pioneers of the old south-第32章

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nineteenth；　grandparent　of　the　twentieth；　occupies　the　stage。

In　the　year　1704；　just　over　a　decade　since　Dr。　Blair　had　obtained　the
charter　for　his　College；　the　erratic　and　able　Governor　of　Virginia；　Francis
Nicholson；　was　recalled。　For　all　that　he　was　a　wild　talker；　he　had　on　the
whole　done　well　for　Virginia。　He　was；　as　far　as　is　known；　the　first　person
actually　to　propose　a　federation　or　union　of　all　those　English…speaking
political　divisions；　royal　provinces；　dominions；　palatinates；　or　what　not；
that　had　been　hewed　away　from　the　vast　original　Virginia。　He　did　what　he
could　to　forward　the　movement　for　education　and　the　fortunes　of　the　William
and　Mary　College。　But　he　is　quoted　as　having　en　one　occasion　informed　the
body　of　the　people　that　〃the　gentlemen　imposed　upon　them。〃　Again；　he　is
said　to　have　remarked　of　the　servant　population　that　they　had　all　been
kidnapped　and　had　a　lawful　action　against　their　masters。　〃Sir；〃　he　stated
to　President　Blair；　who　would　have　given　him　advice　from　the　Bishop　of
London；　〃Sir；　I　know　how　to　govern　Virginia　and　Maryland　better　than　all
the　bishops。　in　England！　If　I　had　not　hampered　them　in　Maryland　and　kept
them　under；　I　should　never　have　been　able　to　govern　them！〃　To　which　Blair
had　to　say；　〃Sir；　if　I　know　anything　of　Virginia；　they　are　a　good…natured；
tractable　people　as　any　in　the　world；　and　you　may　do　anything　with　them　by
way　of　civility；　but　you　will　never　be　able　to　manage　them　in　that　way　you
speak　of；　by　hampering　and　keeping　them　under！〃*

*　William　and　Mary　College　Quarterly；　vol。　I；　p。　66。


About　this　time　arrived　Claude　de　Richebourg　with　a　number　of　Huguenots　who
settled　above　the　Falls。　First　and　last；　Virginia　received　many　of　this
good　French　strain。　The　Old　Dominion　had　now　a　population　of　over　eighty
thousand　personswhites；　Indians　in　no　great　number；　and　negroes。　The　red
men　are　mere　scattered　dwellers　in　the　land　east　of　the　mountains。　There
are　Indian　villages；　but　they　are　far　apart。　Save　upon　the　frontier　fringe；
the　Indian　attacks　no　more。　But　the　African　is　here　to　stay。

〃The　Negroes　live　in　small　Cottages　called　Quarters　。　。　。　under　the
direction　of　an　Overseer　or　Bailiff；　who　takes　care　that　they　tend　such
Land　as　the　Owner　allots　and　orders；　upon　which　they　raise　Hogs　and　Cattle
and　plant　Indian　Corn；　and　Tobacco　for　the　Use　of　their　Master　。。。。　The
Negroes　are　very　numerous；　Dome　Gentlemen　having　Hundreds　of　them　of　all
Sorts；　to　whom　they　bring　great　Profitt；　for　the　Sake　of　which　they　are
obliged　to　keep　them　well；　and　not　over…work；　starve　or　famish　them；
besides　other　Inducements　to　favour　them；　which　is　done　in　a　great　Degree；
to　such　especially　that　are　laborious；　careful　and　honest；　tho'　indeed　some
Masters；　careless　of　their　own　Interest　or　deputation；　are　too　cruel　and
negligent。　The　Negroes　are　not　only　encreased　by　fresh　supplies　from　Africa
and　the　West　India　Islands；　but　also　are　very　prolific　among　themselves；
and　they　that　are　born　here　talk　good　English　and　affect　our　Language；
Habits　and　Customs　。　。　。　。　Their　work　or　Chimerical　hard　Slavery）　is　not
very　laborious；　their　greatest　Hardship　consisting　in　that　they　and　their
Posterity　are　not　at　their　own　Liberty　or　Disposal；　but　are　the　Property　of
their　Owners；　and　when　they　are　free　they　know　not　how　to　provide　so　well
for　themselves　generally；　neither　did　they　live　so　plentifully　nor　（many　of
them）　so　easily　in　their　own　Country　where　they　are　made　Slaves　to　one
another；　or　taken　Captive　by　their　Ennemies。〃*

*　It　is　an　English　clergyman；　the　Reverend　Hugh　Jones；　who　is　writing　（〃The
Present　State　of　Virginia〃）　in　the　year　1724。　He　writes　and　never　sees
that；　though　every　amelioration　be　true；　yet　there　is　here　old　Inequity。


