The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-26
The Civil Wars and the Commonwealth


Special Notfce-These articles are full;
which impose severe penalty
entire 0I
@N THE 18th Ct May. 1643. COM
missioners representing Massa-
chusetts. Plymouth. Connecti-
cut. and New Haven. sitting in Boston.
made a formal agreement that their
colonies should be Joined in a confed-
Grafton for mutual support and de-
Tense. under the name Of The united
Colonies of New England. Massachu
sets, b. far the greatest and strongest
of the colonies. no doubt expected 10
rule in its counsels. The other COLO
MES hoped to restrain Massachusetts
and hold her back from dominating
overmuch.
That same year. 1s43. Roger Will
Jams went to England to get a charter
for the settlements in the Narragan-
sett country. The settlepents on the
Narragansett waters had been ex-
cluded from the confederation formed
in Boston because they were thought
to be too full of troublesome persons and
uneasy politicians to be safe or peace
full partners: but now that they had
their own charter they could endure
the exclusion without too much ankle
ty as to how their rights should fare
England was convulsed with civil
war. Even Charles saw then how
fierce a tempest had sprung up against
him. and yielded so far as to consent
to call a Parliament. The Parliament
once called together. assumed novel
tone of mastery. Charles saw that he
must either yield all or else openly re-
sist. He chose to resist; set UP ms
roya. standard at Nottingham august.
l642): called upon all loyal subjects TO
rally about it for the defense OF their
king: and SO brought civil war ana
revolution upon England.
Three years went by. and the subtle
King lay dead upon the scanold AT
Whitehall (January. 1649). He was not
brought to his death by the Parlia-
ment. but by the army. and the army
did not represent the nation. All VINO
were not partisans of the army and or
the Independents were driven from
the House. and the handful who re-
manned brought the King to his trlal
and condemnation. and fnally TO MS
death at Whitehall. close by the win
dow of his banqueting hall. They were
acting for minority of the nation.
but no one dared Withstand them.
With such matters as these to look
upon at home. there was no time In
England to watch events in the far
colonies across the sea. The New Eng
landers could form their confederation
IL they pleased without moleststion.
But il the war gave them freedom OF
action. it brought other things in its
train which were not so acceptable
No new settlers came any more. Men
began to return into England instead
ministers to give counsel. as well as
soldiers and men of affairs to lend
their aid in the field of action.
1t was a very serious thing for the
Iat
growth was thus stopped of sudden.
1t required not little steadiness OF
mind and purpose. not little painful
economy and watchful good encour-
agement, to get over the .hock or such
changes and settle down to make the
best of the new conditions.
Happily the colonists were not men
to be dismayed and had made too good
a beginning to fear actual failure.
Massachusetts. with her four counties
and thirty towns, her fourteen hum
bred freemen. her organized militia.
her educated clergy. and her establish
ed leadership among the colonies OF
the north. was ready to stand upon
her own feet. with little practice;
and the other colonie on the Connec-
ticut and on the Sound. had proved
themselves from the first to be fit TO
live by struggle. Massachusetts had
even established a college OF her own.
and was no longer entirely dependent
upon the universities at home to sup
ply her clergymen and her gentlefolk
with an education. The General Court
had begun the setting up of a proper
school In 1886. had changed the name
of Newtown. where the school was
placed, to Cambridge. in order that it
might seem to the ear more suitable
home for it, and. two years later. had
called the little college Harvard. In
honor of the young clergyman VINO
diving in their midst 163S). had ne
uueathed to il his library of 200 books.
and a few hundred pounds. the hall oi
his modest estate.
Only Virginia reaped any sort of di-
rect material benefit from the civil
wars. Her people were not Puritans.
They were drawn from the general
body of Englishmen who believed in
the sanctity of the church and of the
crown. at the same time that they
loved their own liberty and did not
mean to be imposed upon by any mans
power. whether in church or state.
Their assembly. when they learned
OF the Kings death. fatty declared IL
an act of treason. the more impudent
because brought about under the forms
OF law. and resolved that II was the
right of Charles. the dead monarch 5
son. to be king in Virginia land all
other of his majesty's dominions and
countries" They were led in their hot
defiance by their governor. Sir Will
lam Berkeley. who had come to them
Sy the Kings appointment the
very year Charles set up his standard
in Nottingham I642).
But it was not safe for Virginia. Ior
all she was so far away. to defy the
Puritan government at home. For. the
fighting in England over. and the in
triSue that centered about the King
ended, the Puritan leaders were mas
ters of the kingdom. Even Sir Will
lam Berkeley swallowed his mortifica-
ton and submitted when an armed
frigate came into the river (1652)
with commissioners on board whose
orders were to reduce Virginia to
obedience to the commonwealth. and
who had the promise Of all necessary
force to sustain then in what they did.
The commissioners. fortunately. were
men who knew the colony. and they
came with instructions which pre-
scribed in q very generous spirit what
they should do. They did not oblige
Virginia to receive a governor at the
hands of the Parliament: they simply
ousted the Kings men. and put the
government into the hands Of the
Burgesses. the peoples representa-
tives. Until 1860 Virginia was to rule
herself. practically as she pleased. her
self . commonwealth. subject to the
greater commonwealth over sea.
She was very well able to take care
of herself. She could fare very well
upon her own resources. whetheA in
church or state. The Parliamsnt's
commissioners had made rules under
which any reasonable man could live.