Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1862-09-26


and independence. Then there is anoth-
er period, which may come earlier or Ia
ter in life, which may be called the period
of trial; when native or acquired ener-
gies are put tt the test when some great
wave of trial must be met and resisted,
or be allowed to engulf its victim beneath
its troubled waters.
Now in each of these periods may be
directly traced, the native endowments
or Original forces which 60 to make up
the character, those forces which are
strongest always predominating.
Moo far from two centuries and half
ago. the original materials of the United
States were brough int to America the men
the principles, and the government or an
imating spirit. For century and half
the special work of the nation was to
grow, and to develop its native traits Of
character; to assimilate those traits so
far as assimilation was possible; to form
colonies and then to unite.
1t will naturally be supposed that the
imbulsc which each section received at the
first, would determine it's future course,
its relative position and influence in the
general government when such govern
ment was formed.
If, now, we look at New England and
Virginia separately, and notice the ele-
ments which first entered into their polit-
ical structures, we shall find them such
as could not be harmonized. And | take
these two limited sections as fair repre-
tative of the entire North and South,
since these we're the two centres from which
controlling influences went forth, to form
the civil and political characters Of the
| two vast sections now at variance.
1t is the uniform testimony of history
that the leading spirit which colonizcd
Virginia, was 1.-The love Of enterprise, Of
glory and of gold" Virginia was the
favorite colony of the British Crown.
It's first settlers were mainly composed
Of Impoverished English gentry and
their dcpendants. They were mostly
royalists, and adhcrants of the English
church In fact, the Church of England
was the established church of the colony
and for long time, all the citizens were
required by law to conform to its worship
The soil having been granted by tht
English crown, was owned by the few
while the many were tenants under them
and according to english law, the estates
were transmitted without division, to tht
eldest son. Thus the foundations of {
landed aristocracy were very early laid il
Virginia.
Education was confined to the favored
few and free common schools for the ele
vation and improvement of the masses
were wholly unknown.
AS q necessary support of their aristo
cratic principles and habits. Slavery
seemed almost essential, and though a.
first introduced in opposition to the vii
of the colonists, it soon obtained firm
foothold, and before the close of the frs
century, it is estimated that one half the
population were slaves.
Thus we see that true english aristoc
racy was the governing spirit of Virginia
thus it was in fact British province
transported with all its Objectionable
features, to the soil of America.
True there was an element of democ
racy of some power, and which exerteo
a modifying influence Of great Importance
but as it was found mostly among the
lower and poorer classes, its influence was
greatly limited.
These facts reveal to us the leading
principles developed in the early history
of the colony of Virginia, and which have
: prevailed, to great extent, throughout
the entire South. Social and political
aristocracy and the absolution Of thu
slave-holding power. united to organize
and bind together the privileged and gov
crninn few, and to give them controlling
influence in all their civil and politica
institutions; and this has tended to crusl
out the life of pure democracy, wherevel
Dit has dared to assert its claims. Th'
seed thus early sown is now bearing abun