pioneers of the old south-第25章

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legislation　regarding　the　franchise。　All　white　males　who　are　freemen　were
now　privileged　to　vote；　〃together　with　the　freeholders　and　housekeepers。〃

A　certain　member　wanted　some　detail　of　procedure　retained　because　it　was
customary。　〃Tis　true　it　has　been　customary；〃　answered　another；　〃but　if　we
have　any　bad　customs　amongst　us；　we　are　come　here　to　mend　'em！〃
〃Whereupon；〃　says　the　contemporary　narrator；　〃the　house　was　set　in　a
laughter。〃　But　after　so　considerable　an　amount　of　mending　there　threatened
a　standstill。　What　was　to　come　next？　Could　men　go　furtheras　they　had　gone
further　in　England　not　so　many　years　ago？　Reform　had　come　to　an　apparent
impasse。　While　it　thus　hesitated；　the　old　party　gained　in　life。

Bacon；　now　petitioning　for　his　promised　commission　against　the　Indians；
seems　to　have　reached　the　conclusion　that　the　Governor　might　promise　but
meant　not　to　perform；　and　not　only　so；　but　that　in　Jamestown　his　very　life
was　in　danger。　He　had　〃intimation　that　the　Governor's　generosity　in
pardoning　him　and　restoring　him　to　his　place　in　the　Council　were　no　other
than　previous　wheedles　to　amuse　him。〃

In　Jamestown　lived　one　whom　a　chronicler　paints　for　us　as　〃thoughtful　Mr。
Lawrence。〃　This　gentleman　was　an　Oxford　scholar；　noted　for　〃wit；　learning；
and　sobriety　。　。　。　nicely　honest；　affable；　and　without　blemish　in　his
conversation　and　dealings。〃　Thus　friends　declared；　though　foes　said　of　him
quite　other　things。　At　any　rate；　having　emigrated　to　Virginia　and　married
there；　he　had　presently　acquired；　because　of　a　lawsuit　over　land　in　which
he　held　himself　to　be　unjustly　and　shabbily　treated　through　influences　of
the　Governor；　an　inveterate　prejudice　against　that　ruler。　He　calls　him　in
short　〃an　old；　treacherous　villain。〃　Lawrence　and　his　wife；　not　being　rich；
kept　a　tavern　at　Jamestown；　and　there　Bacon　lodged；　probably　having　been
thrown　with　Lawrence　before　this。　Persons　are　found　who　hold　that　Lawrence
was　the　brain；　Bacon　the　arm；　of　the　discontent　in　Virginia。　There　was　also
Mr。　William　Drummond；　who　will　be　met　with　in　the　account　of　Carolina。　He
was　a　〃sober　Scotch　gentleman　of　good　repute〃but　no　more　than　Lawrence　on
good　terms　with　the　Governor　of　Virginia。

On　a　morning　in　June；　when　the　Assembly　met；　it　was　observed　that　Nathaniel
Bacon　was　not　in　his　place　in　the　Councilnor　was　he　to　be　found　in　the
building；　nor　even　in　Jamestown　itself；　though　Berkeley　had　Lawrence's　inn
searched　for　him。　He　had　left　the　town…gone　up　the　river　in　his　sloop　to
his　plantation　at　Curles　Neck　〃to　visit　his　wife；　who；　as　she　informed　him；
was　indisposed。〃　In　truth　it　appears　that　Bacon　had　gone　for　the　purpose　of
gathering　together　some　six　hundred　up…river　men。　Or　perhaps　they
themselves　had　come　together　and；　needing　a　leader；　had　turned　naturally　to
the　man　who　was　under　the　frown　of　an　unpopular　Governor　and　all　the
Governor's　supporters　in　Virginia。　At　any　rate　Bacon　was　presently　seen　at
the　head　of　no　inconsiderable　army　for　a　colony　of　less　than　fifty　thousand
souls。　Those　with　him　were　only　up…river　men；　but　he　must　have　known　that
he　could　gather　besides　from　every　part　of　the　country。　Given　some　initial
success；　he　might　even　set　all　Virginia　ablaze。　Down　the　river　he　marched；
he　and　his　six　hundred；　and　in　the　summer　heat　entered　Jamestown　and　drew
up　before　the　Capitol。　The　space　in　front　of　this　building　was　packed　with
the　Jamestown　folk　and　with　the　six　hundred。　Bacon；　a　guard　behind　him；
advanced　to　the　central　door；　to　find　William　Berkeley　standing　there
shaking　with　rage。　The　old　royalist　has　courage。　He　tears　open　his　silken
vest　and　fine　shirt　and　faces　the　young　man　who；　though　trained　in　the　law
of　the　realm；　is　now　filling　that　law　with　a　hundred　wounds。　He　raises　a
passionate　voice。　〃Here！　Shoot　me！　'Fore　God；　a　fair　marka　fair　mark！
Shoot！〃

