Campbell's History of Virginia [pp. 209-220]

Campbell's History of Virginia.
ing of the Long Parlianent, the execu tin of Stafford and the commitment of
Laud, the policy of Charles the First in
readily assenting to a petition from Vir ginia, while the troubles were thickening
upon him at York, the visit of the Puri tan ministers-from New England to Vir ginia, and the massacre of 1644, and
concludes with a review of the population
and the agricultural and commercial re sources of the Colony.
The 23d chapter embraces the memo rable years from 1648 to 1659 inclusive,
and we now have, for the first time in a
history of Virginia, a fair and full ac count of the conduct and temper of Vir ginia during the period of the civil war in
England. The surrender of the Colony
to the commissioners of the Parliament
is detailed at length, and the miserable
fictions which have so long obscured that
part of our history are exploded. Mr.
Campbell shows that the commissioners
of Parliament * ere ready on their arrival
to concede all that their powers authorized them to grant, and that the most important provisions of the articles of ca pitulation which exceeded those powers,
and which were to be referred to the
home government, were never ratified.
Now, these very provisions constitute the
staple of the boast and bravado of Berkeley and his small tribe of loyatlists; for
they included the virtual disfranchisement of the colonists of Maryland and
the restitution of the old limits of Virginia, free trade with all nations equally
with England, freedom from all taxes
whatsoever, and when taxes were imposed, the assent of the Assembly first to
be given, and immunity from the erection
of forts and castles, and from the presence of British garrisons. Now these
important provisions never received the
sanction of the home government; and
it is plain that they were acceded to by
the commissioners in a spirit of peace
and of affection for a people who were
most intimately known to them and whose
opinions they believed to be congenial with
their own; for Bennet and Claiborne had
lived a long time in the Colony, and were
deeply interested in its welfare, while
they had little or no regard for Berkeley,
and, apprehensive of treachcry on his
part which might lead to the effusion of
blood, they sent ashore for all the ammu nition of the Colony and lodged it in the
hold of the Guinea man-of-war. Sub tracting then these unratified provisions
from the articles of capitulation, we
have the same terms which were proposed
to Barbadoes and other Colonies, and ac cepted by them.
It appears by the narrative of Mr.
Campbell that all the show of force by
Berkeley is apocryphal; that any resist ance by the Governor would have been
sheer gasconade, and that, "as soon as
the Parliamentary squadron entered Che-
sapeake bay, all thoughts of resistance
were laid aside." He also treats, with
just sarcasm, the imputation that the ca pitulation was forced upon Berkeley by
the pecuniary interests of some members
of the Council. The probability is that
the members knew the feelings of the
people, and that common sense, as well
as common interest, pointed out the only
mode of relief which was possible without bloodshed.
The causes which led to the falsification
of this important era of our history lie
on the surface, and cannot be mistaken.
During the Protectorate, the colony, like
the mother country, enjoyed a greater
share of civil and religious liberty than
had ever before fallen to her lot. Her
trade, practically, was free with all nations; for the non-confirmation of the articles never reached the Colony. The mostjudicious and appropriate legislation
marked the entire period. Every man
worshipped God according to the dictates
of his own conscience. And it is probable that a thousand men could not have
been found in the Colony who would have
preferred the despotism of a Stuart to
the liberty which was then diffused far
and wide. But when the restoration of
Charles the Second took place; when it
was seen that adversity had made no
change in the temper of the House of
Stuart; and when despotism once more
prevailed in England, and the feeble lil)erty was again prostrate, the instruments of the king made themselves felt
in the Colony, and there was as ardent a
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