pioneers of the old south-第14章

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in　Virginia　he　left　George　Yeardley；　an　honest；　able　man。　But　in　England；
what　was　known　as　the　〃court　party〃　in　the　Company　managed　to　have　chosen
instead　for　De　La　Warr's　deputy　governor；　Captain　Samuel　Argall。　It　proved
an　unfortunate　choice。　Argall；　a　capable　and　daring　buccaneer；　fastened　on
Virginia　as　on　a　Spanish　galleon。　For　a　year　he　ruled　in　his　own　interest；
plundering　and　terrorizing。　At　last　the　outcry　against　him　grew　so　loud
that　it　had　to　be　listened　to　across　the　Atlantic。　Lord　De　La　Warr　was　sent
out　in　person　to　deal　with　matters　but　died　on　the　way；　and　Captain
Yeardley；　now　knighted　and　appointed　Governor；　was　instructed　to　proceed
against　the　incorrigible　Argall。　But　Argall　had　already　departed　to　face
his　accusers　in　England。



CHAPTER　VII。　YOUNG　VIRGINIA

The　choice　of　Sir　Edwyn　Sandys　as　Treasurer　of　the　Virginia　Company　in　1619
marks　a　turningpoint　in　the　history　of　both　Company　and　colony。　At　a　moment
when　James　I　was　aiming　at　absolute　monarchy　and　was　menacing　Parliament；
Sandys　and　his　partythe　Liberals　of　the　dayturned　the　sessions　of　the
Company　into　a　parliament　where　momentous　questions　of　state　and　colonial
policy　were　freely　debated。　The　liberal　spirit　of　Sandys　cast　a　beam　of
light；　too；　across　the　Atlantic。　When　Governor　Yeardley　stepped　ashore　at
Jamestown　in　mid…April；　he　brought　with　him；　as　the　first　fruits　of　the　new
regime；　no　less　a　boon　than　the　grant　of　a　representative　assembly。

There　were　to　be　in　Virginia；　subject　to　the　Company；　subject　in　its　turn
to　the　Crown；　two　〃Supreme　Councils；〃　one　of　which　was　to　consist　of　the
Governor　and　his　councilors　chosen　by　the　Company　in　England。　The　other　was
to　be　elected　by　the　colonists；　two　representatives　or　burgesses　from　each
distinct　settlement。　Council　and　House　of　Burgesses　were　to　constitute　the
upper　and　lower　houses　of　the　General　Assembly。　The　whole　had　power　to
legislate　upon　Virginian　affairs　within　the　bounds　of　the　colony；　but　the
Governor　in　Virginia　and　the　Company　in　England　must　approve　its　acts。

A　mighty　hope　in　small　was　here！　Hedged　about　with　provisions；　curtailed
and　limited；　here　nevertheless　was　an　acorn　out　of　which；　by　natural　growth
and　some　mutation；　was　to　come　popular　government　wide　and　deep。　The
planting　of　this　small　seed　of　freedom　here；　in　1619；　upon　the　banks　of　the
James　in　Virginia；　is　an　event　of　prime　importance。

On　the　30th　of　July；　1619；　there　was　convened　in　the　log　church　in
Jamestown　the　first　true　Parliament　or　Legislative　Assembly　in　America。
Twenty…two　burgesses　sat；　hat　on　head；　in　the　body　of　the　church；　with　the
Governor　and　the　Council　in　the　best　seats。　Master　John　Pory；　the　speaker；
faced　the　Assembly；　clerk　and　sergeant…at…arms　were　at　hand；　Master　Buck；
the　James　town　minister；　made　the　solemn　opening　prayer。　The　political
divisions　of　this　Virginia　were　Cities；　Plantations；　and　Hundreds；　the
English　population　numbering　now　at　least　a　thousand　souls。　Boroughs
sending　burgesses　were　James　City；　Charles　City；　the　City　of　Henricus；
Kecoughtan；　Smith's　Hundred；　Flowerdieu　Hundred；　Martin's　Hundred；　Martin
Brandon；　Ward's　Plantation；　Lawne's　Plantation；　and　Argall's　Gift。　This
first　Assembly　attended　to　Indian　questions；　agriculture；　and　religion。

Most　notable　is　this　year　1619；　a　year　wrought　of　gold　and　iron。　John
Rolfe；　back　in　Virginia；　though　without　his　Indian　princess；　who　now　lies
in　English　earth；　jots　down　and　makes　no　comment　upon　what　he　has　written：
〃About　the　last　of　August　came　in　a　Dutch　man　of　warre　that　sold　us　twenty
Negars。〃

No　European　state　of　that　day；　few　individuals；　disapproved　of　the　African
slave　trade。　That　dark　continent　made　a　general　hunting…ground。　England；
Spain；　France；　the　Netherlands；　captured；　bought；　and　sold　slaves。
Englishmen　in　Virginia　bought　without　qualm；　as　Englishmen　in　England
bought　without　qualm。　The　cargo　of　the　Dutch　ship　was　a　commonplace。　The
only　novelty　was　that　it　was　the　first　shipload　of　Africans　brought　to
English…America。　Here；　by　the　same　waters；　were　the　beginnings　of　popular
government　and　the　young　upas…tree　of　slavery。　A　contradiction　in　terms
was　set　to　resolve　itself；　a　riddle　for　unborn　generations　of　Americans。

