she acknowl-
edged the authority of the fugitive Prince,
his son, and actually continued the provin-
cal government, under commission which
the latter sent from his retreat to Breda to
Sir William Berklcy According to Clarcn-
don, Sir William Berkley was so assured of
the loyalty of the inhabitants, and so i'm
pressed with confidence of ultimate success,
that he wrote to the young Prince, "almost
inviting him to America" In consequence
of this open defiance of the power of Parlia-
ment, an ordinance was passed declaring the
refractory colonists notorious robbers and
traitors, prohibiting all intercourse with
them, either by the people of England, the
inhabitants of other American colonies, or
foreign nations; and fleet was finally des-
patched, under Sir George Ayscue, to re-
duce them to submission by force, if they
should refuse to embrace the pacific over
lures which commission, accompanying the
expedition, were authorized to propose
From Bardadoes, Capt. Ayscuc sent Capt.
Dennis, with small squadron, to land his
force and drive Sir VIM. Berkley out of Vir-
giuia; as to whose proceedings, on the arri-
val of the feet within the capes of Virginia,
historians widely differ. Beverly, Oldmixon,
Burke, and Graham, assert that he made
great show of resistance with the royalists,
who constituted a majority of the population,
assisted by the Dutch ships in the harbor;
but Bancroft, citing contemporary authori-
ties of the highest value, says that no sooner
had the Gu'nea frigate entered within the
waters of the Chesapeake, than quoting
from Clarendon) "all thoughts of resistance
we're laid aside" Bancroft further men,
tions, as characteristic of Virginians even at
that early period, "that they refused to sur
render to force, but yielded by a voluntary
deed and mutual compact" This deed of
surrender stipulated for complete indemni.
ty as to all past offences, and that the colo
nists recognizing the authority should be ad
mitted into the bosom of the English COM
monwealth, and into an equal participation
in all the privileges of the free people of
England-and, particularly, that the Pro-
vincial Assembly should retain its wonted
functions, and the colonists have as free trade,
as the people of England, to all places and
all nations, and "be free from all taxes, GUS
toms and impositions whatsoever, without
the consent of their own assembly"-thus
early insisting on the principle that "taxa-
ton, without representation, is tyranny
Berkley, true and loyal cavalier, disdaiDed
to make any stipulation for himself with those
whom he regarded as usurpers; and, without
leaving the colony, in March, 1862, with
drew to a retired situation, where, as pri
vate individual, he continued to be univer-
sally respected and beloved, biding his time,
until counter-revolution in the mother
country should summon him once more to
defy the republican forces of England, and
restore the ascendancy of royalty in Virgin
ia. %
In the interval between 1862 and 1860,
the burgesses of Virginia successively elected
Richard Bennett, Edward Diggs and Samu-
ell Matthews, to the Office of Governor, un-
der allegiance to Oliver Cromwell, and on
his death, in 1913, to his son, Richard Crom-
well. But, on the death of Gov. Matthews,
in 1860, the people, prompted by discomfort