The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28

II NNDWaN hvho - hgNAAhE - VI 0LNInOEs
binary in such o rescue; II was simply q not nm.
common matter of business. The romance with
which white readers have always invested Il IA
the outcome OF q misconcopton no less complelo
than that which led tho fair danes Of London to
make obeisuncs to the tawny Pocahontas as TO
n princess OF imperial lineage. Time and again
IL used to happen that, whom n prisoner WIS
about to DO slaughtered. some one Of tho dusky
asscmblage, moved by pity or admiration or
| some unexplained freak, would interpose in be-
half OF tho victim; and, as n rule. such inter
~position was needed. Many n poor wretch, al
ready tied 10 the fatal troc. and bcnumbed with
unavoidable terror. while tho frobronds were
heating for his torment, has been rescued from
| the laws of death. and adopted rs brother or
lover by some laughing young squaw. or as n
ron by somo grave, wrinkled warrior. In such
cases tho newcomer was allowed cntiro freedom
and treated like ono OF the tribe. Is the blood
debt was cancelled by the prisoners violent
death, 1t was also cancelled by securing his SER
vices to tho tribe; and any member. old or
Young, had a right TO demand the latter method
ea n substitute for the former. Pocahontas.
therefore, did not hazard tho beating out Of her
own brains though tho rescued stranger,
looking at tho situation with civilized eyes,
would naturally sec IL in that light. Her
brains were perfectly safo from tho tomaha wks
OF her fellow savagcs. This thirteen-yoar-old
souaw liked tho handsome prisoner, claimed
him. and got him. according to CUSTOM
Mr.. Fislo tells us that he has undertaken to
| yindicatc Smiths veraclty for the three follow.
ina reasons: First. in tho interests OF sound
historical criticism. It is desirable to show how
skepticism, which Ia int supposed to in
dicato superior sagacity, Is quito as likely to re-
suit from imperfect understanding. Secondly,
Justice should DO done to the memory Of one of
the noblest and most lovablo characters in
American history. Thirdly, the rescue Of Smith
by Pocahontas was an event of real historical
Importance. Without 1t the subsequent rela-
tions of the Indian girl with the English colony
become incomprchenslble. But for her friendly
services on more than one occasion, the tiny
settlement would probably have persisted. Her
visits to jamestown and tho regular supply of
provisions by the Indians began at this time"
".
Tho loss Of its charter by tho London Company
for Virginia in 1924 was regarded by the best
friends of tho settlement at the time, and has
since been described by many American his.
torians, as seriously detrimental to the interests
Of the colony. Entirely different is the view
taken by Mr.. Fisko. He recognizes, indeed,
that II James I. had lived to complete his
projected constitution for Virginia. that
sovereign would, in all probability, have
swept away the representative government
which had beon introduced. Charles l., how.
ever, allowed it to stand. As the situation was
left by tho death of James, so 1t remained. with
ont essential change. until 1T76. The House of
Burgcsses was undisturbed, but the Governor
and Council were. thenceforth, appointed
by the Crown. What tho real effects of this
change were Is set forth in tho following
way: 1.-The colony was thus left less indepen-
dent than 1t would havo been II the London
company, with its power Of electlng its own
executive officers. could have been transferred
bodily to Virginia; but it was left moro indie
pendent than 1t would have been IL the existence
OF the company had been continued in London.
The change from Governors appointed by the
company to Governors appointed by the
Crown brought about n relaxation Of the
supervision which England had exercised
over Virginia. For tho company could de-
vote all it's attention to the affairs of the
colony, but the Crown could not. Especially
in such reigns as those of the two Charleses. the
attention Of the Crown was too much absorbed
with affairs in Great Britain to allow 1t to inter-
fere decisivcly with the course of events in vir-
ginia. The colony was thus in the main thrown
back upon lite own resources, and such n state Of
things was most favorable to its wholesome de-
velopment. The company, after all. was a COM
mercial corporation, and tho main object of it's
existence was to earn money for its sharehold.
ers. The pursuit of that object was by no
means always sure 10 coincide with the best
interests of the colony. Moreover. although the
government Of the company from, 1919 to 1924
WIS conducted with energy and sagacity. disln-
terestedncss. honesty and breadth Of view, such
as history has seldom seen rivalled. yet there
was no likelihood that such would always be
tho case. Such o combination of men in respon-
sihle positions as Southampton and Sandys and
Ferrar is too rare to be counted upon. The
company might have passed for a weary while
under the control OF incompetent or unscrupu-
lous men, and to a young colony like Virginia
| such a contingency would have been not only
disagrecable but positively dangerous. No COM
munity. indeed. can long afford to have its affairs
administered by a body of men so far away as to
BIO out OF immediate touch with 1t. On the other
hand, even II We could suppose n commercial
company to go on, year after year. managing q
colony with 80 much intelligence and sympathy
as the London Company showed In its last days,
such a situation would not be permanently
wholesome for tho colony. What men need is
not fostering or coddling, but n chance to give
free play to their individual capacities. If cod.
ding and fostering could make q colony thrive.
the French in Canada ought to have dominated
North America. From all points OF view. there.
fore, it seems to have been well for Virginia that
the company fell when it did. 1t established
self government there, set its machinery sue.
c~essfully to work, and then vanished from the
scene like the Jinni in some Oriental tale. leav
ing its good gifts behind"
v.
A valuable feature of the first OF these two
volumes is tho clcarncss with which the author
brings out the nature of the powers lodged II
Lord Baltimore rs Lord Proprietor Of Maryland
The model for the political organization of thii
colony was supplied by the great northern
bishopric of Durham. which, by the end of tn,
sixteenth century, was the only complete in
stance loft in England OF a palatinate. or king
dom within the kingdom. At the time whei
Lord Baltimore's charter was issued 1882. tn
bonds Of connection between Durham and tn
rest OF England were three: First. tho Bisho
was q tenant in capite of the Crown. beside
being an officer Of tho Church and a mem
Der of tho House Of Lords; secondly. tn
Council regularly paid it's share OF tho n
tional taxes; thirdly, cases In litigation bctwee
! tho Bishop and his subjects could be appenle