Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the Elephant

by Mathew Joseph Holt

  CHAPTER VIII.--The Awakening of Virginia.

  The result of the French-Indian war destroyed the chance of France todominate America; and gave birth to a new issue; whether America shouldbe a British Colony or an independent sovereignty.

  Virginia had always been the most favored of the colonies and respondedwith the kindest feeling for the Mother Country. Long afterMassachusetts had proven a refractory daughter, Virginia, bettersatisfied, seemed to New England to lack independence of spirit,political skill, and to possess only a dormant sense of liberty.

  The propaganda of the non-conformists, declaring for civil and religiousliberty, suddenly gripped most potently the conformist or Tidewaterfamilies, who overnight, seemed to throw off their lethargy; andthenceforth exhibited such valor, high patriotism and broadstatesmanship as to give them first place in the struggle for libertyand domination of America for the next two generations. History,however, shows that there was no sudden change of sentiment.

  Gradual and ever-breaching causes, preceded the transition; among themthe Stamp Acts, the Boston Port Bill, the enactment of laws byParliament directing that colonists charged with treason should betransported to England for trial, and Lord Dunmore's mistaken policieswhile Governor of the colony. The colony as early as 1624, by itsAssembly had declared: "* * * that it and none other" had power to levycolonial taxes. Charles II in 1676 had conceded this by declaring that"taxes ought not to be laid on the inhabitants of the colony except byits own general assembly." This policy had never been questioned norviolated until the advisers of George III in 1764 proposed that thecolonies should pay a portion of the debt incurred by the war withFrance; which they said was but fair as a portion of the debt accruedfrom aid given the colonies. The proposition, met with indignant protestand opposition.

  In March, 1765, the Stamp Act was passed by Parliament. When it came upfor discussion in the Virginia House of Burgesses, the division was aclose one and great excitement prevailed. Patrick Henry offered aresolution, that: "The General Assembly of this Colony has the soleright and power to lay taxes and impositions upon the inhabitants ofthis Colony."

  His speech in favor of the resolution was frequently interrupted bycries of "Treason," "Traitor." In closing these cries caused him toexclaim: "Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell andGeorge the Third may profit by their example. If this be treason, makethe most of it." The resolution carried by a bare majority.

  When Virginia's action was officially noticed, Pitt speaking against theAct said: "I rejoice that America has resisted! Three millions of peopleso dead to all the feelings of liberty as voluntarily to submit to beslaves, would have been fit instruments to have made slaves of all therest. I know the valor of your troops, the force of this country; but insuch a case success would be hazardous. America, if she fell, would falllike a strong man; she would embrace the pillars of the state and pulldown the constitution with her."

  In March, 1766, the Stamp Act was repealed.

  In 1767, because of riotous opposition in New England to a new revenueact, placing a tax on paper, glass and tea, two English regiments weresent over and quartered in Boston. In 1770 this Act was repealed exceptas to the duty on tea; which was not retained for the purpose of revenuebut to discipline the colonists; to show them that Britain had the powerto tax; as it was declared by its advocates that it should remain, "tillAmerica is prostrate at our feet."

  Virginians were more exercised over the law directing that those accusedof treason should be transported to the mother country for trial than bythe tax on tea. The Burgesses met and passed resolutions declaring suchtransportation and trial an act of tyranny.

  During this excitement Lord Botetourt, the most popular of the colonialgovernors, died and was succeeded by Lord Dunmore, the most unpopular.From the beginning of his administration he seems to have been obsessedwith the idea of subduing what he termed "the lawless and traitorousspirit of the colonists."

  In 1773, Parliament passed a new Act insisting without equivocation uponEngland's right to transport her colonial subjects across the sea fortrial. The direct result was the adoption of a resolution by theVirginia Assembly making provision for the appointment of a Committee ofCorrespondence, who were directed to co-operate with the other coloniesand organize for action. All opposition until then had been withoutconcerted action between the detached colonies. This committee wascomposed of ten members, including Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry,Richard Henry Lee and Edmund Pendleton.

  Massachusetts, the first to engage in overt acts of rebellion, waslogically the first sufferer. Virginia was drawn into the struggle at alater period; not in revenge for oppression but in devotion to the causeof liberty and because of sympathy, and co-operated with her northernneighbors.

  Boston, on May 10, 1774, received news of the passage of the Port Bill,closing Boston Harbor. She notified the other colonies and asked theirsupport by declaring an embargo against British commerce.

  This communication was received at Williamsburg on the 29th of May.Several days before Governor Dunmore had dissolved the Colonial Assemblybecause it had passed a resolution expressing sympathy forMassachusetts. Quite a few of the members were yet in Williamsburg; andthey met and drafted the call for the First Virginia Convention. Thiswas signed by Jefferson, Henry, Lee, Washington, Randolph and twentyother members of the House of Burgesses.

  Randolph was elected president of the First Convention. During thesix-day session it passed resolutions expressing sympathy with Bostonand discussed means of aiding that city. The spirit of the convention isshown by what was said by Washington, a member: "I will raise onethousand men, subsist them at my own expense and march myself at theirhead for the relief of Boston."

  After the adjournment of the First Continental Congress all the coloniesprepared for war. In Virginia a committee of safety was appointed inevery county and six thousand "minute men" were mustered into service.

  On March 20, 1775, the Second Virginia Convention met at Richmond in St.John's Church, because Williamsburg, patrolled by Lord Dunmore'smarines, was not a safe place for patriots voicing rebellion. EdmundPendleton was elected its president.

