EFFORTS TO CONVERT THE INDIANS. 101 XII. to trade with the Indians was made void by Lord Balti- CHAP more's charter. He attempted to excite a rebellion, but was overpowered and compelled to flee to Virginia. The 1635. Governor of Maryland demanded him as a fugitive from justice; to evade the demand Harvey sent him to England to be tried. This offended the people of Virginia, who sympathized with Clayborne; to avenge him, they impeached Harvey himself, "and thrust him out of his government." The Assembly appointed commissioners to prosecute the charges against him in England. The commissioners met with no favor from the king; and soon, April, under a new appointment, the unpopular Harvey came back as governor. Meanwhile peace and plenty continued to be the lot of Maryland. Every year the rights of the people were better understood; they acknowledged their allegiance to England, and respected the rights of Lord Baltimore. Their lands produced an abundance of tobacco, and commerce began to prosper. Efforts were now made to convert some of the neighboring Indians to Christianity. The priests established four stations among them, and not without effect. One chief, Tayac, with his wife, was baptized, he taking the name of Charles and she that of Mary. Soon after one hundred and thirty other converts received baptism, some of whom sent their children to receive a Christian education under the care of the priests. But, alas! these efforts were as vain as the other attempts of the times to Christianize the poor natives. The same evil causes were here at work-wars and the influence of bad men. It is said these grateful tribes ever after remained friendly to those who endeavored to instruct them. The persevering Clayborne returned, to mar their peace by another and more successful insurrection. The Governor of Maryland was now, in his turn, compelled to flee to Virginia. After two years of misrule, peace was again restored, and all the offenders were pardoned. 1639. 1645. СНАР. XII. As an interesting fact, it may be mentioned, that in this year Maryland passed a law of perfect toleration to 1649. all Christian sects; two years previous Rhode Island had granted toleration to all opinions, Infidel as well as Christian. During the rule of Cromwell the government of Maryland was very unsettled. The Assembly, finally, repudiated both Cromwell and Baltimore, and proclaimed the authority of the people as supreme. Scarcely was this accomplished when the restoration of Charles II. took place. 1660. Lord Baltimore made known to the king that his professions of republicanism were made only to obtain the favor of Cromwell, and that really he was a good royalist. Charles immediately restored him his proprietary rights. Baltimore was not vindictive; he proclaimed a general pardon, and for almost thirty years the colony enjoyed repose. Sir William Berkeley, as successor to Harvey, was ap1642. pointed Governor of Virginia. The trade of the colony was crippled by severe restrictions; as England claimed its trade for herself alone. Thus began a series of acts and infringements on commerce by the home government, which annoyed the people of the colonies, and interfered with their industry and commercial prosperity for more than one hundred and thirty years, when these grievances 1776. were swept away by the Revolution. The colony was now permitted for a time to take care of itself, Charles I. being engaged in a contest with his subjects at home. The Virginians were stanch friends of the king, and the party in the mother country contending against him met with no favor from them. The Puritans who were living in Virginia, being identified with republicanism, were looked upon with suspicion; those of their number who would not conform to the ceremonies of the Church of England were banished. A majority of these passed over into Maryland. Thus it was, the Puritan would not permit THE LOYALTY OF VIRGINIA. 103 XII. the Episcopalian to come to New England, and the Epis- CHAP. copalian banished the Puritan from Virginia. No peace was granted to the Indians. After a space 1844. of twenty-two years, they once more made an effort to free themselves from their enemies. The frontier settlements were suddenly attacked, and about three hundred persons killed. When resisted, the savages fled to the wilderness. They were pursued with great vigor, and after a contest of two years their power was completely broken. Opechancanough, their aged chief, was taken captive, and soon after died in prison; his proud spirit deeply wounded that he should be gazed at by his enemies. The next year a treaty was made, by which they relinquished forever the fertile valleys of their fathers, and with sorrowful hearts retired far into the wilderness. After the execution of Charles I., great numbers of the royalists, "good cavalier families," fled to Virginia, where they were welcomed as exiled patriots. She was the last of the