PUBLISHED MONTHLY AT FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM-JNO. R. THOMPSON, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.

VOL. XIV.

RICHMOND, FEBRUARY, 1848.

THE SOCIAL SYSTEM OF VIRGINIA.

The following article was designed as a review of the First Volume of Mr. Howison's History of Virginia, and may be thought perhaps somewhat late in the day, in view of the fact that this work appeared more than twelve months ago. As the writer, however, makes Mr. Howison's book

but the vehicle of his thoughts on the true spirit of philo

NO. 2.

proach as this attaches to our colonial history. Upon the contrary, we venture to affirm that the annals of no people whatever, ancient or modern, more abound in interesting incident. The mere fact distinct states of civilization and two distinct races that the early annals of Virginia present to us two and that, too, under the most novel circumstances, of men placed in direct juxtaposition to each other,

must invest them with an interest which attaches to

the history of few countries. They present to us

sophical history and the "Social System of Virginia," and barbarism and civilization-the red man of the as his treatment of these subjects is distinguished by en-American forest and the cultivated European, larged and original views, we take great pleasure in laying his article before the public. The chaste and flowing style, in which the writer's reflections are conveyed, will not fail to

commend itself to every reader. He discovers a mind well trained in the best schools of reasoning and a com

mand of language, that is rarely met with. We trust he

thrown face to face upon the shores of the Western world, there to wage a war of extermination— the one in defence of his country and his homethe other to make conquests, settle colonies and amass wealth. The history of such a struggle, and of a society compounded of such strange elwill ere long resume his pen in behalf of our magazine. The Second Volume of Mr. Howison's History will be relations to each other, could not, in the nature of ements, and in which men occupied such novel published, perhaps, even before our present number is isthings, be otherwise than entertaining and instructsued from the press. We are happy in being able to prom-ive. And we accordingly find that new phases of ise a review of it, from a gentleman of high and well-deserved literary reputation.-[Ed. Mess.

It has long been a matter of surprise and regret, that the people of Virginia have manifested so little interest in regard to the early history of their State. The amount of ignorance which prevails in the commonwealth upon this subject is absolutely astonishing. It is by no means confined to the illiterate. Our educated men-men of intelligence and general information—are equally amenable to the charge. Young gentlemen, who have been to college, and who are reasonably well-read in general history, are yet, (with some few honorable exceptions,) profoundly ignorant of the State whose soil they tread and whose air they breathe. They have been carefully instructed in the annals of Greece and Rome-every phase of French and English history is familiar to them—they know by heart the whole line of Plantagenets, Tudors, Stuarts, Guelphs and Capets, and yet can tell you nothing of that race of men from whose loins they have sprung, and if they have heard, by accident, that such men as Smith and Bacon have lived and died, this is the extent of their information in respect to these colonial heroes.

human life-novel and striking developments of the individual man-romantic adventure, bold achievement, and thrilling incident, meet us at every step of colonial progress. The simple story of Smith and Pocahontas, if there was nothing else, would redeem the annals of any people from the reproach of dulness.

But it is the importance, rather than the romance of our colonial history, which claims for it the attention of every educated man-particularly of every educated Virginian. It was upon the banks of our favorite river, not many miles from the present capital of the State, that the Anglo-Saxon race first took root in the soil of the Western world. We do not hesitate to pronounce this one of the most memorable epochs in modern history. In our judgment, the landing of Smith at Jamestown, followed, as it was, by the subsequent occupation of the country by men of Anglo-Saxon origin, has exercised, and is destined to exercise, in its remote consequences, a greater influence over the destinies of the human race than any event which has occurred since the Reformation. It would not be difficult to make good this proposition, but it would lead us too far from our present purpose. We believe, however, that it will be generally conceded, and, if so, how recreant has Virginia heretofore been to her early history.

