第 14 节
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疯狂热线 更新:2021-12-07 09:33 字数:9322
small and large。 Words and phrases; comprehensive; sonorous; heavy with the
future; rose and rolled beneath the roof of their great hall。 There were
heard amid warm discussion: Kingdom and
ColonySpainNetherlandsFranceChurch and StatePapists and
SchismaticsDuties; Tithes; Excise Petitions of
GrievancesRepresentationRight of Assembly。 Several years earlier the
King had cried; 〃Choose the Devil; but not Sir Edwyn Sandys!〃 Now he
declared the Company 〃just a seminary to a seditious parliament!〃 All
London resounded with the clash of parties and opinions。* 〃Last week the
Earl of Warwick and the Lord Cavendish fell so foul at a Virginia 。 。 。
court that the lie passed and repassed 。 。 。 。 The factions 。 。 。 are grown
so violent that Guelfs and Ghibellines were not more animated one against
another!〃
* In his work on 〃Joint…stock Companion〃; vol。II; pp。 266 ff。; W。
R。 Scott traces the history of these acute dissensions in the
Virginia Company and draws conclusions distinctly unfavorable to
the management of Sandys and his party。Editor。
Believing that the Company's sessions foreshadowed a 〃seditious
parliament;〃 James Stuart set himself with obstinacy and some cunning to
the Company's undoing。 The court party gave the King aid; and circumstances
favored the attempt。 Captain Nathaniel Butler; who had once been Governor
of; the Somers Islands and had now returned to England by way of Virginia;
published in London 〃The Unmasked Face of Our Colony in Virginia〃;
containing a savage attack upon every item of Virginian administration。
The King's Privy Council summoned the Company; or rather the 〃country〃
party; to answer these and other allegations。 Southampton; Sandys; and
Ferrar answered with strength and cogency。 But the tide was running against
them。 James appointed commissioners to search out what was wrong with
Virginia。 Certain men were shipped to Virginia to get evidence there; as
well as support from the Virginia Assembly。 In this attempt they signally
failed。 Then to England came a Virginia member of the Virginia Council;
with long letters to King and Privy Council: the Sandys…Southampton
administration had done more than well for Virginia。 The letters were
letters of appeal。 The colony hoped that 〃the Governors sent over might
not have absolute authority; but might be restrained to the consent of the
Council 。 。 。 。 But above all they made it their most humble request that
they might still retain the liberty of their General Assemblies; than which
nothing could more conduce to the publick Satisfaction and publick Liberty。〃
In London another paper; drawn by Cavendish; was given to King and Privy
Council。 It answered many accusations; and among others the statement that
〃the Government of the companies as it then stood was democratical and
tumultuous; and ought therefore to be altered; and reduced into the Hands
of a few。〃 It is of interest to hear these men speak; in the year 1623; in
an England that was close to absolute monarchy; to a King who with all; his
house stood out for personal rule。 〃However; they owned that; according to
his Majesty's Institution; their Government had some Show of a democratical
Form; which was nevertheless; in that Case; the most just and profitable;
and most conducive to the Ends and Effects aimed at thereby 。 。 。 。 Lastly;
they observed that the opposite Faction cried out loudly against Democracy;
and yet called for Oligarchy; which would; as they conceived; make the
Government neither of better Form; nor more monarchical。〃
But the dissolution of the Virginia Company was at hand。 In October; 1623;
the Privy Council stated that the King had 〃taken into his princely
Consideration the distressed State of the Colony of Virginia; occasioned;
as it seemed; by the Ill Government of the Company。〃 The remedy for the
ill…management lay in the reduction of the Government into fewer hands。 His
Majesty had resolved therefore upon the withdrawal of the Company's charter
and the substitution; 〃with due regard for continuing and preserving the
Interest of all Adventurers and private persons whatsoever;〃 of a new order
of things。 The new order proved; on examination; to be the old order of
rule by the Crown。 Would the Company surrender the old charter and accept a
new one so modeled?