Bacon　will　not　shoot　him；　but　will　have　that　promised　commission　to　go
against　the　Indians。　Those　behind　him　lift　and　shake　their　guns。　〃We　will
have　it！　We　will　have　it！〃　Governor　and　Council　retire　to　consider　the
demand。　If　Berkeley　is　passionate　and　at　times　violent；　so　is　Bacon　in　his
own　way；　for　an　eye…witness　has　to　say　that　〃he　displayed　outrageous
postures　of　his　head；　arms；　body　and　legs；　often　tossing　his　hand　from　his
sword　to　his　hat；〃　and　that　outside　the　door　he　had　cried：　〃Damn　my　blood！
I'll　kill　Governor；　Council；　Assembly　and　all；　and　then　I'll　sheathe　my
sword　in　my　own　heart's　blood！〃　He　is　no　dour；　determined；　unwordy
revolutionist　like　the　Scotch　Drummond；　nor　still　and　subtle　like　〃the
thoughtful　Mr。　Lawrence。〃　He　is　young　and　hot；　a　man　of　oratory　and　outward
acts。　Yet　is　he　a　patriot　and　intelligent　upon　broad　public　needs。　When
presently　he　makes　a　speech　to　the　excited　Assembly；　it　has　for
subject…matter　〃preserving　our　lives　from　the　Indians；　inspecting　the
public　revenues；　the　exorbitant　taxes；　and　redressing　the　grievances　and
calamities　of　that　deplorable　country。〃　It　has　quite　the　ring　of　young
men's　speeches　in　British　colonies　a　century　later！

The　Governor　and　his　party　gave　in　perforce。　Bacon　got　his　commission　and
an　Act　of　Indemnity　for　all　chance　political　offenses。　General　and
Commander…in…chief　against　the　Indiansso　was　he　styled。　Moreover；　the
Burgesses；　with　an　alarmed　thought　toward　England；　drew　up　an　explanatory
memorial　for　Charles　II's　perusal。　This　paper　journeyed　forth　upon　the
first　ship　to　sail；　but　it　had　for　traveling　companion　a　letter　secretly
sent　from　the　Governor　to　the　King。　The　two　communications　were　painted　in
opposite　colors。　〃I　have；〃　says　Berkeley；　〃for　above　thirty　years　governed
the　most　flourishing　country　the　sun　ever　shone　over；　but　am　now
encompassed　with　rebellion　like　waters。〃



CHAPTER　XIII。　REBELLION　AND　CHANGE

Bacon　with　an　increased　army　now　rode　out　once　more　against　the　Indians。　He
made　a　rendezvous　on　the　upper　Yorkthe　old　Pamunkeyand　to　this　center
he　gathered　horsemen　until　there　may　have　been　with　him　not　far　from　a
thousand　mounted　men。　From　here　he　sent　detachments　against　the　red　men's
villages　in　all　the　upper　troubled　country；　and　afar　into　the　sunset　woods
where　the　pioneer's　cabin　had　not　yet　been　builded。　He　acted　with　vigor。
The　Indians　could　not　stand　against　his　horsemen　and　concerted　measures；
and　back　they　fell　before　the　white　men；　westward　again；　or；　if　they　stayed
in　the　ever　dwindling　villages；　they　gave　hostages　and　oaths　of　peace。
Quiet　seemed　to　descend　once　more　upon　the　border。

But；　if　the　frontier　seemed　peaceful；　Virginia　behind　the　border　was　a
bubbling　cauldron。　Bacon　had　now　become　a　hero　of　the　people；　a　Siegfried
capable　of　slaying　the　dragon。　Nor　were　Lawrence　and　Drummond　idle；　nor
others　of　their　way　of　thinking。　The　Indian　troubles　might　soon　be　settled；
but　why　not　go　further；　marching　against　other　troubles；　more　subtle　and
long…continuing；　and　threatening　all　the　future？

In　the　midst　of　this　speculation　and　promise　of　change；　the　Governor；
feeling　the　storm；　dissolved　the　Assembly；　proclaimed　Bacon　and　his
adherents　rebels　and　traitors；　and　made　a　desperate　attempt　to　raise　an
army　for　use　against　the　new…fangledness　of　the　time。　This　last　he　could
not　do。　Private　interest　led　many　planters　to　side　with　him；　and　there　was
a　fair　amount　of　passionate　conviction　matching　his　own；　that　his　Majesty
the　King　and　the　forces　of　law　and　order　were　being　withstood；　and　without
just　cause。　But　the　mass　of　the　people　cried　out　to　his　speeches；　〃Bacon！
Bacon！〃　As　the　popular　leader　had　been　warned　from　Jamestown　by　news　of
personal　danger；　so　in　his　turn　Berkeley　seems　to　have　believed　that　his
own　liberty　was　threatened。　With　suddenness　he　departed　the　place；　boarded
a　sloop；　and　was　〃wafted　over　Chesapeake　Bay　thirty　miles　to　Accomac。〃。　The
news　of　the　Governor's　flight；　producing　both　alarm　in　one　party　and
enthusiasm　in　the　other；　tended　to　precipitate　the　crisis。　Though　the
Indian　trouble　might　by　now　be　called　adjusted；　Bacon；　far　up　the　York；　did
not　disband　his　men。　He　turned　and　with　them　marched　down　country；　not　to
Jamestown；　but　to　a　hamlet　called　Middle　Plantation；　where　later　was　to
grow　the　town　of　Williamsburg。　Here　he　camped；　and　her