Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-06-04
COMMUNICATES.
THE FACTS OF HISTORY.

statements in regard 10 the status oil the
early Virginia colonisls aud the usaget
aud influences oftheir legally established
church and the intolerant spirit of the
people of those times, l cannot in JUS
tice to myself refrain from quoting some
of the laws passed by the Virgins
State assemblies for the maintenance Of
one particular form and kind Of pablo
worship throughout the colony to the
entire exclusion of all others.
The laws of people enacted by their
chosen representatives may be safely
taken, think, as an index of the popu-
lar will and wishes of that people. By
this criterion, may we not form cor
rect estimate of the desire of the colonists
to establish a home for religious liberty.
From the first settlement of the province
ia 1907 to the death Of Charles the First
of England and the commencement Of
the commonwealth under Cromwell
thereupOn ensuing, uniformity to the
doctrines and discipline of the Church
OF England was strictly eDjoined
BY the law making powers. All
Catholics were disabled from hold
ing any Office, and any popish priest
who had the temerity to set his foot on
the Virginia soil was to be banished
within five days. For him there was no
welcome, TO right hand of fellowship
lee HenniDes statutes vol l, page 26g.
All persons Of whatever belief we're re-
quired to attend church worship-in de-
fault for the first offense one pound OF
tobacco, and for one months non atten-
dance fifty pounds. All male citizens
of The age of sixteen were required to
pay tithes for the maintenance of the
established worship. Each clergyman
was allowed a salary of sixteen hundred
pounds OF tobacco yearly. All persons
refusing to have their children baptized
by the clergyman, for each offense were
compelled to pay fine of two thousand
pounds of tobacco. All Quakers for as
sembling in public meetings In their
own houses or elsewhere were fined one
hundred pounds of tobacco, and if not
able to pay the fine it was assessed upon
and collected from any one of the sect
who could pay. No master nor comman-
der of any ship or other vessel could bring
into the colony any Quaker under the
penalty Of one hundred pounds sterling,
20 be levied upon him or his estate by or
Ter Of the Governor and Council. All
Quaker's vino arrived in the settlements
were to be apprehended wherever found
and imprisoned without bail or main
prise to adjure the country, depart from
the shores and not return again. Ii
they returned they were to be sent out
again. II they returned the third time
they were to be proceeded against as fel-
ows. Was this religious liberty? Again,
no person was to entertain Quaker, or
permit in or near bis house an assembly
of Quakers for worship under the penalty
Of one hundred pounds sterling. No
person under peril was to purchase any
Quaker book or pamphlet.
These Quskers had fed from one OF
the most vindictive prosecutions of any
age of the world Iu England, the land
Of Great "Msgus Charts" and the boast
ed Common Law" they hsd been driven
from pillar to post, imprisoned in moi
som Dungeons along with fellons on ac-
count of their opinions, and stoned and
beaten by the populace, scourged and
pilloried, in a word, deprived Of the pro-
lection of all law and justice until every
mans hand was against them to make
their condition pitiable in the extreme.
To escape these rigors they cane to Vir-
ginia only to be thrust out as aliens and
Vagabonds. They found no home of re-
liglOus liberty.
In 1912, it was ordered that the ''gov-
ernOr and Council do take care that sill
uon-conformists to the established church
shall BE- compelled to depart the colony"
In 1910 three clergymen were sent
from the Massachusetts Bay colony with
the recommendation Of the governor of
that province to preaok to the Virginia
people, but as they did not conform to
the ussges of the established church they
were commanded, by order Of Governor
Berkeley, to depart. There was no re-
ligious liberty for them, Puritanism
could not take any hold on Virginia
soil. As late as 1853 no Catholic could
be a witness in any court. Not until
after 100 Vas any Quaker allowed to
affirm. There was not the shadow OF
religious liberty in Virginia until after
the ''toeratiou act" in the reign OF King
William and Mary, near a hundred years
after the landing of Captain John smith
and his companions. Until 1705 no
Catholic was allowed to be a witness.
such was the letter and spirit of
some of the early Virginia laws in
regard to religious tOleratiOn. ln