The Company; through the country party; strove to gain time。 They met with
a succession of arbitrary measures and were finally forced to a decision。
They would not surrender their charter。 Then a writ of quo warranto was
issued; trial before the King's Bench followed; and judgment was rendered
against the Company in the spring term of 1624。 Thus with clangor fell the
famous Virginia Company。
That was one year。 The March of the next year James Stuart; King of
England; died。 That young Henry who was Prince of Wales when the Susan
Constant; the Goodspeed; and the Discovery sailed past a cape and named it
for him Cape Henry; also had died。 His younger brother Charles; for whom
was named that other and opposite cape; now ascended the throne as King
Charles the First of England。
In Virginia no more General Assemblies are held for four years。 King
Charles embarks upon 〃personal rule。〃 Sir Francis Wyatt; a good Governor;
is retained by commission and a Council is appointed by the King。 No longer
are affairs to be conducted after a fashion 〃democratical and tumultuous。〃
Orders are transmitted from England; the Governor; assisted by the Council;
will take into cognizance purely local needs; and when he sees some
occasion he will issue a proclamation。
Wyatt; recalled finally to England; George Yeardley again; who died in a
year's time; Francis West; that brother of Lord De La Warr and an ancient
planter…these in quick succession sit in the Governor's chair。 Following
them John Pott; doctor of medicine; has his short term。 Then the King sends
out Sir John Harvey; avaricious and arbitrary; 〃so haughty and furious to
the Council and the best gentlemen of the country;〃 says Beverley; 〃that
his tyranny grew at last insupportable。〃
The Company previously; and now the King; had urged upon the Virginians a
diversified industry and agriculture。 But Englishmen in Virginia had the
familiar emigrant idea of making their fortunes。 They had left England;
they had taken their lives in their hands; they had suffered fevers; Indian
attacks; homesickness; deprivation。 They had come to Virginia to get rich。
Now clapboards and sassafras; pitch; tar; and pine trees for masts; were
making no fortune for Virginia shippers。 How could they; these few folk far
off in America; compete in products of the forest with northern Europe? As
to mines of gold and silver; that first rich vision had proved a
disheartening mirage。 〃They have great hopes that the mountains are very
rich; from the discovery of a silver mine made nineteen years ago; at a
place about four days' journey from the falls of James river; but they have
not the means of transporting the ore。〃 So; dissatisfied with some means of
livelihood and disappointed in others; the Virginians turned to tobacco。
Every year each planter grew more tobacco; every year more ships were
laden。 In 1628 more than five hundred thousand pounds were sent to England;
for to England it must go; and not elsewhere。 There it must struggle with
the best Spanish; for a long time valued above the best Virginian。 Finally;
however; James and after him Charles; agreed to exclude the Spanish。
Virginia and the Somers Islands alone might import tobacco into England。
But offsetting this; customs went up ruinously; a great lump sum must go
annually to the King; the leaf must enter only at the port of London; so
forth and so on。 Finally Charles put forth his proposal to monopolize the
industry; giving Virginia tobacco the English market but limiting its
production to the amount which the Government could sell advantageously。
Such a policy required cooperation from the colonists。 The King therefore
ordered the Governor to grant a Virginia Assembly; which in turn should
dutifully enter into partnership with himupon his terms。 So the Virginia
Assembly thus came back into history。 It made a 〃Humble Answere〃 in which;
for all its humility; the King's proposal was declined。 The idea of the
royal monopoly faded out; and Virginia continued on its own way。
The General Assembly; having once met; seems of its own motion to have
continued meeting。 The next year we find it in session at Jamestown; and
resolving 〃that we should go three severall marches upon the Indians; at
three severall times of the yeare;〃 and also 〃that there be an especiall
care taken by all commanders and others that the people doe repaire to
their churches on the Saboth day; and to see that the penalty of one pound
of tobacco for every time of absence; and 50 pounds for every month's
absence 。 。 。 be levyed; and the delinquents to pay the same。〃 About this
time we read: 〃Dr。 John Pott; late Governor; indicted; arraigned; and found
guilty of stealing cattle; 13 jurors; 3 whereof councellors。 This day
wholly spent in pleading; next day; in unnecessary disputation。〃
These were moving times in the little colony whose population may by now
have been five