Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-03-21
JAMESTOWN
A MILITANT
BIRTHDAY

divided into two periods; the first eX-
tending from the permanent settle
ment of the English colonies to the
close of the American Revolution,
of the independence of the colonies
the second from the acknowledge
ment of the Independence of the col
onies to the present time. Comparing
the conditions of the country at the
beginning and at the end of the sec
ond period, and noting the expansion
in area, population, agriculture, min
ing, transportation, commerce, edu-
cation, art, science, invention, gov
eminent, international relations and
the settlement of principles and ac-
lions upon which human society is
Well and firmly constituted, we find a
national development which has no
parallel in the history of mankind.
No other nation of ancient or modern
times grew during a century and a
quarter from birth to a maturity OF
principles and of power, of dominat-
ing influence upon all governments
and people. Whatever of foreign
evils we have imported through a
practically unrestrained immigration,
the laws of our national life, founded
upon the best precepts of ages, have
preserved and advances the highest
principles of human liberty. What
every difficulties and failures we have
met and yet endure, the people of the
United States are today among the
foremost in moral progress and in
just aspirations for the future.
Yet the attachments of the nation
had their genesis in that earlier per-
iod of colonial life. At the times of
the first permanent settlements of
Virginia and Massachusetts,, the peO-
pie of England were representative
of the highest type of civilization
then existing. Through foreign wars
and domestic controversies, through
many wrongs and %tyrannies, they had
conceived certain rules of national
existence, which, often broken and
trampied upon by parties and mon
archs, survived in the conscience and
resolved of the people as the heritage,
the very birth-right of freeman.
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 i~naliepable
rights which come to nan from God.
The Cavalier was an agent in the es-
adjustment of the beneficent rules of
a free government. If we find among
both types individuals who had no
views except of self-advancement, 1t
is equally true that they were dom
mated 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-
sonal interests or profits.
Among the men who settled al
jamestown on May IS, 1907, there
were leaders of high conception OF
government, and in the colony OF
jamestown were the first assertions
of social and governmental principles
which lie at the foundation of our
national life. Some of the acts OF
that colony We're 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. At be-
came one of the important factors in
the politics of the period; not only in
England and America, but i'll France
|Spain and the Netherlands; not only
in the contest then going on between
Professionalism and Roman Catholic
ism, but in the conflict between the
Crown and the Commons. While the
Plymouth colonists were Independ-
ents and those of Massachusetts Bay
settlements Nonconformists, they
held the same Christian faith as those
of Virginia. The emigrants to James
town, Notwithstanding the presenct
of q few Roman Catholics, were mo-
only distinctively Protestant but rep
resentative of a nation practically un
divided in faith and united in thS
Church of England. The ministers o
that church took an active part, from
f, earnest interest, in the colonization
of Virginia; and the sermons, state
papers and records of the time show
that the work of the church was tn,
first important element of colonial
ton and of subsequent influence anC
effect upon the government and insti
tutions of the new land. The frs
charter began with the declaration o.
propagation of the Christian religion
and the objects of the expeditions un-
der Gates and Delaware, stated in the
letters patent, included, as the first,
advancement of the Kingdom of God
The work of the church was sup
plemented by the early institution OF
| Virginia of the family. The practice