The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-06
OF BACONS' REBELLION.
SUBJECT or AN INTERESTING AID
DRESS BYRON. LYON g. TYLER.
1t Wss Delivered In the Hall OF the House
Of Deieeatsf Last Evening Before tho
Society for the 4. 81 v. A.

I
pices Of the Asst citation for the Preserva-
ton OF Virginia Antiquities. was deliver
cd last evening by Professor Lyon G.
Tyler OF William and Mary College. in the
hall of the House Of Dele gates.
As on former occasions. the large hall
was filled to o, erfowing. end the gale
ries were crowded.
The speaker was introduced by Mr.. f.
7. Crump.
Mr.. Tyler selected as his theme Bacon's
! Rebellion In the outset he paid high
tribute to Virginia women. and said no
greater agent for good was ever inragu-
| rated than the impulse given tie study
| of history by the women Of the A. Il. V.
A., and that more had been accomplished
| for history since the organization of
| this association than in fifty years be-
| fore.
He referred to Bacon's Rebellion as one
| of four of the greatest events in Virginia
| history, and Nathaniel Bacon. Jr., as one
OF four great rebels-Clayborn. Bacon,
Washington and Lee.
THE WORLD REBEL.
Mr. Tyler was very happy in his inter-
probation Of the word rebel as applied 70
these great men. and showed that they
were tle DutSt pdDlotSt because tney
obeyed the bohcsts Of their mother State
Mr.. Tyler showed that there were no
radical differences in parties in the col
onies previous to Bacon's Rebellion, and
that the local issues In the colonies had
little to do with affairs in England; that
when Charles ii. was declared King the
people hailed him King with JOY, and that
both the friends as well as the enemies
Of the King sought the colonies as a re-
IL fv4f oil raaIf(d
incident in history leading up to this pc
culiar epoch I'm Virginas history, and
outlined the events surrounding It,.
He showed that Berkeley returned TO
the colonies after visit II the King,
bearing the characteristics of the King
Observation-Disclosures haughtiness and
cOdness, but the House OF Burgcsses
were harmonious. and Berkeley address,
ed himself 10 the improvement of James
town, the making of roads and improving
the settlements. These enterprises were,
however, used as rewards TO fay ortes
and influences to float schemes end spec
ulations, and finally did not succeed. The
building Of houses brought with 1t per-
mission TO press bricklayers into service,
and they fled to Maryland.
Roads were built where they were not
| needed. houses built remained unoccupied,
| and rapidly went TO ruin. No one was
allowed to trade with the Indians, eyen
! without paying him one-third their GAIN
and, compared with the officers OF to-
day. Mr. Tyler calculated that Berkeley
| received q salary Of 10000 per year.
The councillors were paid high salaries
| as well as the surveyors and other OIL
| GERS The House OF BuTsesses increased
their sessions to two year. and lost their
representative character by holding over
| from year TO year.
All sorts of extravagancies We're enter
l. hAV
a clerk received as much as 10000 pounds
] Of tobacco for writing twenty In IS.
This was followed by all sorts OF cor
ruptions; Offices were bought for terms OF
years in excess Of the term allowed by
law, and officers charged excessive fees,
and few people prospercd outside OF the
oflice-hoders.
lie showed that when the Dutch en-
tered Virginia waters with their gun
! boats that the colonists were unable TO
cope with them, on account of Berkeley
failure to adopt the measures of pro-
lection, in the way of forts and arms,
that his councillors had suggested. II
was shown that even as far back as 1851
Old Point was the site of a fort. 1t,
however, proved insufficient at that time.
THE MARRIAGE OF WIDOWS.
In portraying the peculiarities Of that
time. Mr.. Tyler told of number Of in
| cidents that were very amusing, as wen
| as instructive. One fact that was es-
| pecialiy emphasized and many proofs
brought to bear upon it, was the mar
| rage Of widows almost before their nrst
husbands were cold in the grave, showing
that the new husband was frequently IN
time to offer his predecessors will to the
| court for probate.
MIR. Tyler clearly depicted the character
| Of Berkeley and showed that his aVarice
| overcame every other consideration, ana
| that because OF his treatment Of the In
| dams. he was responsible for the massa-
| ores that they inflicted.
Governor Berkely, al time when set
tiers were being killed I'm remote settle
ments by the Indians, made light OF the
reports Of their depredations. lie even
went so far as to accuse William BYRD.
ESQ, who lived on the spot occupied
by this city, of having secreted two ne
sroes, whom he reported 10 the Governor
as having been killed.
The expressions on the cOlonists IN the
way OF corruption, taxes, and many
injuries and extortions adopted by the
now thoroughly hated Berkeley, aroused
the people 10 deep discomfort and his en-
tire Indifference to the fate of the set
tiers on account OF the Indians, added
fresh fuel 10 the fame and was the direct
cause of the first outbreak.
REFUSED AND ABUSED.
s..---.... ...x.. f.o,,, IIorrioo n sk