Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-14
ALINEAL DESCENDANT.

least inspired, by the 'pfoVihclai anu
general Of the Society of Jesus, father
Henry More" That learned jesuit
Father was. indeed lneal descendant
from Sir Thomas More, whose head was
brought to the block under the detesla-
bile reign of Henry VIII. of England
Rut the charter of Maryland was sketch-
ed by George Calvert-Lord baltimore
himself during his lifetime, ana the
was adopted by Charles L., VINO, altei
death Of George, caused the char'er
TO be engrossed and issued 10 ms son.
Cecilius Calvert second Lord Baltimore
Irpon the authority of Hazard, Bacons
Laws. Chalmers. Mcmahon. and story.
bancroft gives the following summins
M as 10 this charter: 1.-The nature or the
document itself, and concurrent opinion
leave no room 10 doubt that 1t was
penned by the first Lord Baltimore him
self. although &c was finally issued foi
the benefit OF his son."-l, III.
GRAVE ERROR.
General Johnson commits another graver
error than this in his address. and II Is
an error for which he has no excuse, be-
cause the light was abundant ana
clear by which he might have avoid
ed IL. He says: Lord Baltimore In
tended accompanying the expedition, but
was detained in England by the threat
ening condition Of politics, and the In
trigues of the Virginians." Cap
tain William Claiborne. Secretary OF Nir-
yinia, had squatted on Kent Island. and
was vociferous In his opposition to being
included I'm Baltlmore's grant" This
statement involves an historical blunder
all the more unfortunate because II Is from
the pen OF a lawyer. William Clayborne
1the name of the family was not changed
TO Claiborne until after his DEATH was
not "squatter'' on Kents Island In any
sense of the word He was a claimant In
good faith, and by title older and bet
ter than that OF Lord Baltimore himself.
Claiborne came early in the Colonial
times TO Virginia, and was soon recog-
nized as a man of so much culture and
ability that he was appointed a member
Of the Council and Secretary OF State. II
cannot be denied that the original charter
to Virginia GRANTED to the London Com
pany) embraced the whole of what is now
the State OF Maryland. And many years
before the unjust and tyrannical act tby
which the London Company was dis
solved was obtained by James l., John
Smith had explored the upper part OF
Chesapeake bay. and made a map of all
that region, and in 1921. Porey, Secretary
OF the Colony, had explored the bay as
far as the river Patuxent, which he
assembled, and "a settlement OF hundred
region had already taken place. and other
settlements soon followed. Purchas ",
| 1884; Smith H. 6l-G4; Bancroft l.. 1861
William Clayborne, In 1921. obtained from
the Governor OF Virginia a deed Of IL
cense 10 explore the head OF Chesapeake
bay, and any part of Virginia from lati-
tude "a degrees to IL degrees. And in
1851 King Charles I. granted TO William
Clayborne a deed. under which he had
~, 10 n
tablsh Earthquakes I'm or adjacent to
the bay. Under this deed Clayborne ope-
rated with great courage. labor. and ex-
penditure OF time and money and honest
| ly and with full power and authority
took possession Of "Kents Island" in
| Chesapeake bay. not far from the present
| site of Annapolis To say that he had
| squatted on Kent's Island" is to do out
| rage to his memory. TO law, and to his
| toric truth.
AN ENCOURAGEMENT.
VT was not until 1884 that Leonard Cal
| vert and his settlers of the Roman Church
| came across the Atlantic. When they
| arrived in Virginia they were courteousy
| received by the Governor and Council,
| but they were distinctly informed that
| their grant was considered an encroach-
| ment on the rights OF Virginia"
And in our day of light and right we
L
| mere technical form obtained by wrong
and oppresson) OF entering a judgment
| OF the Court OF Kings Bench. dissolving
| the London Company, did not deprive
| Virginia OF her Colonial rights In granted
| territory; did not divest vested rights,
| and did not authorize English kings to
| impair the obligation OF sacred con-
| tract.
| AS Leonard Calvert and his settlers
| sailed UP the Chesapeake bay they had
| met with William Clayborne, who did
nothing more than firmly assert his rights.
| Unhappiiy, Calvert made no effort to
| reach an amicable arrangement with him,
/ refused to recognize his rights, and
finally gave orders for his arrest. This
| led to an open conflict on the waters
| OF the bay, in which several on both
| sides were slain. Clayborne was over
powered by force, and took refuge In
| Virginia. whose Governor refused to sur
render him to Calvert. Thereupon the
| Maryland settlers did the worst they
| could. In the absence OF William Clay
borne they indicted him by charges Of
| murder, privacy, and sedition; tried and
| convicted him without his personal pres
ence seized and confscated all his pro-
| perty, and passed. by their Legislature,
| bill OF attainder against him.
REPRIMANDED.
william Clayborne went, with witnesses
| and papers, before Charles l., and made
| SO full a disclosure OF his wrongs that
| the King severely reprimanded Lord Balu-
more for the harsh and unjust pro-
ceedlngs as 10 Kents Island and its
owner. But, unfortunately for the cause
of truth and right, the King was In
duced by the Lord Baltimore's interest
| to refer the whole matter to the Lords
Commissioners OF Plantations" At the
head OF this body was Archbishop Laud
who was already in sympathy with the
Roman Church. and who inspired a de-
cislon against Ciayborne.
HE SUCCEEDED.
Yet the time Of retribution came.
When the civil war in England approach
ed its crisis, and Oliver Cromwell over,
threw the unhappy monarch who had
attempted to maintain his prerogative
against the rights and liberties or the
people. William Clayborne came back to
Kents Island and succeeded finally In
establishing his just pretensions there,
and succeeded. also, with Richard Ben,
nett, in overthrowing the Baltimore Gov
eminent. A battle on small scale tooh
| place at Providence March Is. leo. Gov
ernor Stone and his armed forces (then
representing the Baltimore Governmenp
were defeated and utterly routed with
considerable loss. Thus from the initial
l wrong many wrongs came. For, II Is