The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-09

divided into TWO periods, the first e&
tending from the permanent settle
ments of the English colonies to the
close OF the American Revolution. the
second from the acknowledgment Of
the Independence of the colonies to
the present time. Comparing the con.
ditions Of the country at the begin.
ming and at the end of the second per.
fod and noting the expansion in area,
population, agriculture, mining, trans
portation, commerce, education, art,
science, Invention, government. inter.
national relations and the settlement
of principles and actions upon which
human society is well and firmly con.
stituted, we find national develop.
ment which has no parallel in the his
tory OF mankind. No other nation OF
ancient or modern times grew during
a century and quarter from birth to
a maturity Of principles and OF power,
of dominating influence upon all gov
ernments and people. Whatever OF
foreign evils we have imported
through a practically unrestrained i'm
migration. the laws of our national
life, founded upon the best precepts
of ages. have preserved and advanced
the highest principles Of human lib
erty. Whatever difficulties and fall
ures We have met and yet endure, the
people OF the United States are to-day
among the foremost in moral progress
and in Just aspirations for the future.
Yet the attainments of the nation
had their genesis in that earlier per-
fod of colonial life. At the times of
the first permanent settlements of vir.
ginia and Massachusetts, the people
of England were representative of the
highest type of civilization, then ex-
listing. Through foreign wars aud do
nestle controversies, through subver-
sion OF rights, through many wrongs
and tyrannies, they had conceived GER
tain rules OF national existence, which,
often borken and trampled upon by
parties and monarchs, survived in the
conscience and resolve Of the people
as the heritage, the very birth.right
of freemen.
Those high views were transmitted
with the first colonies to the soil of
our country. The Puritan never sue.
cumbed to oppression. never loosed his
grasp upon those inalienable rights
which come to man from God. The
Cavalier was an agent in the estab.
lishment Of the benehcent rules of
free government. II we find among
both types individuals who had no
views except, OF se1f.advancement, It
is equally true that they were domin-
ated by men of character who were
inspired by an earnest desire to pro-
mote the future good of their country
and posterity, regardless of their per.
soaal interests or profits.
Among the men who settled at
jamestown on May 10, 1907. there
were leaders of high conception of
government, and in the colony OF
jamestown we're the first assertions of
social and governmental principles
which lie at the foundation of our
national life. Some of the acts of
that colony were the beginnings of
our constitution.
The movement for the colonization
of Virginia, following the treaty OF
peace between England and Spain, in
1905, was national In scope. 1t became
one OF the important factors in the
politics of the period; not only in
England and America, but in France,
Spain and the Netherlands: not only
in the contest then going on between
Professionalism and Roman Catnolisr.,
but in the conflict between the Crown
and the Commons. While the Ply.
mouth colonists we're Independents
and those OF Massachusetts Bay set
Elements Nonconformists. they held
the same Christian faith as those of
Virginia. The emigrants to Jamestown.
notwithstanding the presence OF few
Roman Catholics, were not only dis.
tinctivefy Protestant, but representa-
tive of nation practically undivided
in faith and united in the Church of
England. The ministers of that church
took an active part, from earnest In
terest, in the colonization OF Virginia:
and the sermons, State papers and rec.
ords of the time show that the. work
of the church was the first important
element of colonization and of snbse-
quent influence and effect upon the
government and institutions Of the
new land. The first charter began
with the declaration of propagation OF
the Christian religion; and the objects
of the expeditions under Gates and
Delaware, stated in the letters patent,
included, at the first, advancement OF
the Kingdom Of God.
|. The work of the church was supple.
mente1 Inv the early fnsfitut{ap In WI.