pioneers of the old south-第14章

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they　came　upon　an　islet　covered　with　trees；　leafless；　for　spring　had　hardly
broken。　The　ships　dropped　anchor；　the　boats　were　lowered；　the　people　went
ashore。　Here　the　Calverts　claimed　Maryland　〃for　our　Savior　and　for　our
Sovereign　Lord　the　King　of　England；〃　and　here　they　heard　Mass。　St。
Clement's　they　called　the　island。

But　it　was　too　small　for　a　home。　The　Ark　was　left　at　anchor；　while　Leonard
Calvert　went　exploring　with　the　Dove。　Up　the　Potomac　some　distance　he　went；
but　at　the　last　he　wisely　determined　to　choose　for　their　first　town　a　site
nearer　the　sea。　The　Dove　turned　and　came　back　to　the　Ark；　and　both　sailed
on　down　the　stream　from　St。　Clement's　Isle。　Before　long　they　came　to　the
mouth　of　a　tributary　stream　flowing　in　from　the　north。　The　Dove；　going
forth　again；　entered　this　river；　which　presently　the　party　named　the　River
St。　George。　Soon　they　came　to　a　high　bank　with　trees　tinged　with　the
foliage　of　advancing　spring。　Here　upon　this　bank　the　English　found　an
Indian　village　and　a　small　Algonquin　group；　in　the　course　of　extinction　by
their　formidable　Iroquois　neighbors；　the　giant　Susquehannocks。　The　white
men　landed；　bearing　a　store　of　hatchets；　gewgaws；　and　colored　cloth。　The
first　Lord　Baltimore；　having　had　opportunity　enough　for　observing　savages；
had　probably　handed　on　to　his　sagacious　sons　his　conclusions　as　to　ways　of
dealing　with　the　natives　of　the　forest。　And　the　undeniable　logic　of　events
was　at　last　teaching　the　English　how　to　colonize。　Englishmen　on　Roanoke
Island；　Englishmen　on　the　banks　of　the　James；　Englishmen　in　that　first　New
England　colony；　had　borne　the　weight　of　early　inexperience　and　all　the
catalogue　of　woes　that　follow　ignorance。　All　these　early　colonists　alike
had　been　quickly　entangled　in　strife　with　the　people　whom　they　found　in　the
land。

First　they　fell　on　their　knees；
And　then　on　the　Aborigines。

But　by　now　much　water　had　passed　the　mill。　The　thinking　kind；　the　wiser
sort；　might　perceive　more　things　than　one；　and　among　these　the　fact　that
savages　had　a　sense　of　justice　and　would　even　fight　against　injustice；　real
or　fancied。

The　Calverts；　through　their　interpreter；　conferred　with　the　inhabitants　of
this　Indian　village。　Would　they　sell　lands　where　the　white　men　might
peaceably　settle；　under　their　given　word　to　deal　in　friendly　wise　with　the
red　men？　Many　hatchets　and　axes　and　much　cloth　would　be　given　in　return。

To　a　sylvan　people　store　of　hatchets　and　axes　had　a　value　beyond　many
fields　of　the　boundless　earth。　The　Dove　appeared　before　them；　too；　at　the
psychological　moment。　They　had　just　discussed　removing；　bag　and　baggage；
from　the　proximity　of　the　Iroquois。　In　the　end；　these　Indians　sold　to　the
English　their　village　huts；　their　cleared　and　planted　fields；　and　miles　of
surrounding　forest。　Moreover　they　stayed　long　enough　in　friendship　with　the
newcomers　to　teach　them　many　things　of　value。　Then　they　departed；　leaving
with　the　English　a　clear　title　to　as　much　land　as　they　could　handle；　at
least　for　some　time　to　come。　Later；　with　other　Indians；　as　with　these；　the
Calverts　pursued　a　conciliatory　policy。　They　were；　aided　by　the　fact　that
the　Susquehannocks　to　the　north；　who　might　have　given　trouble；　were
involved　in　war　with　yet　more　northerly　tribes；　and　could　pay　scant
attention　to　the　incoming　white　men。　But　even　so；　the　Calverts　proved；　as
William　Penn　proved　later；　that　men　may　live　at　peace　with　men；　honestly
and　honorably；　even　though　hue　of　skin　and　plane　of　development　differ。

Now　the　Ark　joins　the　Dove　in　the　River　St。　George。　The　pieces　of　ordnance
are　fired；　the　colonists　disembark；　and　on　the　27th　of　March；　1634；　the
Indian　village；　now　English；　becomes　St。　Mary's。

