pioneers of the old south-第20节

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continued　through　a　rather　prolonged　period。　There　came　now　to　Virginia
families　whose　names　are　often　met　in　the　later　history　of　the　land。　Now
Washingtons　appear；　with　Randolphs；　Carys；　Skipwiths；　Brodnaxes；　Tylers；
Masons；　Madisons；　Monroes；　and　many　more。　These　persons　are　not　without
means；　they　bring　with　them　servants；　they　are　in　high　favor　with　Governor
and　Council；　they　acquire　large　tracts　of　virgin　land；　they　bring　in
indentured　labor；　they　purchase　African　slaves；　they　cultivate　tobacco。
》From　being　English　country　gentlemen　they　turn　easily　to　become　Virginia
planters。

But　the　Virginia　Assembly　had　thrown　a　gauntlet　before　the　victorious
Commonwealth；　and　the　Long　Parliament　now　declared　the　colony　to　be　in
contumacy；　assembled　and　dispatched　ships　against　her；　and　laid　an　embargo
upon　trade　with　the　rebellious　daughter。　In　January　of　1652　English　ships
appeared　off　Point　Comfort。　Four　Commissioners　of　the　Commonwealth　were
aboard；　of　whom　that　strong　man　Claiborne　was　one。　After　issuing　a
proclamation　to　quiet　the　fears　of　the　people；　the　Commissioners　made　their
way　to　Jamestown。　Here　was　found　the　indomitable　Berkeley　and　his　Council
in　a　state　of　active　preparation；　cannon　trained。　But；　when　all　was　said；
the　Commissioners　had　brought　wisely　moderate　terms：　submit　because　submit
they　must；　acknowledge　the　Commonwealth；　and；　that　done；　rest　unmolested！
If　resistance　continued；　there　were　enough　Parliament　men　in　Virginia　to
make　an　army。　Indentured　servants　and　slaves　should　receive　freedom　in
exchange　for　support　to　the　Commonwealth。　The　ships　would　come　up　from
Point　Comfort；　and　a　determined　war　would　be　on。　What　Sir　William　Berkeley
personally　said　has　not　survived。　But　after　consultation　upon　consultation
Virginia　surrendered　to　the　commonwealth。

Berkeley　stepped　from　the　Governor's　chair；　retiring　in　wrath　and
bitterness　of　heart　to　his　house　at　Greenspring。；　In　his　place　sat　Richard
Bennett；　one　of　the　Commissioners。　Claiborne　was　made　Secretary。　King's　men
went　out　of　office；　Parliament　men　came　in。　But　there　was　no　persecution。
In　the　bland　and　wide　Virginia　air　minds　failed　to　come　into　hard　and
frequent　collision。　For　all　the　ferocities　of　the　statute　books；　acute
suffering　for　difference　of　opinion；　whether　political　or　religious；　did
not　bulk　large　in　the　life　of　early　Virginia。

The　Commissioners；　after　the　reduction　of　Virginia；　had　a　like　part　to　play
with　Maryland。　At　St。　Mary's；　as　at　Jamestown；　they　demanded　and　at　length
received　submission　to　the　Commonwealth。　There　was　here　the　less　trouble
owing　to　Baltimore's　foresight　in　appointing　to　the　office　of　Governor
William　Stone；　whose　opinions；　political　and　religious；　accorded　with　those
of　revolutionary　England。　Yet　the　Governor　could　not　bring　himself　to
forget　his　oath　to　Lord　Baltimore　and　agree　to　the　demand　of　the
Commissioners　that　he　should　administer　the　Government　in　the　ame　of　〃the
Keepers　of　the　Liberties　of　England。〃　After　some　hesitation　the
Commissioners　decided　to　respect　his　scruples　and　allow　him　to　govern　in
the　name　of　the　Lord　Proprietary；　as　he　had　solemnly　promised。

In　Virginia　and　in　Maryland　the　Commonwealth　and　the　Lord　Protector　stand
where　stood　the　Kingdom　and　the　King。　Many　are　far　better　satisfied　than
they　were　before；　and　the　confirmed　royalist　consumes　his　grumbling　in　his
own　circle。　The　old；　exhausting　quarrel　seems　laid　to　rest。　But　within　this
wider　peace　breaks　out　suddenly　an　interior　strife。　Virginia　would；　if　she
could；　have　back　all　her　old　northward　territory。　In　1652　Bennett's
Government　goes　so　far　as　to　petition　Parliament　to　unseat　the　Catholic
Proprietary　of　Maryland　and　make　whole　again　the　ancient　Virginia。　The　hand
of　Claiborne；　that　remarkable　and　persistent　man；　may　be　seen　in　this。

In　Maryland；　Puritans　and　Independents　were　settled　chiefly　about　the
rivers　Severn　and　Patuxent　and　in　a　village　called　Providence；　afterwards
Annapolis。　These　now　saw　their　chance　to　throw　off　the　Proprietary's　rule
and　to　come　directly　under　that　of　the　Commonwealth。　So　thinking；　they　put
themselves　into　communication　with　Bennett　and　Claiborne。　In　1654　Stone
charged　the　Commissioners　with　having　promoted　〃faction；　sedition；　and
rebellion　against　the　Lord　Baltimore。〃　The　charge　was　well　founded。
Claiborne　and　Bennett　assumed　that　they　were　yet　Parliament　Commissioners；
empowered　to　bring　〃all　plantations　within　the　Bay　of　Chesapeake　to　their
due　obedience　to　the　Parliament　and　Commonwealth　of　England。〃　And　they　were
indeed　set　against　the　Lord　Baltimore。　Claiborne　would　head　the　Puritans　of
Providence；　and　a　troop　should　be　raised　in　Virginia　and　march　northward。
The　Commissioners　actually　advanced　upon　St。　Mary's；　and　with　so　superior
a；　force　that　Stone　surrendered；　and　a　Puritan　Government　was　inaugurated。
A　Puritan　Assembly　met；　debarring　any　Catholics。　Presently　it　passed　an　act
annulling　the　Proprietary's　Act　of　Toleration。　Professors　of　the　religion
of　Rome　should　〃be　restrained　from　the　exercise　thereof。〃　The　hand　of　the
law　was　to　fall　heavily　upon　〃popery；　prelacy；　or　licentiousness　of
opinion。　〃Thus　was　intolerance　alive　again　in　the　only　land　where　she　had
seemed　to　die！

