The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16

uhruy pOpuiatiuh, thoEO u booh ehoooy
signal improvement in the mode Of government,
especially in the financial department.
John Fiske,s .'Old virginia.o
In the second volume of Old Virofnia and Her
Neiohbors (Houghton, Mifiin s. co., the author
Mr.. JoHN FIsKE, carries the story of tho British
colonies south of Pennsylvania up to the begin.
ming Of the French and Indian war. Among
the interesting topics discussed in this volume
are the political organization Of Virginia, Mary
land, and the Carolinas, the political significance
Of :be movement known as Bacon's Rebellion,
the extent to which the Cavalier element pre-
dominated in Virginia society. the origin of the
so-called crackers or poor whites of North Caro-
lima, the relation Of the history of tobacco to the
history of liberty. the effect of rice culture on
the relations between South Carolina settlers
and the pirates. and the characteristic aspects
of society in the Old Dominion dur
ing the first half Of the eighteenth con-
fury. An estimate of the volume and re-
suits Of the Scotch-Irish migration to America.
which exercised an important influence upon
Virginia and North Carolina. is reserved for an
other volume. in which. no doubt. 1t will be set
forth in connection with the history of Pennsyl.
vania. We can glance only briefly at tho au-
thor's treatment of these subjects, but 80 new
and interesting are many of his conclusions that
they should, at least. be outlined.
In tho first chapter Of tho second volume,
which is the tenth chapter of tho work. 1t Is
pointed out that in order to comprehend tho po-
Ntical history Of colonial Virginia we must bear
In mind that the unit Of representation In the
Provincial Assembly was not the township. as
was the case In New England. but the county.
The adoption of tho county as the political unit
is attributed partly to the fact that the vast
plantations Of tidewater Virginia were not
grouped about a compact village nucleus like
the small farms in the North, and partly to the
other fact that the Puritan theory of the Church.
according to which each congregation is q self.
governing emocracy.d did not prevail extensively
in the Old Dominion, although in the course of
time there came to be q good many Puritans
there. 1t is also to be noted that in Virginia
the county was much smaller than In Massa-
chusetts or in Connecticut; in q few instances 1t
consisted of only o single parish. in other cases
1t was divided into but two parishes. though
ottener into three or more. The county court,
which usually consisted of eight justices of the
peace, was virtually a close corporation. 1t be-
ing customary for the Governor to fill vacan-
cies from tho candidates nominated by
tho justices themselves. Another court
officer. tho Sheriff, who not only executed
the judgments of the court, but was also coun-
ty treasurer and collector and presided over
elections for representatives to the Legislature,
was selected by the Governor from three names
presented to him by the county court, which
thus kept many administrative as well as judicial
functions in its own hands. The name of an
other county officer helps to explain the super
abundance Of military titles in the South, which
was an object Of remark before the middle of the
N-A nv. "a A. IN
each county was vested in the county Lieuten-
ant, who was usually a member of the Govern
or's council. and who bore the honorary title OF
Colonel" In a foot note Mr.. Fisko cites a state
ment made In the London Magazine as early as
1745; Wherever you travel In Maryland, as
also In Virginia and South Carolina, your ears
are astonished at the number Of Colonels.
Majors, and Captains that you hear mentioned"
What was true of tho Virginia county was
true also of tho parish. the government of
which was exercised by a vestry. At first. in
deed. the twelve vestrymen were elected by the
people OF the parish. as were the Selectmen of
New England. but In 1862 they obtained tho
power of filling vacancies in their own number.
so that the ~vestries. like the county courts. be-
came close corporations. On pages 96-1O6. Mr..
Fiske shows that Bacon's Rebellion In 1876 was
largely aimed at the tendency toward olisarchi-
cal government, which had beGn growing since
the beginning of the great influx Of Cavaliers in
1919. Nothing. indeed. was left to tho people
except the right to vote for burgesses; even this
was c~urtailed in 1870 by q property qualifca-
ton. and restricted in 1877 to freeholders. while
In the last-named year 1t was provided that tho
Assembly should be called together only onoe in
two years.
In tho chapter devoted to Maryland tho
author dwells on the distinctive fact that as tho
ancient town meeting reached q high develop
ment In New England. and as the system Of
close vestries was very thoroughly worked out
In Virginia. 80 the old English manor was best
preserved in the colony founded by Lord Balti-
more. These manors, which were scattered all
over tidewater Maryland. were little self-gov-
erning communities. Tho average size of them
may be deduced from tho records OF n sale in
1867 Of " twenty-seven manors embracing l00,-
600 acres" In the court-leet. which was like q
town meeting. all freemen could take part.
This local assembly. In addition to certain
judicial functions of a minor grade. was. to
a certain extent. q own meeting. for 1t en-.
acted bylaws and elected constables. bailiffs.
and other local officers. All tho freehold
tenants also took part in tho court baron.
apurely judicial institution which decided dis
putes between the lord and his tenants, tried
actions for debt, and authenticated transfers OF
land. The decadence of the Maryland manors
Is ascrlbed by Mr.. Fiske to the growth of negro
slavery, which, on the one hand. afixed a stigma
upon FREQ labor and drove 1t of the field. while
on the other hand rendering 1t more profitable
for the lord OF a manor to cultivate the whole
of 1t himself instead OF leasing the whole or
parts of 1t to tenants.
Let us glance now. oven moro briefly. at the
political organization Of South Carolina. Somo
Of. the data relating to this subject will DO