On　the　whole　how　advantageously　are　they　placed！　There　is　peace　with　the
Indians。　Huts；　lodges；　are　already　built；　fields　already　cleared　or
planted。　The　site　is　high　and　healthful。　They　have　at　first　few　dissensions
among　themselves。　Nor　are　they　entirely　alone　or　isolated　in　the　New　World。
There　is　a　New　England　to　the　north　of　them　and　a　Virginia　to　the　south。
From　the　one　they　get　in　the　autumn　salted　fish；　from　the　other　store　of
swine　and　cattle。　Famine　and　pestilence　are　far　from　them。　They　build　a
〃fort〃　and　perhaps　a　stockade；　but　there　are　none　of　the　stealthy　deaths
given　by　arrow　and　tomahawk　in　the　north；　nor　are　there　any　of　the　Spanish
alarms　that　terrified　the　south。　From　the　first　they　have　with　them　women
and　children。　They　know　that　their　settlement　is　〃home。〃　Soon　other　ships
and　colonists　follow　the　Ark　and　the　Dove　to　St。　Mary's；　and　the　history　of
this　middle　colony　is　well　begun。

In　Virginia；　meantime；　there　was　jealousy　enough　of　the　new　colony；　taking
as　it　did　territory　held　to　be　Virginian　and　renaming　it；　not　for　the　old；
independent；　Protestant；　virgin　queen；　but　for　a　French；　Catholic；　queen
consorteven　settling　it　with　believers　in　the　Mass　and　bringing　in
Jesuits！　It　was；　says　a　Jamestown　settler；　〃accounted　a　crime　almost　as
heinous　as　treason　to　favour；　nay　to　speak　well　of　that　colony。　〃Beside　the
Virginian　folk　as　a　whole；　one　man；　in　particular；　William　Claiborne；
nursed　an　individual　grievance。　He　had　it　from　Governor　Calvert　that　he
might　dwell　on　in　Kent　Island；　trading　from　there；　but　only　under　license
from　the　Lord　Proprietor　and　as　an　inhabitant　of　Maryland；　not　of　Virginia。
Claiborne；　with　the　Assembly　at　Jamestown　secretly　on　his　side；　resisted
this　interference　with　his　rights；　and；　as　he　continued　to　trade　with　a
high　hand；　he　soon　fell　under　suspicion　of　stirring　up　the　Indians　against
the　Marylanders。

At　the　time；　this　quarrel　rang　loud　through　Maryland　and　Virginia；　and　even
echoed　across　the　Atlantic。　Leonard　Calvert　had　a　trading…boat　of
Claiborne's　seized　in　the　Patuxent　River。　Thereupon　Claiborne's　men；　with
the　shallop　Cockatrice；　in　retaliation　attacked　Maryland　pinnaces　and　lost
both　their　lives　and　their　boat。　For　several　years　Maryland　and　Kent　Island
continued　intermittently　to　make　petty　war　on　each　other。　At　last；　in　1638；
Calvert　took　the　island　by　main　force　and　hanged　for　piracy　a　captain　of
Claiborne's。　The　Maryland　Assembly　brought　the　trader　under　a　Bill　of
Attainder；　and　a　little　later；　in　England；　the　Lords　Commissioners　of
Foreign　Plantations　formally　awarded　Kent　Island　to　the　Lord　Proprietor。
Thus　defeated；　Claiborne；　nursing　his　wrath；　moved　down　the　bay　to　Virginia。



CHAPTER　X。　CHURCH　AND　KINGDOM

Virginia；　all　this　time；　with　Maryland　a　thorn　in　her　side；　was　wrestling
with　an　autocratic　governor；　John　Harvey。　This　avaricious　tyrant　sowed　the
wind　until　in　1635　he　was　like　to　reap　the　whirlwind。　Though　he　was　the
King's　Governor　and　in　good　odor　in　England；　where　rested　the　overpower　to
which　Virginia　must　bow；　yet　in　this　year　Virginia　blew　upon　her　courage
until　it　was　glowing　and　laid　rude　hands　upon　him。　We　read：　〃An　Assembly　to
be　called　to　receive　complaints　against　Sr。　John　Harvey；　on　the　petition　of
many　inhabitants；　to　meet　7th　of　May。〃　But；　before　that　month　was　come；　the
Council；　seizing　opportunity；　acted　for　the　whole。　Immediately　below　the
entry　above　quoted　appears：　〃On　the　28th　of　April；　1635；　Sr。　John　Harvey
thrust　out　of　his　government；　and　Capt。　John　West　acts　as　Governor　till　the
King's　pleasure　known。〃*

*　Hening's　〃Statutes〃　vol。　I　p。　223。


So　Virginia　began　her　course　as　rebel　against　political　evils！　It　is　of
interest　to　note　that　Nicholas　Martian；　one　of　the　men　found　active　against
the　Governor；　was　an　ancestor　of　George　Washington。

