The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-15
SOME NEW BOOxA


will constitute n continuous narrative from
3 sbo discovery OF the New World to tho end OF
tiie reconstruction perioI. Tho first volume Ia
by tho l,ev. GEORGE +. FISHER. and deals with
The Coionini Ira. which the author regards as
closed with tho beginning Of tho Seyen Years
War. tho twenty years preceding the Declare
ton Of Independence being not unrcnsonably
considered as pertaining 20 tho Revolutionary
epoch. When ws Scop In Wow tho space Mt
his d sposal--some 300 pngcs-we cannot but
congratulate DE-. Fisher on tho amount OF in
formation. economical aud social IA we'll Ms
political and r,li .ious. which lie has boon able
top"ossnt. No know OF no other worl; which
IN tho compass Of n single volume offers 40
complete and satisfactory q conspoctus OF tho
subject. and wo have therefore no hesitation
In commanding this bool; as particularly
adapted 20 the needs OF schools and colleges
Tho chapter treating ~ Virginia from tho
settlement Of Jamestown rip to jGss seems to
las particularly vol donc. E"cry important
evcnt is registered. aud It's Significance is dis
tinctly Indicated Wo ara reminded. for in
stance. that third charter granted to the Vir-
Ginia Company in 1872 gtvo to 1t tho Islands
!cr ~ distance Of 300 leagues from the coast.
Hi::.- !: c-u.::--d tho Barmudas. hat these un-
fortunately wcro soon disposed o,toa separate
ColiptttIbH I'tiDtu w " poTt'oN w hH WIZ
mombcrs Two no'cworthy incidents in tho
history Of the Virginia coiony occurred in
10la. On July 30 Of Tint yerr in the charcel
OF tho church at jamestown. took p'nce tho
first meeting OF tho first representative body
Of Legislators that ever existed IN America
It consisted Of t"cnty-.wo EursoGscs. who
were elected b. the eleven towns Plantations.
and hundreds this las. term designating. a.
in England. II political division At tho first
session OF popular assembly in America tho
authority OF tho Church Of England was con-
ilrmcd. AMI measures. unlucl;ilv abortivn. woro
passed looking toward tho founding OF n col
lego tobacco WA mi!o tho legal currency.
SO general and lucrative had already become
tho cultivation Of tho plant. Tho other mem
orabla event associated with this year was tho
Introduction o; tho flrs. no..o slaves Il, nm n
Dutch man-of-wcr Cont"m noranc ouslv with
tho importation OF blacks n hundred white
cpnyics wcr" sont over to become o:vants.
boys anl girls moreover. who wcr" picked
up in Tho streets Of London wrro shipped
to Virginia to be bound during thcir mi
nority to tho planters. These sources of tho
colony's population arc ant to no overlooked
by those who talk MS /. Virgnians wero all de-
seconded from the cavaliers. 1t Is certain that
but few Of tho early settlers Of Virginia
brought thoir wives with thcn,, and conse-
Qucntly had to be provided with hclpmatcs
] 1921 ninety young women Of good reputo
werc shipped to Virginia at tho expense Of tho
company. and they were followed later by
another band. sixty In number. In connection
with this carly period it Is pointed out that tho
prosperity OF tho colony received severe blow
in 1922 from IN Indian conspiracy and massa-
ere. Throo hundred and forty-seven persons
OF both sexes wore killed. and the result was
that many plantations were abandoned and
some OF the colonists returned to England.
Where there had been 1000 Inhabitants two
years before. only $500 remained. Two years
later what seemed ut the time to be another
dire calamity fell upon the colonists. to wit.
the annullng Of the charter OF the Virginia
Company. AS a matter Of fact. however. this
snnulment rcally operated to stimulate rather
than to hinder the development Of popular
government in the colony The settlers were
left more to themselves than they would have
been had II subject to an English corporation.
Another important year in the annals OF
virginia during the seventeenth century Is
tl371. when Sir William Berkeley. who had
again become Governor after the restoration
Of the Stuarts. made a written answer to q
series OF inquiries which had been sent to him
respecting the condition OF the colonists. In
this document he described Virginia as 1t was
in 1910 The population was 10000. There
were 1000 negro slaves aud 5000 white SER
the ministers were we'll paid. Every man. &C.
cording to his ability. taught his own children
the Governor thanked God that there were
no free schools nor printing. As late as 1882
ono Buckner. who ventured to print the
laws OF 1880. was put under bonds not to
print anything thereafter until his Majestys
pleasure should he known. Five rears after
Berkeley sent this account OF the colony to
England broke out Bacons rebellion. which.
although its pretext was moro effective PROS
ecution OF tho war against the Indians. was
undoubtedly aimed at IN overthrow OF the
moro arlstocratic features OF tho colonial Con-
stitution. This is plain from tho reform
measures passed by tho Assembly controlled
by Bacon's party. which prescribed the yearly
election OF Sherifs and their assistants. re-
pealed the act limiting tho franchise. and re-
served to tho Legislature tho exclusive right
OF lowing certain taxes which the county
had hitherto imposed. Bacon's
sudden denth was fatal TO his party: not only
wore his lnws repealed. bu. no fewer than
twenty-thrce OF the insurgents were cxecut-
ed. How far Bacon. had he lived. would
hnve been disposed to carry his rebellion.
and whether he had thoughts OF making vir-
Gnia independent. are problems which have
boon mooted. but which no historian has
solved. 1t Is interesting In view OF what was
to happen ninety years later to note that In
1856. after tho accession OF James H.. the yir-
Rinia Assembly was dissolved by royal proc
lamation for questioning tho Kings right to
negative the repeal OF laws and to restore the
laws which colonial Legislature had abol-
ished. One OF the m ombers n Patrick Henry
born out Of timo. was imprisoned and put in
irons for using expressions that wero pro-
nounced reasonable.
We can trace In the seventeenth century
Tho germs OF q slave code altho on h ms va
have seen. thero were no, more than 1000 no.
Broes In Virginia In 1910. Under tho English
law the child Of o bond woman by FREQ man
was Free but In 1902 tho Virginia Assem- bly, 1
enacted that children should follow the con-
dillon OF the mother The consequence was
that mulatto children wore slaves. Again. tho
Idea had long been cherished In Christen-
dom that heathens. but not Christians. |
might be reduced to servtudo. In 1857 tho |
Virginia Assembly ordained that conversion |
md baptism should not operate to set the |
L.. s. lutl 4 4