The　white　Virginians　lived　both　after　the　fashion　of　England　and　after
fashions　made　by　their　New　World　environment。　They　are　said　to　have　been　in
general　a　handsome　folk；　tall；　well…formed；　and　with　a　ready　and　courteous
manner。　They　were　great　lovers　of　riding；　and　of　all　country　life；　and　few
folk　in　the　world　might　overpass　them　in　hospitality。　They　were　genial；
they　liked　a　good　laugh；　and　they　danced　to　good　music。　They　had　by　nature
an　excellent　understanding。　Yet；　thinks　at　least　the　Reverend　Hugh　Jones；
they　〃are　generally　diverted　by　Business　or　Inclination　from　profound
Study；　and　prying　into　the　Depth　of　Things　。　。　。　。They　are　more　inclinable
to　read　Men　by　Business　and　Conversation；　than　to　dive　into　Books　。　。　。
they　are　apt　to　learn；　yet　they　are　fond　of　and　will　follow　their　own　Ways；
Humours　and　Notions；　being　not　easily　brought　to　new　Projects　and　Schemes。〃

It　was　as　Governor　of　these　people　that；　in　succession　to　Nicholson；　Edward
Nott　came　to　Virginia；　the　deputy　of　my　Lord　Orkney。　Nott　died　soon
afterward；　and　in　1710　Orkney　sent　to　Virginia　in　his　stead　Alexander
Spotswood。　This　man　stands　in　Virginia　history　a　manly；　honorable；　popular
figure。　Of　Scotch　parentage；　born　in　Morocco；　soldier　under　Marlborough；
wounded　at　Blenheim；　he　was　yet　in　his　thirties　when　he　sailed　across　the
Atlantic　to　the　river　James。　Virginia　liked　him；　and　he　liked　Virginia。　A
man　of　energy　and　vision；　he　first　made　himself　at　home　with　all；　and　then
after　his　own　impulses　and　upon　his　own　lines　went　about　to　develop　and　to
better　the　colony。　He　had　his　projects　and　his　hobbies；　mostly　useful；　and
many　sounding　with　a　strong　modern　tone。　Now　and　again　he　quarreled　with
the　Assembly；　and　he　made　it　many　a　cutting　speech。　But　it；　too；　and　all
Virginia　and　the　world　were　growing　modern。　Issues　were　disengaging
themselves　and　were　becoming　distinct。　In　these　early　years　of　the
eighteenth　century；　Whig　and　Tory　in　England　drew　sharply　over　against　each
other。　In　Virginia；　too；　as　in　Maryland；　the　Carolinas；　and　all　the　rest　of
England…in…America；　parties　were　emerging。　The　Virginian　flair　for
political　life　was　thus　early　in　evidence。　To　the　careless　eye　the　colony
might　seem　overwhelmingly　for　King　and　Church。　〃If　New　England　be　called　a
Receptacle　of　Dissenters；　and　an　Amsterdam　of　Religion；　Pennsylvania　the
Nursery　of　Quakers；　Maryland　the　Retirement　of　Roman　Catholicks；　North
Carolina　the　Refuge　of　Runaways　and　South　Carolina　the　Delight　of
Buccaneers　and　Pyrates；　Virginia　may　be　justly　esteemed　the　happy　Retreat
of　true　Britons　and　true　Churchmen　for　the　most　Part。〃　This　〃for　the　most
part〃　paints　the　situation；　for　there　existed　an　opposition；　a　minority；
which　might　grow　to　balance；　and　overbalance。　In　the　meantime　the　House　of
Burgesses　at　Williamsburg　provided　a　School　for　Discussion。

At　the　time　when　Parson　Jones　with　his　shrewd　eyes　was　observing　society　in
the　Old　Dominion；　Williamsburg　was　still　a　small　village；　even　though　it
was　the　capital。　Towns　indeed；　in　any　true　sense；　were　nowhere　to　be　found
in　Virginia。　Yet　Williamsburg　had　a　certain　distinction。　Within　it　there
arose；　beneath　and　between　old　forest　trees；　the　college；　an　admirable
churchBruton　Churchthe　capitol；　the　Governor's　house　or　〃palace；〃　and
many　very　tolerable　dwelling…houses　of　frame　and　brick。　There　were　also
taverns；　a　marketplace；　a　bowling…green；　an　arsenal；　and　presently　a
playhouse。　The　capitol　at　Williamsburg　was　a　commodious　one；　able　to　house
most　of　the　machinery　of　state。　Here　were　the　Council　Chamber；　〃where　the
Governor　and　Council　sit　in　very　great　state；　in　imitation　of　the　King　and
Council；　or　the　Lord　Chancellor　and　House　of　Lords；　〃　and　the　great　room　of
the　House　of　Burgesses；　〃not　unlike　the　House　of　Commons。〃　Here；　at　the
capitol　。　met　the　General　Courts　in　April　and　October；　the　Governor　and
Council　acting　as　judges。　There　were　also　Oyer　and　Terminer　and　Admiralty
Courts。　There　were　offices　and　committee　rooms；　and　on　the　cupola　a　great
clock；　and　near　the　capitol　was　〃a　strong；　sweet　Prison　for　Criminals；　and
on　the　other　side　of　an　open　Court　another　for　Debtors　。　。　。　but　such
Prisoners　are　very　rare；　the　Creditors　being　generally　very　merciful　。　。　。
。　At　the　Capitol；　at　publick　Times；　may　be　seen　a　great　Number　of　handsome；
well…dressed；　compleat　Gentlemen。　And　at　the　Governor's　House　upon
Birth…Nights；　and　at　Balls　and　Assemblies；　I　have　seen　as　fine　an