This neglect of their early history by the Virginians is altogether unpardonable. Even were the subject uninviting, its dignity and importance It is gratifying, however, to find that there has would entitle it to their consideration. But noth- been some improvement in this matter. A dispoing could be further from the truth. No such re-sition has recently manifested itself in several

VOL XIV-9

quarters to wipe away this reproach from the so intimately acquainted with her colonial history Ancient Dominion, and rescue, as far as is now as Mr. Campbell, and we believe that his industry practicable, her early annals from oblivion. The has led to the discovery of matter which has never Virginia Historical Society has been recently re- before been published and which will enable him to organized under new auspices, and with flatter-present some portion of Virginia annals in a new ing prospects of success. This Society, if it can point of view. once be established on a permanent basis, will no We have read Mr. Howison's volume, and can, doubt prove a useful institution. It deserves the with pleasure, bear testimony to its merits in many patronage of the State, and we should be pleased respects. It is a clear and interesting narrative of to see an appropriation made for it during the pres- the most prominent facts connected with the coloent winter by the Legislature, if such appropria-ny of Virginia from its first settlement in 1607 to tion be fairly within the scope of its legitimate the peace of Paris in 1763. And, so far as our powers. Virginia, even yet, abounds in rich his- limited information enables us to judge, it is a cortorical fragments, which must soon be lost, unless rect narrative. We know of no book which we they be collected and arranged with some regard would sooner place in the hands of one who desito order and system. New York, Massachusetts, red to make himself acquainted with the general and, we believe, several of the other States, have outline of Virginia history in the shortest possible similar societies, which are in a prosperous con- time and with the least possible trouble. Matter dition. Their collections are already large and which is elsewhere spread over a large surface interesting, and have been found valuable in illus- and dispersed in books, some of which are out of trating the colonial history of the country. There print and others not readily accessible to all, is here is no good reason why the Virginia Historical So- compressed into a single volume of moderate size, ciety should not also prosper, and we feel confi- arranged in chronological order and the whole wodent that, with equal industry and enterprise, it will ven into a narrative, conducted with no inconsidmeet with equal success. We believe that the erable skill. As a mere record of important publoose material yet floating about in the common-lic events-the settlement of Jamestown-the wealth is quite as valuable as that either of New early adventures of the colonists-their bloody batYork or Massachusetts, and if diligently collected tles with the savages-their "moving accidents by and arranged, will be found no inconsiderable con- flood and field"-the laws which were at various tribution to our historical literature. Let our peo- times enacted-the revolutions through which the ple then, for once, at least, lay aside their repug-colonial government passed, and the relations which nance to combined action-let them come to the subsisted at different times between the colony and aid of this public and patriotic enterprise-let them the mother country-as a record, we say, of these send in their interesting historical manuscripts and and such like external matters, Mr. Howison's book other documents to the Society, where they will leaves us not much to be desired. But at this be preserved; let them do this and the Virginia point we must stop. Having pointed out what we Historical Society will be placed upon an enduring believe to be the merits of Mr. Howison's history, basis, and its labors will redound to the honor of the laws of independent criticism demand that we the State. should next point out what we conceive to be its Valuable contributions to Virginia history have defects. And, in the first place, the style in which also been made from other quarters. Within the his book is written is open to many objections. It last year or two, we have been favored with a vol- is upon a key altogether too high for historical wriume from R. R. Howison, Esq., upon the colonial ting. Mr. H. will, by no means, consent to tell history of Virginia, and a history by Charles Camp- us what he has to say in plain English. But whatbell, Esq., covering very much the same ground. ever he is narrating, however trivial and unimporWe have only had it in our power to read the tant it may be, must be set down in the swelling first two or three chapters of Mr. Campbell's his- periods of Johnson or Gibbon, and the consequence tory. With the part which we have read, how-is, that Mr. H. is frequently eloquent upon occaever, we are much pleased. Indeed, we shall be sions when it would have been much better to have greatly disappointed if Mr. Campbell's book does been merely natural. This is, however, in our not prove to be the most valuable history of Vir- eyes, a very venial offence; for style, after all, is ginia which has yet been given to the public. We not the body, but the mere outward vestment, and have the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with we care not much for the setting, if the diamond that gentleman, and know that the best energies of itself be genuine. In our judgment, a bold, manly his life have, up to this time, been devoted to its utterance of the honest convictions of one's own preparation. It has been with him, for many years, intellect, is the best style in which a man can a labor of love—every faculty of mind and body write, and, dismissing this whole matter of style, has been enlisted in the undertaking; and, in the we proceed immediately to what we esteem to be collection of material, he has been indefatigable. the great defect of Mr. H's history and in order We are persuaded that there is no man in Virginia that we may be distinctly understood, it will be

History of Civilization, (whence we have borrowed it,) has developed so fully and forcibly the idea which we have been endeavoring to express, that we will take the liberty of quoting the passage. He says:

"We are now compelled to consider-science and make them move side by side. and reality-theory and practice-right and factDown to the present time these two powers have lived apart. The world has been accustomed to see theory and practice following two different routes, unknown to each other, or at least never meeting. When termeddle in affairs, to influence the world, it has doctrines, when general ideas, have wished to inonly been able to effect this under the appearance and by the aid of fanaticism. Up to the present time the government of human societies, the direction of their affairs, has been divided between two

Enthusiasts; on the other, men ignorant of all rawho would rule all according to abstract notionstional principle-Experimentalists, whose only guide is expediency. This state of things is now over. The world will no longer agitate for the sake of some abstract principle, some fanciful theoy, some Utopian government, which can only exist in the imagination of an enthusiast; nor will it put up with practical abuses and oppressions, however formed by prescription and expediency, when they are opposed to just principles and the legitimate end of government. To ensure respect, to obtain confidence, governing powers must now knowledge the influence of both. They must reunite theory and practice; they must know and acgard as well principles as facts; must respect both truth and necessity-must shun, on the one hand, the blind pride of the fanatic theorist, and, on the other, the no less blind pride of the libertine prac

necessary to premise a word or two in respect to every where moving in company, acting and rethe revolution which has taken place in historical acting upon each other--modifying each other-literature within the last half century. fact controlling the excesses of theory, and theory He who has observed, with any degree of at-expounding and interpreting fact. Guizot, in his tention, the progress of modern civilization, must have noted the rise of a new spirit which presides over the investigation of truth in all the departments of human life. It is a spirit of strict reserve, rigid analysis and cautious deduction-a spirit which observes facts carefully, and admits generalization slowly. This spirit has, for sometime, prevailed in the conduct of those sciences which employ themselves in the material world, Natural philosophy, chemistry, geology and astronomy. It explains their progress and has been the source of their glory. And it is a spirit which is now extending itself to all those sciences which have for their object, the investigation of facts and the ascertainment of truth, as it exists in the world around us. But where the object is not so much the investigation of facts and the establishment of pre-existing truth, as the improvement of the so-sorts of influences; on the one side theorists, men cial relations, there a very different tendency prevails. In political economy, government and the administration of public affairs, for instance, we no longer observe that servile subjection to facts, as they were called, which was once manifested. These general ideas, reason, principles--what are called theories, are introducing themselves and causing themselves to be respected. The movement of which we speak is, therefore, a double movement. Facts are intruding themselves into the intellectual order, and ideas are intruding themselves into the social order. The outer world is governed more according to reason and the intellectual world more according to reality. Thus, in our times, are fact and theory brought together and made to move in company. This is the last and greatest intellectual achievement of the age--the glory of modern civilization. It was not so a hundred years ago. This scientific method of investigating truth is Then, in the intellectual order--in abstract science extending itself in every direction. It has, as we and philosophy-little respect was paid to reality, have seen, taken possession of science and philosand the imagination of men, refusing to be con- ophy, it prevails in political economy, government trolled by facts as they existed in the world around and the administration of public affairs generally, them, ran into the wildest excesses of theory and and is now reaching into the domain of history. hypothesis. On the other hand, in the social order, Indeed, the revolution which it has wrought in general ideas found no place at all, and he who at-historical literature, within the last half century, is tempted to assert for them any influence in politi- unprecedented. The historian of the nineteenth cal economy or the administration of public affairs, century is no longer, a mere Gazetteer, and his hiswas forthwith branded as a visionary and a dream-tory a dry record of battles, treaties and public er. The provinces of facts and general ideas were acts of government. He feels that he has a higher then entirely distinct and independent-each was province than that of merely collecting public facts supreme in its own dominion and would tolerate and setting them down in chronological order. Beno intrusion by the other. The consequence was, sides these outward and material facts, open to the as has just been stated, that speculation ran into inspection of all, there are other moral and hidden the wildest excesses and the intellectual world was facts, which, although we cannot attach to them filled with fantasies and chimeras; while the social any precise name or date, it yet concerns us quite world remained a dead chaotic mass. The pro- as much to know as those battles, treaties and pubgress of modern civilization has, at last, corrected lic acts of government, of which we have spoken. this state of things. We now find fact and theory To bring these hidden facts to light, to evolve those

tician."

