Part 36 (2/2)
FAR-REACHING EFFECTS OF THE FOUNDING OF THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF BURGESSES--VIRGINIA'S GIFT OF TERRITORY TO THE GOVERNMENT--KASKASKIA CAPTURED FROM THE BRITISH--JAMESTOWN THE SCENE OF THE FIRST BRITISH COLONY--THE BEGINNINGS OF COLONIAL SELF-GOVERNMENT--SALUTARY LAWS MADE--POCAHONTAS--GOVERNMENT BY CHARTER--DESPOTISM OF JAMES I--MACAULAY ON THE STUART DYNASTY--THE THIRTEEN ORIGINAL COLONIES-- UNJUST TAXATION--PROGRESS OF REPUBLICAN PRINCIPLES--VIRGINIA NOTABLE FOR HER STATESMEN
On the thirtieth of July, 1907, at the Jamestown Exposition, was celebrated the anniversary of the asseislative body to asse was presided over by the present Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and by invitation of the President of the Exposition addresses were made by ex-speakers Carlisle, Keifer, and myself
My address was as follows:
”We have asseround We celebrate to-day a masterful historic event Other anniversaries, sacredly observed, have their deep nificance than this
”The reat Exposition did well to set apart this thirtieth of July to coislative asse of the representatives of the people upon the eventful day two hundred and eighty-six years ago--of which this is the anniversary -- consequences, scarcely finds a parallel in history It was the initial step in the series of stupendous events which found their culhts, the Declaration of Independence, and the formulation of the Federal Constitution
”Froreat valley of the Mississippi, I co to bear part in the exercises of this day Not as a stranger, an alien to your blood, but as your countryreat assee And ere the words, 'fellow-citizens,'
of deeper significance as suggestive of a ather upon this hallowed spot to corandest events of which history has any record?
”The ical words, 'fellow-citizens,' never fail to touch a responsive chord in the patriotic heart Was it the gifted Prentiss who at a critical moment of our history exclai in the shadow of Bunker Hill, or areat northern chain of lakes, or within the sound of the Father of Waters, flowing unvexed to the sea; in the crowded e of the continent, where the restless tide of eration is stayed only by the ocean--everywhere upon this broad domain, thank God, I can still say, ”fellow-citizens”'?
”And truly, an Illinoisan is no stranger within the confines of 'the Old Doet, that the territory now e upon the Ohio and the Mississippi, was at a crucial period of our history the generous gift of Virginia to the general Governift that in splendid states consequence has no counterpart; one which at the pivotal moment made possible the ratification of the Articles of Confederation--the sure forecast of 'the reatest of the coet that it was a Virginian, George Rogers Clark, who, in the darkest days of the Revolution, led the expedition--'worthy of mention,' as was said by John Randolph, 'with that of Hannibal in Italy,'--by which the ancient capital, Kaskaskia, was captured, the British flag deposed, and Illinois taken possession of in the name of the commonwealth whose Governor, Patrick Henry, had authorized the otten that the deed of cession by which Illinois becaeneral Governinia--the honored names of Arthur Lee, James Monroe, and Thonificent Illinois building adorns the grounds of the Jamestown Exposition,--and that Illinois hearts everywhere beat in unison with yours in the celebration of one of the epoch-es?
