The Indianapolis journal., 1893-02-19
PROF. WEAVER'S LECTURES.
Science Has a Central Term, He Says, About
Which Clusters Its Data.

Prof. j. r. Weaver delivered his first
lecture of the DePauw University series
at the Meridisn-street Church last night.
on the subject. COLONIZATION and the First
Movement toward Union" Each
science" he said, has central term about
which clusters it's data-that of constitu-
tionsl history is the State. State i'm
plies fixed territory and organized people.
The constitutional phase of history is the
most essential, as all other phases depend
on this. The problem then is the discovery,
colonization and organization Of our great
republic now containing sixty five mil
lion of people. and nearly four million
square m lies of territOry-one of the great.
est factors for good or evil In the world to-
day. The period of discovery by Colum-
bus, the Cabots and others was briefly de.
tailed, emphasizing particularly the causes
and purposes OF these early movements,
being the necessary evolution of the politi-
cal, commercial and religious movem ent to
in Europe at that period.
The various efforts at colonization were
then delineated. showing the character and
motives of the col0nists. propriet0rs and
the King of England. and the necessary
manifestations of civilization which re-
suited therefrOm. The lecturer contrasted
Virginia, taken as q type of the Southern
colonies, with Massachusetts, taken as q
fair representative of the civilization of
New England, while the Middle States,
composed of Dutch. Swedes and English,
the latter composed mostly of Quakers. ex-
hibIted composite or cross OF the other two
extremes. These original differences. par
ticularly in New England and the South.
only became intensified by the lapse of
time, growing more out of the character of
the climate and employment than from
heredity. Slavery lived In the South, be-
In g fitted to the environment while it died
M nnl hAa Af
able In occupations and environments such
as prevailed there on poor soil and inhOs.
pitable climate.
The effect of the English policy of the
Stuarts was then shown, starting 40 dis
tinct tendencies-one of union among the
colonies for protection. and the other of q
reciprocal character of separation from
the mother country. This movement. how
only have been delayed by the wisest pos
slble English policy. This was seen from
all the movements toward union. from the
New England Confederacy of 1643-63 to the
stamp act congress of 1865
This stamp-act difficulty grew out of a
combination of circumstances. The colo
MES had helped to conquer the French
hence felt their power and knew their
strength. England had become greatly
involved in debt and must have revenue,
the Ignorance of the English Ministry of the
American spirit launched her on a wrong
policy of levyIng direct taxes without rep
resentation. This prerogative of the King
had always been denied by the English Par
Lament. so that the Americans had good
constitutional right to protest. as Pitt and
others clearly saw. Pitt making q distinc.
tion between legislating and levyin2 taxes.
The latter was to be permitted only by the
local legislatures of the colonies, though
he still held that Parliament or the English
government "could bind the colonies in all
cases whatsoever" The lecturer again en-
phasized the fundamental principle of in
h ha< g.
has any value without the spirit actu ating
the same-so that IN all historical research
the first step is to strive to state the problem
and then search out the data necessary to
it's solution. The next lecture will take
place next Friday evening on THE Conti-
mental Congresses"