general principles which lie buried under the chaos, the works, not of Dracos and Hampdens, but of of innumerable isolated facts-to elucidate those Phoenician mariners, of Italian masons, and Saxon great moral problems which connect themselves metallurgists, of philosophers, alchemists, prophets and all the long train of artists and artisans; who, with the social progress of every people-this is from the first, have been jointly teaching us how the mission of modern history. And it is this re-to think and how to act, how to rule our spiritual cent alliance between philosophy and history which and our physical nature." precisely measures and characterises that revoluIt is these "Phoenician mariners, Italian mation in historical literature, which it is our purpose sons, and Saxon metallurgists, philosophers, alcheto note. The results of that revolution have been mists, prophets, and all the long train of artists immense. It has, indeed, changed the whole course and artisans; who, from the first, have been teachof history, and given a new direction to the labors ing us how to think and how to act," who have of the historian. Heretofore, history has been oc- been the real benefactors of mankind. It is this cupied almost exclusively about courts, camps and hitherto neglected and despised class, who only battle-fields, forgetting that it is not in courts or appear on the pages of history, when they are camps, nor yet or battle-fields that the life of a gathered together on some battle-field to be slaughpeople is spent, or their true history discovered; tered for the glory of their masters, who have given but far away from scenes like these, in the field, to the world those arts and sciences which have the work-shop, and the factory-on the highway redeemed the world from barbarism, and preserved and in the retired valleys of the world, causes civilization as a trust for their children and future which few eyes see and which are chronicled in generations. Honor and glory are attached to no records, are silently, but steadily and irresistibly their names; but we know nothing of them; for moulding the destinies of the human race. To de- history, which should have recorded their praises, tect these latent causes, and record them for the was in the service of those who lived by their toil, instruction of the present and future generations, and rewarded them with oppression. Their very is the province of history, and, hereafter, he who names lie buried in the dark untenanted places of does this will alone be esteemed an historian; the past, while every school-boy knows by heart while he who writes to us about courts and camps the genealogy of a whole line of barbarian kings. and battle-fields--who collects and sets down in Truly has the world been slow to recognize its chronological order, under their appropriate heads, benefactors! These men have a history--it is the so as to be of easy reference, the remarkable events history of art, science, discovery, invention, philosof the past, such as the birth of princes, the death ophy, and literature--in a word, the history of civ of kings, the dates of battles, the change of dynas-ilization itself. Though long neglected, it is yet ties, political revolutions, general laws, and public destined to be written. The honor of doing so has acts of government, may be regarded as a more been reserved for our times. We have histories or less instructive Gazetteer; but nothing more. in abundance of kings, rulers and statesmen. We Mankind, if they could only be induced to think are now, at last, to have a history of the PEOPLE. so, have a much deeper interest in those arts, sciences, discoveries and inventions, by which the comforts of human life have been extended and civilization advanced, than in those wars, revolutions and public acts of government by which the world has been so often scourged and whole nations devastated.

With much force and beauty does Carlyle ask-

We return from this long digression. Our object has been to point out the revolution which has taken place in historical literature within the last half century. We have done so, though in the most crude and imperfect manner, and found that revolution to consist essentially in an alliance, which has never before existed, between philosophy and history, and in the new direction which has been thereby given to the labors of the historian. We

are now prepared to state in a very few words what we regard as the great defect of Mr. Howisons book. It is not written in the spirit of modern history. There is none of that blending of philosophy and history which, as we have seen, constitutes the characteristic feature of modern historical literature. The volume before us is, as

"Which was the greater innovator, which was the more important personage in man's history, he who first led armies over the Alps, and gained the victories of Canna and Thrasymene; or the nameless boor who first hammered out for himself an iron spade? When the oak tree is felled, the whole forest echoes with it; but a hundred acorns are planted silently by some unnoticed breeze. Battles and war-tumults, which for the time din every ear, and with joy or terror intoxicate every heart, we have stated, a clear, consecutive narrative of pass away like tavern brawls; and, except some the prominent public events connected with the few Marathons and Mogartens, are remembered by colonization of Virginia, and it pretends to nothing accident, not by desert. Laws themselves, politimore. It nowhere attempts a solution of those

cal constitutions, are not our life, but only the house wherein our life is led: nay, they are but many interesting social problems which are indisthe bare walls of the house; all whose essential solubly interwoven with our early progress, nor furniture, the inventions, and traditions and daily does it seek to evolve those important general prinhabits that regulate and support our existence, are ciples which lie buried under the rubbish of colonial