”The tiht This exposition will not have been in vain if the fact be crystallized into history yet to be written, that the first settleo--upon this continent, was at Jaovernovern Truly has it been said by an eminent writer of your own State, that prior to Deceinia had becoovernment in precisely the salish colonies had taken such fir to affect not only the people but the Government of Great Britain' In the old church at Jaislative asseesses It consisted of twenty-two members, and its constituencies were the several plantations of the colony A speaker was elected, the session opened with prayer, and the oath of supremacy duly taken The Governor and Council occupied the front seats, and the members of the body, in accordance with the custo the session
”This General assee Yeardley, the recently appointed Governor of the colony
Hitherto the colony had been governed by the London Council; the real life of Virginia dates froland 'co of a commonwealth'
”The centuries roll back, and before us, in solemn session, is the first assembly upon this continent of the chosen representatives of the people It were i colony, or its far-reaching consequence to States yet unborn In this little asseislatures of nearly fifty coress with its representatives from all the States of 'an indestructible union' find their historical beginning The words of Bancroft in this connection are worthy of remembrance: 'A perpetual interest attaches to this first elective body that ever asseinia and overnriinia was still the only British colony on the continent of Aratitude that these the earliest Ah vocation While confounding, in soovernment, as abstractly defined at a later day by Montesquieu, and eventually put in concrete form in our fundamental laws, State and Federal--it is none the less true that these first legislators clearly discerned their inherent rights as a part of the English-speaking race More important still, a perusal of the brief records they have left, iers to the underlying fact that the people are the true source of political power, the evidence whereof is to be found in the scant records of their proceedings--a priceless heritage of all future generations
And first--and fundaislative asseht to determine as to the election and qualification of members Grants of land were asked, not only for the planters, but for their wives, 'as equally important parts of the colony' It isely provided that of the natives 'the races' should be educated and set apart to the work of converting the Indians to the Christian religion; stringent penalties were attached to idleness, ga, and drunkenness; excess in apparel was prohibited by heavy taxation; encouragericulture in all its known forht over by the new Governor as their funda instinct of their race they kept the way open for seeking redress, 'in case they should find aught not perfectly squaring with the state of the colony' No less is of the colonists with the Indians Yet to be mentioned, and of transcendent iesses 'to allow or disallow,' at their own good pleasure, all orders of the court of the London Conificant was the declaration of these representatives of three centuries ago, that their enact for their ratification in England And not to be forgotten is the stupendous fact that while the battle with the untae foe of constant recurrence, these legislators provided for the maintenance of public worshi+p, and took the initial steps for the establish It is not too much to say that the hour that witnessed these enactments witnessed the triumph of the popular over the court party; in no unimportant sense, the first triuative
Looking through the esses, over which your first predecessor presided, would it be out of place to apply to that assee the historic words spoken of one of a later period: 'nobles by the right of an earlier creation, and priests by the ihtier hand'?
”Did the occasion perer for a time with these, the earliest colonies in this, the cradle of A of their daily life, their hopes and a of their ceaseless vigil and of the perils that environed the incidents and heroic achieveleam of a spirit of self-sacrifice and devotion which in all the annals of men scarcely finds a parallel It would be of curious interest to watch the parade and poovernors and councils of royal appointeantry familiar to the Old World, but which was to have no per place in the New Governors and their subordinates--though bearing the royal commission, yet in rare instances to be classed only as bad or indifferent--pass in long procession before us into the di past, two figures e interest, John Smith and Pocahontas--na, but upon the pages of veritable history
”Colonial governors strutted their brief hour upon the stage and have long passed to oblivion; but Smith, the intrepid soldier, the ever-present friend and counsellor of the early colonists, their stalwart protector--alike against the bullet of the savage and the mandate of official poill not pass fro as heroic deeds are counted worthy of enduring record awa forest--with its mysterious voices and manifold perils--there passes before us the lovely forhter and pride of the renowned native chieftain So long as courage and fidelity arouse syend of Pocahontas touch responsive chords in hues of colonial history; her witchery lingers upon stream and forest, and the firm earth upon which we tread seems to have been hallowed by her footsteps
”A naes of our Colonial history is that of Sir Edwin Sandys Under his courageous leadershi+p, as known as the Virginia or Liberal party in the London Conal triurant to the colony guaranteeing free government by written charter Its declared purpose was to secure 'the greatest comfort and benefit to the people and the prevention of injustice, grievances, and oppression' It provided for full legislative authority in the assembly, and ith some modifications the model of the systelish colonies
”By this charter, representative governhts in the New World Upon this charter, as has been truly said, 'Virginia erected the superstructure of her liberties'
”The co of this charter marked an epoch in the history of the Ja settlements yet in the future
”It was in very truth the first step in the direction of the establish beacon-light of self-governing people in all future ages
”To a full appreciation of the suprehty event we to-day celebrate and its results--now constituting so inspiring a chapter of history--so in the e overnment for the New World, Sir Edwin Sandys and his co-patriots were unable to secure that which even savored of liberal administration in the Old Jalish throne In narrow, selfish state-craft his is possibly in the long list of sovereigns without a rival
The exercise and ative ith hiovernly laid the train of inexorable events that were to culminate in the execution of one and the banishment of another of his line His clain of twenty-two years--extending from the death of Queen Elizabeth to the year 1625--he was the unrelenting foe of whatever pertained to freedoovernment His apparent indifference to the execution of his mother--the ill-fated Mary, Queen of Scots--and his condeh to the scaffold, are alone sufficient to render the memory of this monarch forever infamous It is a marvel, indeed, that with James the First upon the throne, and popular freedohout his ie a measure of liberty should have been conceded to the distant colony The achievee in thewere the early fortunes of the Virginia colony, and sheds unfading lustre upon their memories