The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-16

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ministsric provs les sftsctual, vpor
rayne Of severe cen2ures Of the Cover.
ror and council" (Hening 4 1881.
APPLICATION
On the other hand. there wa I
sort OF counter balancing provision
regarding the clergy, which might ia
evil minds bear an influence Of prAc-
teal application. 1t runs.--sMinis-
tiers shall not give themselves to ex-
cess in drinking and ryott, spending
their time idle by day or night.
playing At dice. cards. or any other
unlawful game: but at all times con-
what OF the Holy Scriptures or shall
occupy themselves with some other
honest studies or exercise, always do
Ing the things which shall appertayne
to honestie and endeavor to profit
the church OF God; having always in
mind that they ought to excel all
others in puritie OF life, should be ex-
emples to tho people to live well and
Christian like tHenfn's stats. at
Large /. 1853, 1889
I am glad that they got one in on
the clersy.-those pious burgesses.
Also they were occupied in ques-
SAohS VI tIOW W iiCI case IcNGAaCSs--
the perennial question whether we
figure it in thousands as they did
CT in billions as We do now.
1t is interesting to find in their
early records provision made to grant
the franchise of citizenship TO certain
Poles who had been brought over as
artisans to work in the manufacture
q glass
Besides these there were the aues-
tions of defence against foes by land
and by sea, for they lived in daily
and hourly imminent peril. from
dangers both from tho sea and from
the land. And only three years
afterwards this latter peril was
to oversweep the co ony and
by a stroke well nigh destroy it root
and branch. cutting off some of these
very representatives. With questions
also were they occupied of privilege
and Right under their charters, and
Of the preservation and even the ex-
tension of their liberties: with other
kindred questions.
Yes. it was doubtless all apparently
trivial and insignificant enough in the
eyes of Europe: for what could these
widely scattered settlements amid the
forest and swamps of Virginia amount
to- Who cared anything about Sir
George Yeardley and the Virginia as
semi bly,? Even til. royal governor was
accorded scarcely a half dozen lines
in our former histories and the as
sembly was disposed OF in para
graph. And yet. from this grain of
seed hidden in the Virginia soil has
sprung through the years a. plant so
great that the peoples lodge under its
branches and the nations find shelter
in its shade.
So great was its effect in the mothe:
country that the fool, pedant. King
James. already scared into believing
that the colony vas "a school of sedi-
ton" attempted to suppress the char
ters of the Virginia company and, in
deed, succeeded for a time; but they
we're wrung again from his Inflated
successor and, as ever in such strug
rles. were more highly priced than be-
fore. Nothing in all our history is
r.ore notable than the courage and
tenacity with which the responsible
heads of the Virginia company. BRAY
ing the tyrannous decision of the
crown. saved the records on which de-
pended the continuitN if not the ex-
istence, of the oolony's liberties.
A little more than a year from the
assembling of this first legislature
another colony reached Virginia and
established a permanent settlement
Headed for these shores. II was driven
tv the winds and by fate to the shores
IF Northern Virginia and. settled
on that stern and rockbound coast"
i, developed along lines rather re-
semhling pure Democracy, with a
strong theocratic tinge.
IMITATION
1t might prove an interesting
study for those VINO have time to give
10 it to ascertain how far the Puritan
fathers were Influenced in their de-
cision by the establishment in the
Old Dominion o. this representative
legislative assembly, which we cele
brate today.
That it exercised an influence on
these seekers after freedom cannot be
doubted We have already seen how
the Mass. Bay colony some years
later set up legislative assembly.
evidently copying the Virginia general
assembly. However. in their Re-
ligious. nonconforming fervor. they
may have given the lead In all dis
cnssion and in all records to this
phase OF religious freedom. their
knowledge of Virginia was what head
Cd the Mayhower and the Anne for
these shores and their action in draw
irg up their pact on the Mayf1ower
places the effect of this assembly be-
ycnd the range of conjecture.
En- ths same year 1919, according
to the records another event took
place which, with its consequences, in
the sequel had an effect on the pro-
gress of Nirginia'z political and econ
omic development. This was the
bringing TO Virginia of the first cargo
CT African slaves by the privateer
| Treasurer" which captured them
from a Spanish vessel trading to the
West Indies.
From the inception OF Legislative
, o assemblies in the colony the contest
was on between the settlers OF the
new country and the people and gov
eminent OF the old 1t could not be
otherwise; for with the vast distance
that stretched between them. the new
conditions in the new land, dema nd
ing event instant immediate care
and the fixed conditions in the ~ other
country, set as size was set in estab-
lished tradition there could neither
remain that clearness Of apprehen
sion of the colonists' needs; that
community of interest between them
ror that similarity OF sentiment
which are the breath of life of all
union between peoples.
IT was a high assertion OF privilege
when John Sharpless the clerk OF the