In　England　now　there　was　hardly　a　Parliament；　but　only　the　Lord　Protector；
Oliver　Cromwell。　Content　with　Baltimore's　recognition　of　the　Protectorate；
Cromwell　was　not　prepared　to　back；　in　their　independent　action；　the
Commissioners　of　that　now　dissolved　Parliament。　Baltimore　made　sure　of
this；　and　then　dispatched　messengers　overseas　to　Stone；　bidding　him　do　all
that　lay　in　him　to　retake　Maryland。　Stone　thereupon　gathered　several
hundred　men　and　a　fleet　of　small　sailing　craft；　with　which　he　pushed　up　the
bay　to　the　Severn。　In　the　meantime　the　Puritans　had　not　been　idle；　but　had
themselves　raised　a　body　of　men　and　had　taken　over　the　Golden　Lyon；　an
armed　merchantman　lying　before　their　town。　On　the　24th　of　March；　1655；　the
two　forces　met　in　the　Battle　of　the　Severn。　〃In　the　name　of　God；　fall　on！〃
cried　the　men　of　Providence；　and　〃Hey　for　St。　Mary's！〃　cried　the　others。
The　battle　was　won　by　the　Providence　men。　They　slew　or　wounded　fifty　of　the
St。　Mary's　men　and　desperately　wounded　Stone　himself　and　took　many
prisoners；　ten　of　whom　were　afterwards　condemned　to　death　and　four　were
actually　executed。

Now　followed　a　period　of　up　and　down；　the　Commissioners　and　the　Proprietary
alike　appealing　to　the　Lord　Protector　for　some　expression　of　his
〃determinate　will。〃　Both　sides　received　encouragement　inasmuch　as　he
decided　for　neither。　His　own　authority　being　denied　by　neither；　Cromwell
may　have　preferred　to　hold　these　distant　factions　in　a　canceling；
neutralizing　posture。　But　far　weightier　matters；　in　fact；　were　occupying
his　mind。　In　1657；　weary　of　her　〃very　sad；　distracted；　and　unsettled
condition；〃　Maryland　herself　proceededPuritan；　Prelatist；　and　Catholic
togetherto　agree　henceforth　to　disagree。　Toleration　viewed　in　retrospect
appears　dimly　to　have　been　seen　for　the　angel　that　it　was。　Maryland　would
return　to　the　Proprietary's　rule；　provided　there　should　be　complete
indemnity　for　political　offenses　and　a　solemn　promise　that　the　Toleration
Act　of　1649　should　never　be　repealed。　This　without　a　smile　Baltimore
promised。　Articles　were　signed；　a　new　Assembly　composed　of　all　manner　of
Christians　was　called；　and　Maryland　returned　for　a　time　to　her　first
allegiance。

Quiet　years；　on　the　whole；　follow　in　Virginia　under　the　Commonwealth。　The
three　Governors　of　this　period…Bennett；　Digges；　and　Mathews　are　all　chosen
by　the　Assembly；　which；　but　for　the　Navigation　Laws；*　might　almost　forget
the　Home　Government。　Then　Oliver　Cromwell　dies；　and；　after　an　interval；
back　to　England　come　the　Stuarts。　Charles　II　is　proclaimed　King。　And　back
into　office　in　Virginia　is　brought　that　staunch　old　monarchist；　Sir
William　Berkeleyfirst　by　a　royalist　Assembly　and　presently　by　commission
from　the　new　King。

*　See　Editor's　Note　on　the　Navigation　Laws　at　the　end　of　this　volume。


Then　Virginia　had　her　Long　Parliament　or　Assembly。　In　1661；　in　the　first
gush　of　the　Restoration；　there　was　elected　a　House　of　Burgesses　so
congenial　to　Berkeley's　mind　that　he　wished　to　see　it　perpetuated。　For
fifteen　years　therefore　he　held　it　in　being；　with　adjournments　from　one
year　into　another　and　with　sharp　refusals　to　listen　to　any　demand　for　new
elections。　Yet　this　demand　grew；　and　still　the　Governor　shut　the　door　in
the　face　of　the　people　and　looked　imperiously　forth　from　the　window。　His
temper；　always　fiery；　now　burned　vindictive；　his　zeal　for　King　and　Church
and　the　high　prerogatives　of　the　Governor　of　Virginia　became　a　consuming
passion。

When　Berkeley　first　came　to　Virginia；　and　again　for　a　moment　in　the　flare
of　the　Restoration；　his　popularity　had　been　real；　but　for　long　now　it　had
dwindled。　He　belonged　to　an　earlier　time；　and　he　held　fast　to　old　ideas
that　were　decaying　at　the　heart。　A　bigot　for　the　royal　power；　a　man　of
class　with　a　contempt　for　the　generality　and　its　clumsily　expressed　needs；
he　grew　in　narrowness　as　he　grew　in　years。　Berkeley　could　in　these　later
times　write　home；　though　with　some　exaggeration：　〃I　thank　God　there　are　no
fre