New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19
Instead did
Hang an old weaNer that wac bedrld."
I | T..

Another result was that manufactures. ana
even novel experiments In agriculture were DIS
couraged The most persistent EFFORTS were made
in vain TO Introduce silk culture Into the colony
Wlnc-making was tried with the same result
Nevertheless. the wayside tavern In ancient Viz
ginia was provided with variety In the way or
wine and spirits that can only be found In cities
at the present day. The ordinary that to-day
confines Itself TO an inferior kind OF whiskey
would have set before its patrons In the seven
tenth century any OF the strong waters or OF
the better-known wines OF European countries
including tho planters favorite Madeira The
English at home would have been glad to see
Vlrginian iron taking the place Of the Spanish
product. Repeated efforts TO bring about this
result were made. But n momentary enthusiasm
was always succeeded by apathy. There was
no money In anything but tobacco. With It the
planter could buy across the all the tools OF
steel or iron that he needed. all the silks that
his family required. all the wines he and his
guests could drink. He lived life free from all
save the simplest cares In the open air hour
after hour; and when he took to the road on
horseback his going was at gallop which was
80 universal that II became known as "the
planters pace" He was n master. not only on
his own domain. but. through the caste feeling
| OF his class, all interiors In the colony II
IL recorded OF n certain tailor that he laid a
wager on the speed OF his horse and won But
he WAS not allowed to take the money On the
contrary. he was fined and told very fatty that
horse-racing was n sport exclusively for gentle
men. On the other hand. this arstocratc feeling
was tempered In the individual planter by the
fact that his closest companions during most OF
4 his waking life were his own servants. As these
were throughout a good part OF the seventeenth
century Englishmen. like himself. there was no
race prejudice. either to build up or to over
come The planter helped the workmen who
had served him faithfully to buy houses OF
their own and In course OF time they or their
descendants, often ceased to be distinguished
from the gentry. But on the plantation the or
der much the same that 1t remained after
the slave for life replaced the indentured SER
want. The master was supreme In one case
as In the other.
Mr. Bruce maintains that slavery, as COM
pared with the early system Of servitude had
only an incidental effect the social and eco
nomlc life OF Virginia. Whether the servants
were white or black held for a term Of years
4 or for life. the plantation system with Its feudaI
characteristics. based, as II were. on 30 narrow
and simple an agriculture. could have developed
only as 1t did. The result was In the class OF
masters a freedom Of conduct and q conception
OF freedom In political life aptiy described In
the familiar words OF Burke. which quoted
anew by Mr.. Bruce. The flower Of the race was
a group Of calm statesmen. lacking. perhaps
the initiative OF the eager agitators In New.
England. but with better knowledge than wa