colonies to acknowledge the authority of the Commonwealth. But when commissioners were sent, who granted the people all the civil rights and privileges they asked, they submitted. After the death of Cromwell, and before it was known who was to rule in England, the House of Burgesses resolved, "that the supreme power will be resident in the Assembly." Then Berkeley was elected governor. In accepting office, he acknowledged the authority of the people's representatives, saying, "I am but the servant of the Assembly." We shall see how sincere was that declaration. When Charles II. was in exile, he was invited to come and be "king of Virginia;" from this incident, it has been called "The Old Dominion." This loyalty Charles after his restoration repaid, by basely taking away their privileges, and distributing their lands among his favorites. The society of Virginia was peculiar. The first settle XII. CHAP. ments were made under the protection of the nobility; this favored the growth of an aristocratic class of landholders. 1660. There were two other classes-the negro, who was a slave for life, and the indented white man, sent from the mother country to serve a certain number of years. These white servants were sometimes criminals, but oftener political offenders. The latter, when their term of servitude expired, mingled with the people on an equality. 1662. The Assembly held their sessions once in two years; their members were chosen by the people, and only for one session. The first Assembly held after the Restoration, was composed of landholders. Berkeley now declared himself governor, not because he was elected by the people, but because Charles when in exile had appointed him. The Assembly went still further, and deprived the people of the privilege of choosing their own legislators, by assuming to themselves the right to be perpetual. This Assembly remained thus in violation of law for fourteen 1676. years. During this usurpation, all that the people had gained of civil rights for more than a third of a century, this aristocratic House of Burgesses swept away. The only right allowed them was that of petitioning their rulers for redress of grievances-but these petitions were disregarded. The Church of England was declared to be the religion of the State, and all were bound by law under penalties of fines and banishment, not only to attend its services, but to pay a tax to support it. Governor Berkeley complained of its ministers: "as of all other commodities, so of thisthe worst are sent us, and we have few that we can boast of, since the persecutions in Cromwell's tyranny drove divers worthy men hither." The cause of education was neglected, and almost prohibited. The poor were peculiarly unfortunate-"out of towns," says a chronicler of the times, "every man instructs his children as best he can:"-no aid was afforded them by those in authority. Says the aristocratic Berkeley: "I thank God there are NATHANIEL BACON. 105 XII. no free schools nor printing; and I hope we will not have CHAP. them these hundred years!" Such was the language of a man who was Governor of Virginia for nearly forty years. The printing-press was established in Massachusetts ninety 1729. years before there was one in Virginia. 1639. The people of Maryland became involved in war with the Indians. A company of Virginians, under John Wash- 1675. ington, great-grandfather of George Washington, crossed over the Potomac to aid them. Six chiefs of the Susquehannahs came to treat for peace, but the Virginians treacherously murdered the whole company. For this evil deed the innocent were made to suffer. The Susquehannahs immediately passed over into Virginia to revenge their death, by killing ten persons for each chief. According to their belief, until this sacrifice was made, the souls of their chiefs could not be at rest in the spirit land. The people cried to the governor for protection, which he was slow to give; they attributed his tardiness to his interest in the fur-trade. They now asked permission to defend themselves; to invade the enemies' country, and drive them from their hiding-places; this was also refused. During this delay, the Indians pursued their murderous work all along the frontiers. There was in the colony a young planter, not more than thirty years of age, a native of England; a lawyer by profession; eloquent and winning in his manners; bold and determined in spirit; a true patriot; disliked by the governor, because he was a republican; but dear to the people for the same reason: such was Nathaniel Bacon. To him, in their extremity, they turned. Those who had volunteered to go against the Indians, asked of the governor a commission for Bacon to command them. Berkeley obstinately refused to grant it. He would not countenance such presumption on the part of the "common people." The murders continued; the volunteers waited no longer on the tardy government, but set out under the command |