The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-30

The country of which the Deciaratfoh
III Independence but marked the COM
Inn OF age. On July 80. 1919 was
recorded the beginning of ~self-govern-
Fnent. the beginners, three undred
yHArs ago. Of what in the course or
three centuries was to develop into
tfte mighttest democracy which the
Werld has kncwn.
II wa on July 80. 1919, at James
Town. va. in the little wooden church
which the settlers had built there,
that the house of burgesses met for
The irst time, the first elected and
representative body of the new world.
The twelve years from the settle
ment in 1907 had been years OF In
tense suffering. and at times 1t had
seemed as though the little colony
were doomed to defeat. but at last the
skies frightened the success seemed
more assured. Its numbers had
crown so that, at the beginning OF
1919. about 1000 settlers were scat
tered in various plantations along
Tidewaier, and. during that never-to-
bN-forgotten year, nearly another
thousand came to double the popuia-
tion Of the infant commonwealth.
tor such IL then became, through the
demands OF the people and the efforts
Ia London Of Sir Edwin Sandys, who
rightly believed that by self-govern-
nnent alone could the community be
made to prosper permanently.
with this in view. il had been de-
sided in England in the preceding
year that the government should
henceforth consist of two bodies. one
10 be formed of the governor and
council. selected and appointed by the
company at home. and the other of
4 council OF state and house burgesses
Elected in the colony. Two burgesses
we're TO be chosen by the colonists
from each town, hundred. or planta-
ton. The new governor. Yeardley.
was 30 instructed, n following the
tnsue OF writs OF election for a gem
eral assembly. twenty-five hurgesses.
thu first elected representatives of the
people In America, met with the gov
srnor and council on July 80. The
latter sat in h choir OF the church
while the burgesses sat in the body
of tho. building.
John Pors, secretary OF the colony,
ait. boon companion. and ex-member
Snf parliament. WIS chosen speaker.
His experience in legislation at home
WAS doubtless OF much help in this
.iny new ofshoot of the mother of
parlia ments, although he was said by
his friends to follow the custom of
etrtng potations.' and left the colony
shout three years later.
The general assembly. thus form
"a nf the governor, assistant council.
gtOkype of all the state governments
I'M the course of time to cover Ameri-
- from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
from Canada to Mexico. and Of the
bi~cameral government OF the federal
#Mnfon. In the history OF the world
4 there had been many great empires
S@nxtendtng over vast territories and
$embracing vast populations. but none
{ Ind lasted. and up to the formation
ss6l the United States il may be said
Mat the larger the state the lower
the form of political organization.
NNSA1ways before. individual liberty and
I'M participation Of the individual In
Affairs OF government had dwiu-
Skl8A as h state became larger. The
hitherto inSoluble problem was solved
kAn AnsestcA by h two means of rep
xeeenfattye government and a federal
este. The beginning of the former
5Mas the frst meeting OF the Virginia
sAnrgesses, OF which the three hun
sa4gNdsh anniversary this week.
S@E No n could have dreamed on that
M1my, however. OF the vast tree into
SsEmlch that tiny seed was to develop,
Y \ interior OF the continent was al
11es1 wholly unknown. and it's extent
+ <bmagined. Even the Atlantic sea-
7o1rd WAS not entirely explored. AS
back as 1924. indeed, Gomez In
~ south, and verranzo in the north.
\ learned somewhat OF parts Of the
o1t, but II was only in the then re-
. years from 1902 TO 1914 that
HgnOld. champlain. Hudson. John
W3th. and others had begun 10 ex-
eeH the rivers. bays. and other fea-
49, OF the shore with some care
Axactness.
NTH the exception of a few Span
fToa "a the far south OF them. and
ynapS . few English French
1Irmen wfnt.ring to the far north
%%4l1em that little colony in Virginia
the sole settlement in all America.
~ Absolutely incredible the actual
too ~ events wouId have seemed
NSkbaea Arst representatives Of the
&pFtean people could the veil OF the
M9W have been lifted a moment at
@e4ttng In the old jamestown
three hundred years ago! In
NJ the struggling little colony
4ne0sand souls. a mighty nation
&nNndred million people; in place
handful who had but recently
1to6 from want In what was
> the starving time a coun-
Mreeh = feeding the world: In
Saek Aatiy fear Of 4 handful Of
two million men returning
kA 6Attiehelds OF the Old World.
tAis year. Of all others, in
NAlee country y laying down its
nxter ~ epoeh-paking partici-
~ A1EAixs oR the world. 10
nse - paths Of peace. that