names,

civilization. We regret this very much; for those | don Company, Governor, Council, and House of problems and general principles lie directly across Burgesses are his dramatis personæ. The PEOPLE the path of the Virginia historian, and if, instead rarely appear upon the stage. This is a great of evading them, Mr. H. had taken them boldly omission. We have heard much of those old-time in hand and treated them with success, as he might Virginians, and have long desired, above all things, have done, he would have entitled himself to the to make their acquaintance. It is certain that they gratitude of the people of Virginia, and have se- were, in many respects, a remarkable race of men. cured for his book a position in the historical lit. They are illustrious in colonial annals, and were, erature of the country, which, we fear, it is not now beyond question, the master spirits of the age in destined to attain. For all must admit that the which they lived. We sometimes imagine that we Social System of Virginia is, in many respects, a can see them standing in the twilight of those early peculiar system-unlike most of the social sys- times, a head taller than their cotemporaries. tems by which it is surrounded—a sort of anomaly These men were our fathers, and what we, their in our times. It has no parallel except in the other lineal descendants, desire is to know something of slave-holding states of the union, and, when closely them-to be placed face to face with them to visit inspected, looks very much like the remnant of an them at their homes in the country and set with older civilization-a fragment of the feudal sys- them around their fire-sides and at the social board. tem floating about here on the bosom of the nine-We desire to see what manner of men they really teenth century. As we have just stated, many novel were-what they did, thought and felt, and how and interesting problems necessarily connect them- they spent their daily being. A race from whose selves with such a system-problems the solution loins have sprung a line of warriors and statesof which will, we believe, throw much light upon men-such men as Washington, Henry, Marshall, our past history and future career as an indepen- Jefferson, Madison, and a hundred others—all dent people. If Virginia has always been poorif she has accomplished but little for the improvement of man's social and material well-being-if she has fallen behind her sister states in the accumulation of wealth; if, upon the other hand, she has done much for the melioration of man's moral and intellectual nature, if she has been eminently fruitful in great men and general principles, if she has given to the nation those warriors whose valor has led its armies to victory, those statesmen whose We have now, in the discharge of that duty wisdom has guided its councils in peace, and those which is due to the public, and in the spirit of inprinciples of civil and religious liberty upon which dependent criticism, pointed out the defects of Mr. our institutions are founded-if all this be true, an H.'s History of Virginia as they have appeared to explanation of it and of every other problem con-us. Of its merits we have already spoken, and nected with the past history or present condition they are such as are not likely to be overlooked. of the commonwealth, will be found in the peculiar They are of a character which will commend the elements which prevailed in her social organization book to the public, and cause it to be generally during the colonial period. We repeat, therefore, read. And while we think that Mr. H. leaves that it is a source of regret to us that Mr. H. has much yet to be accomplished, we cannot withhold not entered somewhat into this interesting subject. from him the credit of having made a valuable conIt would, in our judgment, have greatly increased tribution to our historical literature. Although his the value of his history. Bancroft is the only book does not go all the way, yet it is certainly a writer who has undertaken any thing like an analy-step in advance, and will do much to clear the way sis of the Social System of Virginia, and the con- for those who may come after him. And we here sequence is that, although he has performed his task but imperfectly, and has fallen into some errors of fact, yet, every thing considered, he has given as the best History of Virginia which we have yet He does not tell us as much as some others, but he tells us more that we want to know.

come across.

"Worthy on fame's eternal bead-roll to be filed," deserves to be studied and remembered. We do not think that Mr. H. has paid attention enough to this branch of his subject. He might well have devoted a whole chapter to the people of Virginia, and it would have been the most interesting chapter in his book.

dismiss Mr. H.'s history, with the remark already made that it is, so far as we are able to judge, a correct and interesting narrative of the important public events connected with the colonization of Virginia, and, as such, we take pleasure in recommending it to all who desire to acquaint themselves with the general outline of colonial history with the least possible expenditure of time and trouble.

We have one other objection to allege against Mr. H.'s book. He tells us nothing about the We have said that there were many interesting people of Virginia; gives us no new insight into questions connected with the Social System of Virtheir character, habits, and mode of life. He has ginia. We propose, briefly, to call public attention written a history of the Government of Virginia, to one or two of these questions. We can only and not much more. The King, Parliament, Lon- ' do so in a very imperfect manner; for although