pioneers of the old south-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Sir　William　Berkeley's　loyalty　had　in　the　end　overshot　itself。　His　zeal
fatigued　the　King；　and　in　1677　he　was　recalled　to　England。　As　Governor　of
Virginia　he　had　been　long　popular　at　first　but　in　his　old　age　detested。　He
had　great　personal　courage；　fidelity；　and　generosity　for　those　things　that
ran　with　the　current　of　a　deep　and　narrow　soul。　He　passes　from　the　New
World　stage；　a　marked　and　tragic　figure。　Behind　him　his　vengeances
displeased　even　loyalist　Virginia；　willing　on　the　whole　to　let　bygones　be
bygones　among　neighbors　and　kindred。　It　is　said　that；　when　his　ship　went
down　the　river；　bonfires　were　lighted　and　cannon　and　muskets　fired　for　joy。
And　so　beyond　the　eastward　horizon　fades　the　old　reactionary。

Herbert　Jeffreys　and　then　Sir　Henry　Chicheley　follow　Berkeley　as　Governors
of　Virginia；　they　are　succeeded　by　Lord　Culpeper　and　he　by　Lord　Howard　of
Effingham。　King　Charles　dies　and　James　the　Second　rules　in　England。
Culpeper　and　Effingham　play　the　Governor　merely　for　what　they　can　get　for
themselves　out　of　Virginia。*　The　price　of　tobacco　goes　down；　down；　The
crops　are　too　large；　the　old　poor　remedies　of　letting　much　acreage　go
unplanted；　or　destroying　and　burning　where　the　measure　of　production　is
exceeded；　and　of　petitions　to　the　King；　are　all　resorted　to；　but　they
procure　little　relief。　Virginia　cannot　be　called　prosperous。　England　hears
that　the　people　are　still　disaffected　and　unquiet　and　England　stolidly
wonders　why。

*　In　1684　the　Crown　purchased　from　Culpeper　all　his　rights　except　in　the
Northern　Neck。


During　the　reign　of　the　second　Charles；　Maryland　had　suffered　from
political　unrest　somewhat　less　than　Virginia。　The　autocracy　of　Maryland　was
more　benevolent　and　more　temperate　than　that　of　her　southern　neighbor。　The
name　of　Calvert　is　a　better　symbol　of　wisdom　than　the　name　of　Berkeley。
Cecil　Calvert；　second　Lord　Baltimore；　dying　in　1675；　has　a　fair　niche　in
the　temple　of　human　enlightenment。　His　son　Charles　succeeded；　third　Lord
Baltimore　and　Lord　Proprietary　of　Maryland。　Well…intentioned；　this　Calvert
lacked　something　of　the　ability　of　either　his　father　or　his　grandfather。
Though　he　lived　in　Maryland　while　his　father　had　lived　in　England；　his
government　was　not　as　wise　as　his　father's　had　been。

But　in　Maryland；　even　before　the　death　of　Cecil　Calvert；　inherent　evils
were　beginning　to　form　of　themselves　a　visible　body。　In　Maryland；　as　in
Virginia；　there　set　in　after　the　Restoration　a　period　of　reaction；　of
callous　rule　in　the　interests　of　an　oligarchy。　In　1669　a　〃packed〃　Council　and
an　〃aristocratic〃　Assembly　procured　a　restriction　of　the　franchise　similar　to
that　introduced　into　Virginia。　As　in　Virginia；　an　Assembly　deemed　of　the　right
political　hue　was　kept　in　being　by　the　device　of　adjournment　from　year　to
year。　In　Maryland；　as　in　Virginia；　public　officials　were　guilty　of　corruption
and　graft。　In　1676　there　seems　to　have　lacked　for　revolt；　in　Maryland；　only
the　immediate　provocative　of　acute　Indian　troubles　and　such　leaders　as　Bacon；
Lawrence；　and　Drummond。　The　new　Lord　Baltimore　being　for　the　time　in　England；
his　deputy　writes　him　that　never　were　any　〃more　replete　with　malignancy　and
frenzy　than　our　people　were　about　August　last；　and　they　wanted　but　a
monstrous　head　to　their　onstrous　body。〃　Two　leaders　indeed　appeared；　Davis
and　Pate　by　name；　but　having　neither　the　standing　nor　the　strength　of　the
Virginia　rebels；　they　were　finally　taken　and　hanged。　What　supporters　they
had　dispersed；　and　the　specter　of　armed　insurrection　passed　away。

The　third　Lord　Baltimore；　like　his　father；　found　difficulty　in　preserving
the　integrity　of　his　domain。　His　father　had　been　involved　in　a　long　wrangle
over　the　alleged　invasion　of　Maryland　by　the　Dutch。　Since　then；　New
Netherland　had　passed　into　English　hands。　Now　there　occurred　another
encroachment　on　the　territory　of　Maryland。　This　time　the　invader　was　an
Englishman　named　William　Penn。　Just　as　the　idea　of　a　New　World　freedom　for
Catholics　had　appealed　to　the　first　Lord　Baltimore；　so　now　to　William　Penn；
the　Quaker；　came　the　thought　of　freedom　there　for　the　Society　of　Friends。
The　second　Charles　owed　an　old　debt　to　Penn's　father。　He　paid　it　in　1681　by
giving　to　the　son；　whom　he　liked；　a　province　in　America。　Little　by　little；
in　order　to　gain　for　Penn　access　to　the　sea；　the　terms　of　his　grant　were
widened　until　it　included；　beside　the　huge　Pennsylvanian　region；　the　tract
that　is　now　Delaware；　which　was　then　claimed　by　Baltimore。　Maryland
protested　against　the　grant　to　Penn；　as　Virginia　had　protested　against　the
grant　to　Baltimoreand　equally　in　vain。　England　was　early　set　upon　the
road　to　many　colonies　in　America；　destined　later　to　become　many　States。　One
by　one　they　were　carved　out　of　the　first　great　unity。

