The Portland daily press., 1881-06-25
IN. Y. Times.l
The Colonies.
"a SHORT HISTORY OF THE ENGLISB
COLONIES IN AMERICA.
Henry Cabot Lodges New Work.

Henry Cabot Lodges New Work.
In this work are included thirteen distinct
histories, the writer having dealt with each
colony separately and traced its record down
to the year 1865. This method involves repeti.
ton, but it is preferable, perhaps, to that of
fitting from one colony to another, and thus
confusing and distractng the reader. The
three concluding chapters present concise
outline of the events which resulted in nation
al independence. MIR. Lodges chief aim has
been to determine what were the character,
habits, thoughts and manners Of the people
who fought in the war Of the Revolution and
founded the United States, though he has
carefully sketched the political history of each
colony from its origin.
The most important, as well as the oldest
and most populous, of the colonies, was Virgin
ia. She was, moreover, the leader and repre-
sentative of one of the three great political
groups which formed the thirteen, and as such
played an important and for many years a con-
trolling part in the history of the United
States. The wild anticipations of the gold
hunter, the spirit of the conquerors of Mexico
sand Peru, filled the breasts and inspired the
hearts of the men who embarked with Cant
Newport late in 1906, landed on the 18th OF
May, 1907, and were destined to lay the foun-
dations of great English state in the new
world. Conspicuous among tho leaders of the
expedition was John Smith, to whose name
romantic interest has become attached. The
applause which was long accorded to his
character and deeds has, of late years
given place to censure and detraction
Mr.. Lodge, however, regards him as tho strong
est and most representative man among the
Virgiuian colonists, an adv enturer of high
order in an age of adventurous He had all the
faults of his time and class in full measure; but
he had also their virtues, and it was here that
he surpassed his companions. Smith was arbi-
trary, jealous of power, quarrelsome and des-
potic, ready to lie audaciously to serve his own
ends, and rashly over-confident But he was
also brave, energetic, quick-witted and full of
resource. To buoyaut hope and sangune be-
lief in the unknown, so characteristic OF the
period, Smith united the qualities of a leader
and some capacity for the practical administra-
tion of the colony. The great result of his ef-
forts was the character of permanence which
he gave to the settlement. Because he sue
ceeded in maintaining an English colony for
two consecutive years in America the London
Company had courage to proceed; and that is
what constitutes Smiths strongest claim to the
admiration and gratitude of posterity.
When Smith aud his companions landed at
jamestown the art OF colonization was but lit
tie understood. The first settlers were for the
most part, idle and dissolute adventures, at
al ya1x bxyt ho bo,, -
and they were not improved by the sweepings
of the London streets sent out to people the
colony and act as indented servants, nor by the
convicts, whose transportation to America was
a bitter grievance to the mother country down
even to the Revolution. 1t would be wholly
wrong, however, to suppose the Immigrants of
this sort were controlling element, or even
one which had a marked effect on the quality
of the population. The Virginians sprang from
fine English stock. Many younger sons of
wealthy or noble families, many of the yeoman-
ry, and many of the merchant class came to
Virginia. The Cavalier element prevailed az
ter the great rebellion; but there was also an
infusion OF Pnritans with their characteristic
qualities of strength and tenacity. There was,
i'll addition, small Huguenot immigration,
wholly goodil its results, and which was rapid
ly fused with the dominant race. With no
towns, no diversity of pursuits, no important
for constant and liberalizing social friction,
and with a comparatively small population
scattered oyer a large ares:, mucn OF Which IS
still wilderness, the structure of Virginia So
ciety was very simple. There were four classes
in the community. The African slaves, who
formed nearly one-half the population were
the lowest element; then, divided from the ne
groes by the impossible gulf of race and blood
came the indented servants and poor whites;
then the middle class of small farmers and
nan and then at the the land
lords who ruled and represented Virginia.
These divisions were supported and maintained
by strong belief in social distinctions; and
they increased in power and meaning as they
descended. The African slaves, numerous
body, were important to the material interest
of the province, and, by their very existence,
produced deep and lasting effects upon the
character of the whole population. There can
be no doubt that they were almost universally
well and mildly treated, and were fairly clothed
and fed. Many of them had gardens and poul-
try and Mr.. Lodge thinks that as they were
carefully kept in a state of the densest igno-
rance, they were tolerably happy and content
ed. They were not overworked; and both the
climate and the methods of cultivating tobac-
co favored their well-being. With the indent-
ed white servant the case was the reverse. As
early as the year 1923 laws were framed to
compel obedience to masters; and for the next
fifty years there was much severe legislation to
regulate servants. Their condition became lit
tie better than that of slaves. They were
coarsely clothed, and fed upon meal aud water
sweetened with molasses and were frequently
punished with great barbarity. They were, as
a class, of very low character, in large part
transported convicts. Many had been kidnapped
as children, the traffic being lucrative but in
some cases, like that of James Annesley, who
afterward established his claim to the Angle
sea peerage, they were shipped to Virginia to
be put out of the way. Commonly, when their
term of servitude expired, they were known as
the poor whites, the lowest class in the commu-
muDity, illiterate, degraded, and despised even
by the negroes. The two remaining classes are
not easily distinguished. The middle class,
beginning with the tradesmen and merchants,
rose gradually through the farmers and small
planters, until it merged imperceptibly in the
ranks of the great landholders. They We're
good specimens of the nationality to which
they belonged, a fine, sturdy, manly race, aris-
tocratic in feeling, and, from the ownership OF
slaves, despotic in temper; but they were ear
nest in the maintenance of English liberty.
They lacked polish of manners, and were sadly
deficient in education and knowledge OF the
world, but were, without exception, generous
and hospitable. They often acquired large for
tunes, and the successful ones worked their
way to the first rank in the course of few GER
erations They were attached to gaming and
all kinds of rude sports, and roughness was
with them always oddly mingled with gentler
qualities The houses OF the planters varied
greatly with the taste of the occupants Some
were of wood, with MASSIVE timber5 and the
typical outside chimney. Many were of brick,
and others still of cut stone. Some were very low
and picturesque, while others piled one story
upon another, as in the great Page house at
Rosewell, and lowered above the trees in bare
and tasteless masses. Ali, however, were spa
cious, with large, low rooms, panelled and VAIN
scoted in hard woods, and rejoicing in great
freplaces, where wood fires bazed, and over
which weres sometimes carved the armorial
bearings of the family. The houses indicate
fairly enough the extravaganza and profusion
of the Virginia planter induced by the wealth
easily acquired from the sale of tobacco raised
by low-priced slaves. The constant fluctuation
in the price of the great staple tended to in
crease extravaganza of living, and to give
tone of reckless speculation to all affairs of
business. An amount of style was maintained
strangely at variance with the ignorance of the