Presently　there　happened　another　importation。　Virginia；　under　the　new
management；　had　strongly　revived。　Ships　bringing　colonists　were　coming　in；
hamlets　were　building；　fields　were　being　planted；　up　and　down　were　to　be
found　churches；　a　college　at　Henricus　was　projected　so　that　Indian　children
might　be　taught　and　converted　from　〃heathennesse。〃　Yet　was　the　population
almost　wholly　a　doublet…and…breeches…wearing　population。　The　children　for
whom　the　school　was　building　were　Indian　children。　The　men　sailing　to
Virginia　dreamed　of　a　few　years　there　and　gathered　wealth；　and　then　return
to　England。

Apparently　it　was　the　new　Treasurer；　Sir　Edwyn　Sandys；　who　first　grasped
the　essential　principle　of　successful　colonization：　Virginia　must　be　HOME
to　those　we　send！　Wife　and　children　made　home。　Sandys　gathered　ninety
women；　poor　maidens　and　widows；　〃young；　handsome；　and　chaste；　〃　who　were
willing　to　emigrate　and　in　Virginia　become　wives　of　settlers。　They　sailed；
their　passage　oney　was　paid　by　the　men　of　their　choice；　they　marriedand
home　life　began　in　Virginia。　In　due　course　of　time　appeared　fair…haired
children；　blue　or　gray　of　eye；　with　all　England　behind　them；　yet
native…born；　Virginians　from　the　cradle。

Colonists　in　number　sailed　now　from　England。　Most　ranks　of　society　and　most
professions　were　represented。　Many　brought　education；　means；　independent
position。　Other　honest　men；　chiefly　young　men　with　little　in　the　purse；
came　over　under　indentures；　bound　for　a　specified　term　of　years　to　settlers
of　larger　means。　These　indentured　men　are　numerous；　and　when　they　have
worked　out　their　indebtedness　they　will　take　up　land　of　their　own。

An　old　suggestion　of　Dale's　now　for　the　first　time　bore　fruit。　Over　the
protest　of　the　〃country　party〃　in　the　Company；　there　began　to　be　sent　each
year　out　of　the　King's　gaols　a　number；　though　not　at　any　time　a　large
number；　of　men　under　conviction　for　various　crimes。　This　practice
continued；　or　at　intervals　was　resumed；　for　years；　but　its　consequences
were　not　so　dire；　perhaps；　as　we　might　imagine。　The　penal　laws　were
execrably　brutal；　and　in　the　drag…net　of　the　law　might　be　found　many　merely
unfortunate；　many　perhaps　finer　than　the　law。

Virginia　thus　was　founded　and　established。　An　English　people　moved　through
her　forests；　crossed　in　boats　her　shining　waters；　trod　the　lanes　of　hamlets
builded　of　wood　but　after　English　fashions。　Climate；　surrounding　nature；
differed　from　old　England；　and　these　and　circumstance　would　work　for
variation。　But　the　stock　was　Middlesex；　Surrey；　Devon；　and　all　the　other
shires　of　England。　Scotchmen　came　also；　Welshmen；　and；　perhaps　as　early　as
this；　a　few　Irish。　And　there　were　De　La　Warr's　handful　of　Poles　and
Germans；　and　several　French　vinedressers。

Political　and　economic　life　was　taking　form。　That　huge；　luxurious；
thick…leafed；　yellow…flowered　crop；　alike　comforting　and　extravagant；　that
tobacco　that　was　in　much　to　mould　manners　and　customs　and　ways　of　looking
at　things；　was　beginning　to　grow　abundantly。　In　1620；　forty　thousand　pounds
of　tobacco　went　from　Virginia　to　England；　two　years　later　went　sixty
thousand　pounds。　The　best　sold　at　two　shillings　the　pound；　the　inferior　for
eighteen　pence。　The　Virginians　dropped　all　thought　of　sassafras　and
clapboard。　Tobacco　only　had　any　flavor　of　Golconda。

At　this　time　the　rich　soil；　composed　of　layer　on　layer　of　the　decay　of
forests　that　had　lived　from　old　time；　was　incredibly　fertile。　As　fast　as
trees　could　be　felled　and　dragged　away；　in　went　the　tobacco。　Fields　must
have　laborers；　nor　did　these　need　to　be　especially　intelligent。　Bring　in
indentured　men　to　work。　Presently　dream　that　ships；　English　as　well　as
Dutch；　might　oftener　load　in　Africa　and　sell　in　Virginia；　to　furnish　the
dark　fields　with　dark　workers！　In　Dale's　time　had　begun　the　making　over　of
land　in　fee　simple；　in　Yeardley's　time　every　〃ancient〃　colonistthat　is
every　man　who　had　come　to　Virginia　before　1616was　given　a　goodly