The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-03-05
THE FOUNDERS OF VIRGINIA.
| They Retained the Character of English
men In the Virgin Forests.

They Retained the Character of English
men In the Virgin Forests.
Virginia, the oldest of the colonies,
was least to be distinguished by any
private character Of her own from
the rural communities of England
herself. Her population had come to
her almost without selection
throughout every stage Of quick
change and troubled fortune that
England had seen during the Hateful
days since James Stuart became
king, and Englishmen in Virginia
were in no way radically distinguish
able from Englishmen in England,
except that they were provincials
and frontiersmen. They had their
own tasks and ways of life, indeed,
living, as they did, within the old
forests of virgin continent, upon
the confines of the world. But their
tastes and temperament, spite OF
change and seclusion, they had in
common with Englishmen at home.
They gave leave to their opinions,
too, with a like downright conf
dence and hardihood of belief, never
doubling they knew how practical
affairs should go. They had even
kept the English character as they
had received it against the touch of
time and social revolution, until
Virginians seemed like elder Eng
lishmen.
England changed, but Virginia did
not. There landed estates spread
themselves with an ample acreage
along to the margins of the streams
that everywhere threaded the virgin
woodland, and the planter drew
about him body of dependents who
knew mol other master; to whom
came, in their seolusion, none of that
quick air Of change that had so stir
red in England throughout all her
century of revolution, Some were
his slaves, bound to him in perpetual
subsection.
Others we're his tenants and look
ed upon him as sort of patron. In
Maryland, where similar broad es-
tates lay upon every shore, the law
dubbed a great property here and
there a manor" and suffered it to
boast its separate court baron and
private jurisdiction. Virginia gen
tlemen enjoyed independence and
authority without need of formal
title.
There was but one center of socia,
life in Virginia-at Williamsburg
the village capital, where the gov
ernor had his palace, where stood
the Colonial college, where there
were taverns and the town house.
of sundry planters of the vicinage
and where there was much gay com
pany and not little formal cere
monial in the season. For the rest
the Old Dominion made shift to d,
without towns. There was no grea
mart to which all the trade of tn
colony was drawn. Ships came ant
went upon each broad river as upol
q highway, taking and dischargins
freight at the private v harris of TIN
] several plantations, forever plantel
was his own merchant, shipping hi.
tobacco to England aud importing
thence in return his clothes, his
tools, his household fittings, bis
knowledge of the Loidon fashions
and of the game of politics at home.
His mechanics he fond among his
own slaves and depndents. Their
"quarters" and the offices of bis
simple establishmenshowed almost
like village of thmselves where
they stood in irregulr groups about
his own square, brod gabled house,
with its airy hall ad homelike liv-
ing rooms. He night have good
plate upon his sideoard and on his
table, palatable oldwine in his Gel
lar, and on the wal, about him por-
traits of the stated. men and danes
from whom no tok his blood and
breeding. But thereTas little luxury
. in his life. Plaincomfort and a
homely abundance hfficed him. He
was q gentleman, o'ned all he saw
around him, exercisd authority and
enjoyed consideration throughout
the colony, but hwas no prince.
He lived always n the style Of
provincial and a gentleman COM
moner, as his neigbors and friends
: did.-New York Advertiser.
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