Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-05
Our First Republic.
For the

public in America says: The really
fine and inspiring feature OF the book is
that 1t connects Virginian as well as
New England colonization directly with
the great movement for political and con-
stitutional freedom, which was already
gathering head In Great Britain"
This book was written by a Virginian
for the sake of the truth OF history,
which confers so much honor on the old
Commonwealth; because he r%everences
the real character Of the first martyrs
Of Virginia; because he admires the great
ability II advanced craftsmanship or
those who established the new nation
in Virginia, and because he appreciated
the patriotic ideas which inspired them
In the management of their
movement in the company and Colony, as
well as in their contests with the crown
party before the English courts, PriVy
Council, Parliament. and Royal Com
missioners. Although the case was men
decided (under the instigatioh OF the
agents of SPAIN against the patriots Dy
the commissioners, Privy Council. ana
royal courts in favor OF the royal party.
(See pages 43S-+ll, &c. oil, 5i2. ois-oo-'
Gel MIR. Brown believes that the con-
temporary verdict, in favor or the hihs .
form of government and against the al
ltIdLlOn VI ~ ~
into SO popular a course" should nov
be reversed by us in justice to those
who established the first republic IN
America. and planted the seed OF clVll
and religious liberty in the New World.
In order TO show Mr.. Browns position
more fully, / give his own recapituiauo"
pages 6i9-65O of his work:
From the beginning, James /. had taken
great interest i'm the Colonial movement.
II was his ambition to make the Ameri-
can Colonies "the monuments Oh ms
reign II was natural for him TO wish
IN resume their government himself. and
Ia have them established by his histories
on the foundation designated by himself
rather than on a foundation whlch had
suppianted his, which he regarded as an
encroachment on his royal prerogatlVe
and as having been designed by MS
greatest enemy" IN "a seminary OF seol-
ton"
Although we cannot know what would
have been the result If James l. had
lived to formulate his new charter ana
new form of government for the Cofony
and TO put them into operation, We can
rest assured that he would not have per-
mitted any of the popular ideas or the
form of government originated by Sir
EDWIN Sandys to remain in 1orce as
Charles l., under the divine PROVIDENCE
which was shaping our end. hnally 10 q
large extent did do. 1t Is true thd'
Charles |. took the government from the
company in England; but he nnally con-
tinued virtually the same form. Inc
Governor. Council, Treasurer. Secretary
OF State. etc, the Council or state IN
Virginia, formerly elected by the company
in England. were continued. but were
appointed by the Crown. Inc house Oh
Burgesses, the magistrates, ana other
officers previously chosen in virginia
were continued with some changes,
! chiefly as TO the mode OF paying sala-
ries). and continued TO be elected as
formerly. by the people. And "the Gen
eral Assembly" as previously constituted
under the company, was continued under
the Crown. Thus again, as from time to
time from the beginning. we see the man
| ifest destiny that was shaping our end.
Some have dated the origin of the re-
! publican idea in Virginia from the stamp
Act of 1865; others, from the change OF
the capital. in 17iS; others, from Bacon 5
rebellion, in 1916. and others from the
first General Assembly, in 1919. But the
seed was really sown by the petitions
from the planters in Virginia and by the
, reports frem Virginia made In l6JS,
by Archer, Martin, Newport, Radcliffe.
and others. which caused the managers
of the enterprise in England to con-
denim 'the Kings faction-producing form
of government" and TO procure in
lieu of the royal charter OF 1906 the pop
ular charters of 1909 and 1872, which
finally afforded Sir Edwin Sandys and
other progressive thinkers the oppor-
tunity for deyolping their liberal ideas
of government I'm a new nation in a new
world. Sometimes d grain OF mustard
seed proves a great tree." The popular
charters enabled them TO plant the seed
and enabled the seed to terminate. The
| Seeding, after being fostered in Eng
land under the superior ideas OF tine adj
yanced statesmen OF that transition pc
Rod, continued to grow into the political
| system of the new nation until our fore
fathers could rest under It's shade, and
under its spreading branches the sons
of the cavaliers learned TO defend the
liberties of the subject from the en-
crOachments Of the Crown.
The House OF Burgesses at once APP
pealed TO the minds OF our people, and, as
their chosen representative, became
the main stem OF this growing tree OF
liberty. 1t furnished the stamina which
removed the royal Governor, Sir John
Harvey, and elected John West in his
place. 1t was the nursery presided over
by Bacon, the rebel" for Il brief term.
when the tree was young. IL was the
seminary OF sedition' in which the voices
of Henry ana other patriots were heard,
appealing more and more boldly for
american freedom" 1t was the Uni
| versity from which washington. the
rebel" went forth to take the govern
ment Of the Colonies from the Crown,
to restore il 10 the people and to found
a free. popular State there; which was
the object OF Sir Edwin Sandys when
drafting the popular charters and when
sending ''our Magma Charta" and the
Mayfiower TO our shores; when planting
the seed that James /. wished TO de-
stroy, (which has risen and cleft the
soil and grown a mass of spanless bulk
n lays on every side a thousand arms
and rushes to the SUM-"
Our founders were mortals. and their
acts have remained obscured in the his
tories of their action, but the principles
which sustained them were immortal,
and although James l.. eliminated from
the age of contemporary history the
record OF tue inspirations which shaped
the ends OF this movement. these great
principles In the onward march of man
could not be eliminated from the page Of
time. They were beyond the control OF
kings. Our patriotic forefathers. against
the protest Of the Crown OF Great Britain
and of the party In America. still holding
TO the royal views. over a hundred years
ago. Endorsed the method for settling
America designed by our real founders.
And to-day as a republic we rest on the
foundation of civil and religious liberty,
shaped by those who managed the bust
ness. after the alteration" under the