The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-29

| TN 1873 came the news mat the Ming
had given all Virginia to Lords
4 Arlington and Culpeper. to be their
proprietary province. like Carolina
and New Jersey. and several gentle
men had to be sent over to England
| in haste to plead, intrigue. and pro-
test: as il for the very life or the
colony, against such a usurpation.
Their lordships kept the royal quit
rents, spite of all opposition. and
new poll tax of sixty pounds OF TO-
bacco a head had to be levied 10 pay
the expenses of the commissioners sent
to plead the colony's case against
Them. And then, in 1875. when af-
fairs seemed most darkened and con-
fused by selfish and arbitrary action
both at home and oversee, there came
hot trouble with the Indians. Whlch
the governor refused either to deal
with himself or allow others to settle
1t was that that brought the ex-
plosion. A sort of desperate wrath
took possession of the stronger and
moro daring spirits of the colony, and
they presently found leader VINO
gave Sir William good cause to fear
what might come of their anger.
Nathaniel Bacon had sworn with
hot oath that If the redskins meddled
with him he would harry them. COM
mission or no commission: and he
kept his threat. He was OF the hot
blood that dares a great independence.
He was great-Grandson of Sir Thomas
Bacon, of Friston Hall, suffolk. cousin
to the great Lord Bacon, of whose
fame the world had been full these
fifty years: and though he was but
nine and twenty. study at the Inns of
4 nd much aVpl in foreign lands
had added to his gentle breeding the
popular manners ana the easy self
confidence of a man of the world be
fore he turned his back upon Eng
land and came with his young wife
to be a planter on James River in
Virginia.
In May news came that the Indians
had attacked his own upper planta-
ton and had murdered his overseer
and one of his favOrite servants: and
he did not hesitate what to do \
company of armed and mounted men
begged him to go with them against
the redskins. and he led them forth
upon their bloody errand without law
or license. member of the governors
council and magistrate though he was
He sent to ask the governor for a
commission. indeed. but he did not
turn back. or lose his armed follow
ing either. when word was brought
that the governor had refused it. and
had proclaimed him and all with Nm
to be outlaws. 1t was fiat rebellion:
but Bacon's pulse only quickened at
that, and Virginia for a little while
seemed his to command.
Bacon's blows were quick and terri
BILE, and more to be feared than his
biting speech. He had well-nsh ex-
terminated the Indian tribe of Sus-
quehannocks before he heard of or
needed his outlawry. Then he turned
in his hot anger against the govern
ment itself as if it had declared war
upon him. He required and took of
his followers an oath to resist not
only the governor, but the very troops
of the King himself should they come,
until wrongs should be righted; and
Berkeley was driven. fugitive, to
the far counties beyond the bay. When
he returned with a motley force TO
he was driven forth again.
and jamestown was burned.
Only Bacon's death ended the ugly
business AS autumn approached he
sickened and died (the first day of
october. 1870. overcome by the pas
sion of action and of feeling, and the
exhausting life of the camp and the
field; and his followers dispersed
A fleet arrived out of England in
January, 1917. with a regiment of the
Kings troops aboard. and commits
sioners to settle the troubles in the
colony to the stablishinE of or
der: and the commissioners had them
selves TO rebuke and restrain the in
sensate bitterness of the raddened
governor. He had set the hanGman
to work before they came. and by the
time January was out had sent more
than twenty persons TO the CallOwS
for their participation in the rebellion: .