In　1685　the　tolerant　Charles　the　Second　died。　James　the　Second；　a　Catholic；
ruled　England　for　about　three　years；　and　then　fled　before　the　Revolution　of
1688。　William　and　Mary；　sovereigns　of　a　Protestant　England；　came　to　the
throne。　We　have　seen　that　the　Proprietary　of　Maryland　and　his　numerous
kinsmen　and　personal　adherents　were　Catholics。　Approximately　one　in　eight
of　other　Marylanders　were　fellows　in　that　faith。　Another　eighth　of　the
people　held　with　the　Church　of　England。　The　rest；　the　mass　of　the　folk；
were　dissenters　from　that　Church。　And　now　all　the　Protestant　elements
togetherthe　Quakers　ex　excepted　solidified　into　political　and　religious
opposition　to　the　Proprietary's　rule。　Baltimore；　still　in　England；　had
immediately；　upon　the　accession　of　William　and　Mary；　dispatched　orders　to
the　Maryland　Council　to　proclaim　them　King　and　Queen。　But　his　messenger
died　at　sea；　and　there　was　delay　in　sending　another。　In　Maryland　the
Council　would　not　proclaim　the　new　sovereigns　without　instructions；　and　it
was　even　rumored　that　Catholic　Maryland　meant　to　withstand　the　new　order。

In　effect　the　old　days　were　over。　The　Protestants；　Churchmen　and　Dissenters
alike；　proceeded　to　organize　under　a　new　leader；　one　John　Coode。　They
formed　〃An　Association　in　arms　for　the　defense　of　the　Protestant　religion；
and　for　asserting　the　right　of　King　William　and　Queen　Mary　to　the　Province
of　Maryland　and　all　the　English　Dominions。〃　Now　followed　a　confused　time　of
accusations　and　counter…accusations；　with　assertions　that　Maryland
Catholics　were　conspiring　with　the　Indians　to　perpetrate　a　new　St。
Bartholomew　massacre　of　Protestants；　and　hot　counter…assertions　that　this
is　〃a　sleveless　fear　and　imagination　fomented　by　the　artifice　of　some
ill…minded　persons。〃　In　the　end　Coode　assembled　a　force　of　something　less
than　a　thousand　men　and　marched　against　St。　Mary's。　The　Council；　which　had
gathered　there；　surrendered；　and　the　Association　for　the　Defense　found
itself　in　power。　It　proceeded　to　call　a　convention　and　to　memorialize　the
King　and　Queen；　who　in　the　end　approved　its　course。　Maryland　passed　under
the　immediate　government　of　the　Crown。　Lord　Baltimore　might　still　receive
quit…rents　and　customs；　but　his　governmental　rights　were　absorbed　into　the
monarchy。　Sir　Lionel　Copley　came　out　as　Royal　Governor；　and　a　new　order
began　in　Maryland。

The　heyday　of　Catholic　freedom　was　past。　England　would　have　a　Protestant
America。　Episcopalians　were　greatly　in　the　minority；　but　their　Church　now
became　dominant　over　both　Catholic　and　Dissenter；　and　where　the　freethinker
raised　his　head　he　was　smitten　down。　Catholic　and　Dissenter　and　all　alike　were
taxed　to　keep　stable　the　Established　Church。　The　old　tolerance；　such　as　it
was；　was　over。　Maryland　paced　even　with　the　rest　of　the　world。

Presently　the　old　capital　of　St。　Mary's　was　abandoned。　The　government
removed　to　the　banks　of　the　Severn；　to　Providencesoon；　when　Anne　should
be　Queen；　to　be　renamed　Annapolis。　In　vain　the　inhabitants　of　St。　Mary's
remonstrated。　The　center　of　political　gravity　in　Maryland　had　shifted。

The　third　Lord　Baltimore　died　in　1715。　His　son　Benedict；　fourth　lord；
turned　from　the　Catholic　Church　and　became　a　member　of　the　Church　of
England。　Dying　presently；　he　left　a　young　son；　Charles；　fifth　Lord
Baltimore；　to　be　brought　up　in　the　fold　of　the　Established　Church。
Reconciled　now　to　the　dominant　creed；　with　a　Maryland　where　Catholics　were
heavily　penalized；　Baltimore　resumed　the　government　under　favor　of　the
Crown。　But　it　was　a　government　with　a　difference。　In　Maryland；　as
everywhere；　the　people　were　beginning　to　hold　the　reins。　Not　again　the　old
lord　and　the　old　underling！　For　years　to　come　the　lords　would　say　that
they　governed；　but　strong　life　arose　beneath；　around；　and　above　their
governing。

Maryland　had　by　1715　within　her　bounds　more　than　forty　thousand　white　men
and　nearly　ten　thousand　black　men。　She　still　planted　and　shipped　tobacco；
but　presently　found　how　well　she　might　raise　wheat；　and　that　it；　too；　was
valuable　to　send　away　in　exchange　for　all　kinds　of　manufactured　things。
Thus　Maryland　began　to　be　a　land　of　wheat　still　more　than　a　land　of　tobacco。

For　the　rest；　conditions　of　life　in　Maryland　paralleled　pretty　closely
those　in　Virginia。　Maryland　was　almost　wholly　rural；　her　plantations　and
farms　were　reached　with　difficulty　by　roads　hardly　more　than　bridle…paths；
or　with　ease　by　sailboat　and　rowboat　along