Harvey；　thrust　out；　took　first　ship　for　England；　and　there　also　sailed
commissioners　from　the　Virginia　Assembly　with　a　declaration　of　wrongs　for
the　King's　ear。　But　when　they　came　to　England；　they　found　that　the　King's
ear　was　for　the　Governor　whom　he　had　given　to　the　Virginians　and　whom　they；
with　audacious　disobedience；　had　deposed。　Back　should　go　Sir　John　Harvey；
still　governing　Virginia；　back　without　audience　the　so…called
commissioners；　happy　to　escape　a　merited　hanging！　Again　to　Jamestown　sailed
Harvey。　In　silence　Virginia　received　him；　and　while　he　remained　Governor　no
Assembly　sat。

But　having　asserted　his　authority；　the　King　in　a　few　years'　time　was
willing　to　recall　his　unwelcome　representative。　So　in　1639　Governor　Harvey
vanishes　from　the　scene；　and　in　comes　the　well…liked　Sir　Francis　Wyatt　as
Governor　for　the　second　time。　For　two　years　he　remains；　and　is　then
superseded　by　Sir　William　Berkeley；　a　notable　figure　in　Virginia　for　many
years　to　come。　The　population　was　now　perhaps　ten　thousand；　both　English
born　and　Virginians　born　of　English　parents。　A　few　hundred　negroes　moved　in
the　tobacco　fields。　More　would　be　brought　in　and　yet　more。　And　now　above　a
million　pounds　of　tobacco　were　going　annually　to　England。

The　century　was　predominantly　one　of　inner　and　outer　religious　conflict。
What　went　on　at　home　in　England　reechoed　in　Virginia。　The　new　Governor　was
a　dyed…in…the…wool　Cavalier；　utterly　stubborn　for　King　and　Church。　The
Assemblies　likewise　leaned　that　way；　as　presumably　did　the　mass　of　the
people。　It　was　ordered　in　1631：　〃That　there　bee　a　uniformitie　throughout
this　colony　both　in　substance　and　circumstance　to　the　cannons　and
constitutions　of　the　church　of　England　as　neere　as　may　bee；　and　that　every
person　yeald　readie　obedience　unto　them　uppon　penaltie　of　the　paynes　and
forfeitures　in　that　case　appoynted。〃　And；　indeed；　the　pains　and　forfeitures
threatened　were　savage　enough。

Official　Virginia；　loyal　to　the　Established　Church；　was　jealous　and　fearful
of　Papistry　and　looked　askance　at　Puritanism。　It　frowned　upon　these　and
upon　agnosticisms；　atheisms；　pantheisms；　religious　doubts；　and　alterations
in　judgmentupon　anything；　in　short；　that　seemed　to　push　a　finger　against
Church　and　Kingdom。　Yet　in　this　Virginia；　governed　by　Sir　William　Berkeley；
a　gentleman　more　cavalier　than　the　Cavaliers；　more　royalist　than　the　King；
more　churchly　than　the　Church；　there　lived　not　a　few　Puritans　and
Dissidents；　going　on　as　best　they　might　with　Established　Church　and　fiery
King's　men。　Certain　parishes　were　predominantly　Puritan；　certain　ministers
were　known　to　have　leanings　away　from　surplices　and　genuflections　and　to
hold　that　Archbishop　Laud　was　some　kin　to　the　Pope。　In　1642；　to　reenforce
these　ministers；　came　three　more　from　New　England；　actively　averse　to
conformity。　But　Governor　and　Council　and　the　majority　of　the　Burgesses　will
have　none　of　that。　The　Assembly　of　1643　takes　sharp　action。

For　the　preservation　of　the　puritie　of　doctrine　and　unitie　of　the　church；
IT　IS　ENACTED　that　all　ministers　whatsoever　which　shall　reside　in　the
collony　are　to　be　conformable　to　the　orders　and　constitutions　of　the　church
of　England；　and　the　laws　therein　established；　and　not　otherwise　to　be
admitted　to　teach　or　preach　publickly　or　privately。　And　that　the　Gov。　and
Counsel　do　take　care　that　all　nonconformists　upon　notice　of　them　shall　be
compelled　to　depart　the　collony　with　all　conveniencie。　And　so　in
consequence　out　of　Virginia；　to　New　England　where　Independents　were
welcome；　or　to　Maryland　where　any　Christian　might　dwell；　went　these　tainted
ministers。　But　there　stayed　behind　Puritan　and　nonconforming　minds　in　the
bodies　of　many　parishioners。