The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-10

Sands. that the ~
1uiiciously carried.
nj, If American Institutions.
Thus the history OF Americas rep,s
,on,stive institutions beglhs VIZ" ~" q
-'.arsva,Ion AT jamestown, on August ,
,H,e go hundred and seventy-four years
49, ,nts very day, OF the virginia HOUSE
~ ,,',ree.scs the first legislative body
Ss..,ns hv the people Of the western
s.,S rstffng vent IA this 10 celebrate
,hn Worlds Columbian Exposition.
:, ,vas NOT only the founding OF the nTs'
A,oortcan State OF our race, II was me
Meth OF representative government ., INV
neonIe. And well might you, MT ChalI'
man OF the Virginia Board OF Mahasers :;
refer 10 It's plastic influence upon ths cII'
sta,us and personal character OF the
carly virginian7. and through '"ein On
North America and MANKIND
n educated an infant people In the haoi-
.udos 81 free men. II made precedent
and furnished n model for all subsequent
coIontes nIantcd by the English In Anne
80 n ouIckened energy by new Tespon-
sihrIt.es. IL accustomed the men OF the
vvllderness 20 debate and manage puohc
cnestons IL trained them as politicians,
statesmen. organizers and rulers OF men
N attracted 20 the first capital or VIZ
otnia. at jamestown, and then 10 the next
capital. at williamsburg. the people from
Jar and wide 20 seek society suggest
measures and ask redress OF grievances.
II was the great organic, creative popular
forces that on the one hand curbed ana
,eYnnered arbitrary power. and on the
cher hand sent forth military expedi-
,ions and spread civil institutions from
tns banks Of the James 20 the banks al
the Ohio the Mississippi and the lakes,
ard nloneered the paths for the coming
~ The nation. The prosperity or virginia
dates from the day when IL received the
freedom TO make its laws. Wlthln TWO
years they had gained from England
constitutional charter modelled after that
of the mother country and constitutional
government began. The King OF England
soon found that he had loosed the non
IN the wilderness, and II could never
again be tanned. What had been granted
a. favor was soon asserted as right
and the battle of prerogative between the
House Of Burgesses on the one mana ana
The royal Governor of the King OF Eng
land on the other. began and continued
from the first assembly in 1913 until that
81 177g. which declared Independence.
When the King demanded a monopoly
of the tobacco trade, they resisted ana
protested. When Governor Harvey proved
extorfionafe. they drove him out OF the
colony and sent him back 70 England.
when their clerk surrendered their re-
cords 10 English commissioners. such was
their Indignation that they put him In
The plllory and clipped his ears, and
their statutes throughout the seventeenth
century abounded with manifestations OF
q bold and aggressive spirit.
Career of the House of BurEesses.
For three hundred years the ilastrious
sebate Of Rome shaped the destinies Of
the prOudest and greatest people CT an
tiquity. but perishing amidst the splendors
n had accomplished, left behind heap OF
magnificent ruins.
The House of Burgesses. which was the
popular force I'm the Virginia colony,
held for one hundred and fifty-seven ears.
from 1913 &C 1776, the vanguard II the
Engish-speaking race, contesting every
inch OF ground against first savage and
then civilized foes fighting day by day,
year BY year and then from one century
10 another. the perogatives Of the people
against the arbitrary systems Of proud
and governors OF the greatest
nation that the modern world had known.
Many as were the natural obstacles TO
be- overcome, fleece as were the savage
fees that disputed their advancing foot
steps. tyiannical and oppressive as were
their royal rulers this body did not end
lis career until II merged in the lcgisla-
ton OF free and Independent State nor
until that State was clothed in the first
written Constitution Of America; the first
Coz stitution clearly separating legisla-
tive, judicial and executive powess; nor
Until the feeble colony, planted by 4 king
and occupying q garden spot on the sea
board, had stretched half way over the
continent and become the most powerful,
H.
American nation.
Representative Institutions.
These adept artihcers OF goveran.' Mt
had no models from the ancient world.
no ends of gods and goddcGses and he
roes we're bequeathed by It, with Varie-
~ Of religions. arts. sciences and letters;
but no such free institutions as we enjoy.
Representative government was I'M
known TO the patriarchs, priests and
judges OF the Jews. Moses appointed the
seventy elders or senators Of Israel. 1t
was not nurtured in Egypt, the cradle Of
Persians. Chaldeans and Assyrians read
the stars and Greeks and Romans turned
10 the oracles In vain. The Greeks "trem-
bied on the verge of representative gov
eminent" but never attained it. Their
democracies were large, unwieldy popular
bodies. the citizen acting directly upon
government and not by deputy.
In fitful fashion democracy played its
part in Rome, but IT was never rid OF
the oligarehy OF wealth. 1t developed
some notions Of representative govern
inent, but In imperfect and broken forms.
1T was patrician senate, patrician
councils patrician magistrates, a pa
ttcian priesthood that ruled Rome"
IL is from our own fatherland and by herl-
fuKp Of blood fhQf no
nai principles of representative govern
ment and home rule. and il is by our
selves that they have been here developed
and improved beyond all precedent. The
Teutons were the freest people OF an
tiquty. They elected their executive and
their public councils decided for war or
peace. They worshipped he Creator
without Intervention OF priest or shrine.
They loved the country and avoided
towns. They sought the land as the hart
seeks the water brooks. In their rustic
homes they were husbandmen and gar
deners, lovers OF the chase. winning their
bread by toll. and chez, shing their rude
spirit Of independence.
Tacitus found them a nation OF farmers
pasturing on the forest glades around
Their villages. They live apart" he
says. leach by himself, as woodside plain
or fresh spring attracts them"
nv "'-iNH'ht VI 'Ttht BRIAN drew
Its descent from these Teutonic institu-
tons of early times and II was through
the Anglo Saxon they acquired them.
over Roman, Celt. Norman and the Dane
these hardy lovers Cf home rule have
triCmphed. Mark. township, tithing ana
parish were their seats OF overnments
by local representatives. with their
"Gtmot" or Moot" In which the free
ho'cers shared In administrative and iu-
dicial proceedings. The Anglo-Saxon de-
iVed these things from his German
fatherlends; the English derived them
from the Anglo-Saxou and the carly