  When Henry submitted his resolution to the convention "for embodying,arming and disciplining the militia," many voted against it; showingthat a respectable number yet desired peace. These pacifists causedHenry to make his great speech: "* * * If we wish to be free we mustfight. It is too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreatbut in submission and slavery. The war is inevitable, let it come! Thenext gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash ofresounding arms. I know not what course others may take, but as for me,give me liberty or give me death!"

  His resolution, because of the opposition of Pendleton, Nicholas,Harrison and Bland, would have been defeated except for his eloquence,though he was supported by Lee and Jefferson. Its adoption, coupled withhis speech of "War is inevitable, let it come!" defined Virginia'sposition; not only to the colonies but to the world.

  After many prorogations of the House of Burgesses, it was convened onJune 1, 1775, to consider "Lord North's Compromise;" a separate offer ofpeace to Virginia.

  Peyton Randolph left the Second Continental Congress to be present atits deliberations. As he approached Williamsburg, a procession ofseveral companies of horse and foot, equipped as though for instantservice, met and escorted him to the Capitol.

  He found the Burgesses in session with their rifles handy. While theywere discussing the North Compromise, one of the members accompanied bytwo private citizens, examining the magazine, were wounded by guns setat the direction of the Governor.

  A committee of the House appointed to examine the magazine, reported:"Several kegs of powder have been placed under the floor andpreparations made to blow it up." In the discussion of this report, itcame out that Lord Dunmore had declared his intention to free and armthe slaves against the colonists. Thereupon a Bill was passed placing aduty of five pounds on each imported slave. The last official act of th
eGovernor was to veto this measure.

  The Burgesses refused to treat with Lord North without the concurrenceof the other colonies, and adjourned.

  The Governor, frightened because of the excitement and open oppositionto him, on June 7th, with his family, took refuge aboard the Fowey, aBritish man-of-war anchored at York.

  On July 17th, the Third Virginia Convention assembled at Richmond andcontinued in session until August 26th. Its acts heretofore had been ofthe nature of resolutions; but as Dunmore had deserted his post,threatening to attack the colony and as the royal government no longerexisted; the convention assumed the functions of a legislative body andestablished a provisional government.

  Preparations were made to organize Virginia for defense; laws wereenacted to raise revenue and to elect delegates to the next annualconvention. Patrick Henry, colonel of the First Regiment, was madecommander of the Virginia forces; and delegates to the ContinentalCongress were elected.

  The Baptists asked that their ministers be allowed to address troops oftheir own denomination. Their petition was granted, "for the ease ofsuch scrupulous consciences."

  The convention vested the executive power of the colony in a Committeeof Safety with Edmund Pendleton as president, whose duties (inter alia)were to commission military officers, direct military movements andissue treasury warrants. Its first aggressive act was to resist thefugitive Governor; who shortly after his flight began bombarding theshores of the Chesapeake.

  In September one of his ships was blown ashore in a storm and burned bythe incensed inhabitants of Hampton. Several weeks later he led anassault against the town; but was driven off by the villagers,reinforced by the Culpepper minute men.

  A body of marines, landing at Norfolk, seized the equipment of anewspaper office and carried it aboard the Fowey. It was on this pressLord Dunmore printed his proclamation of November 7th, declaring allcolonists traitors who did not rally to his standard and offeringfreedom to "all indentured servants, negroes or others, apprenticed torebels."

  On January 1, 1776, he set fire to Norfolk and while it was burningsailed into the bay. From then, until midsummer he sailed along theshores of the Chesapeake, devastating small villages and plantations. OnJuly 9th, he landed upon and fortified Guinn's Island. Attacked byGeneral Andrew Lewis, he abandoned his fort, fled to New York, andshortly afterwards sailed for England.

  The Fourth Virginia Convention met at Richmond on December 1, 1775; butafter organizing, no longer in fear of Lord Dunmore, adjourned to meetat Williamsburg.

  The session was consumed in preparation for war. A committee of five wasappointed in each county to try those charged as enemies of the colonistcause; a court of admiralty was established; laws were enactedregulating commerce and provision made for increasing the militia, whichas enrolled was merged into the Continental Army.

  The chief theme of discussion, not only of the convention but of allVirginians, was how formally to shift the government from a royal colonyto an independent government and retain status as belligerents. It wasfinally agreed that the colonies in convention should declare theirindependence and organize as independent commonwealths.

  The Fifth and last convention met at Williamsburg on May 6, 1776, withEdmund Pendleton again as president.

  On May 15th, it passed a resolution instructing their delegates in theContinental Congress to propose to that body to "declare the UnitedColonies free and independent states." The next day the British flag onthe capitol was hauled down and the American flag substituted; whilesoldiers and civilians cheered and cannon roared.

  A Bill of Rights and State Constitution, prepared by George Mason, wasadopted on June 12th; and on June 29th, the Commonwealth of Virginiacame into being.

  Under the state constitution, the legislative department was dividedinto a House of Delegates and a Senate; eligibles were to be freeholderselected by freeholders. The executive department was to be presided overby a governor, to be elected annually by the House and Senate. PatrickHenry was chosen as first governor and Edmund Randolph attorney general.Henry qualified as governor on July 5, 1776.

  Richard Henry Lee, a member of the Continental Congress from Virginia,in compliance with instructions given him by the Virginia Convention,offered in Congress on June 7, 1776, the resolution: "That these UnitedStates are and ought to be free and independent states and that allpolitical connection between them and the State of Great Britain is andought to be totally dissolved." His resolution, seconded by John Adams,after several days' discussion, was passed.

  In the absence of Mr. Lee, because of his wife's illness, ThomasJefferson was made chairman of the committee; and it was thus he came todraft the Declaration of Independence, which after a few minoramendments, was adopted on July 4, 1776.