The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-08-14
Glaite Misttltatt,l
TnE VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Br FRIDGE MURDOCH, ESQ.,, EDITOR OF THE
NEW ECLECTIC.

Those ancient and highly respectable
but very pugnacious representative in
dividuals, the Puritan and the Cavalier,
continue to fight their battles in history.
One would have supposed them dead
and STOOD Tor worms, but they turn up
and assert themselves with quite sur
prising vitality. The question of their
relative vices, virtues, and influence in
England having been discussed, redis-
cussed, and tolerably we'll settled, a new
issue between the hereditary foes has
been discovered and opened. Crop
ears and love-locks are again at deadly
feud; only this time the seat of war has
been transferred to the Western World.
Virginia is the immediate scene of hos
tilities. and the matter at issue is the re-
lative strength during the last century
of the Cavalier and anti-Cavalier ele-
ments there, together with the share of
each in precipitating a collision with
England.
AS to the folly or the good sense of
''the fathers" at that period in sepera-
ting from the worlds best government
to try the untrodden paths Of "pure
democracy" we shall say nothing. The
discussion is useless. The die is cast
for weal--or woe. 1t is purely histor-
ical question, now raised and debated
with ardor by the relative defenders Of
Puritan and Cavalier. The Honorable
George Bancroft, in his History of the
United States. upholds the honor and glo-
ry of the anti-Cavalier element in Vir-
ginia as elsewhere. MFR. William G..
Rives, in his Life of MADISON, crosses
swords with the representative of New
England; the opponents close in; and
tho q n va, ,iarc anI puritanc ara onoa
more combating a l'outrance.
Let us examine the point at issue. 1t
is curious, and has been enveloped i'm a
very considerable amount of fog. Alas!
what human event or ''historic" occur
renee but has been or will be more or
less mystified and made to change it's
outlines. The world has so persistent
ly talked about the "Virginia Caval-
iers" and their atrocious sentiments of
"aristocracy" and hatred of "demoera-
cy," that 1t is quite surprising to find
that after all there is great reason to
doubt whether there were any Virginia
Cavaliers at all This may startle; but,
If we listen to the Hon. George Ban
croft, there never was anything more
than a merely "perceptible'' faint of
the Cavalier poison in the old common
wealth. ats people, says Mr.. Ban
croft, shaving Il, their origin perceptible
but never an erci,tsiue Influence of the Caval-
iers, had sprung mainly from adventur-
ers who were not fngitives for con-
science sake, or sufferers from perse-
ton, or passionate partisans OF mon-
archv The population had been re-
cruited by successive infusions OF Scotch,
Irish, Presbytcrians, Hugenots, and the
descendants ofHugenots-men who had
been SO attached to Cromwell or the
Republic that they preferred to emf
CRATE on the return of Charles the Sec
ond-Baptists and other dissen:ers; and
in the Valley of Virginia there was a
very large German population. Be-
side all this, there was the great body
of the backwoodsmen,ro ,rovers from Mary
land and Pennsylvania, not caring much
tor the record of their lineage. ''lt has
been discussed" continues Mr.. Ban
croft, "whether the spirit that no,o prevail
ed Oust preceding the Revolution) ,oas
derived from Cavaliers, and whether it
sprang from the Inhabitants on tide
water or was due to those the uplands.
The ans,oer Is PLAN: the movement in VIr-
ginia proceeded from the heart of Virgin
ia herself, and represented the magnani-
nifty of her olon people"
Thus Mr.. Bancroft-upon whose state
ment, and the manner in which it is
made. some observations may be haz-
arded. Let us say, in advance, that
Virginians may possibly feel flattered by
this reference of the historian of New
England to the com nonweaith's "heart'
whatever that may mean-and the
magnanimity of her people; but for our
selves we do not precisely understand
Mr.. Bancroft. The question is a mar
row one: Did the "arstocratic' Epis-
copaliaE Cavalier planters of tidewater
Virginia control society aud originate
the opposition to England, or was "the
spirit that now prevailed" due to the
dissenting Germans, backwoodsmen,
a. History 9th United States By George
Bancl Oft. Vol. VIII Boston: Little, Brown,
a. Co. II. LUe Of james Madison. By Will
liam G. Rives. Vol. /. New York; u, Apple
tef, a II