The American Quarterly Review, No. 18, June 1831 (Vol 9)Various
History
The American Quarterly Review, No. 18, June 1831 (Vol 9)
Various
Intellectual life -- Periodicals; United States -- Intellectual life -- 19th century -- Periodicals
the proprietary and the Virginian commissioners, then in England, at
length put an end to these divisions. The latter ceased to push the
claims of Virginia, and it was agreed that his province should be
restored to the proprietary. On the 20th of March, 1658, it was formally
surrendered to Fendall as his governor, under a stipulation for the
security of the acts passed during the defection;--a stipulation which
the latter fulfilled, not only by declaring them void, but by causing
them to be torn from the records.
Clothed thus with authority, Fendall was enabled to play off a kind of
parody of Cromwell's proceedings, by "kicking away the ladder by which
he had mounted." At the next convention of the assembly, the lower house
transmitted a message to the upper, declaring itself the true assembly,
and the supreme court of judicature, and demanding its opinion on this
claim. The latter, not acceding with the required good grace and
promptness to this new doctrine, which involved a complete independence,
not only of itself, but of the proprietary, was visited in a body by the
lower house, and ordered to sit no longer apart, with the privilege,
nevertheless, of seats in the lower house. To the assembly thus
reformed, Fendall surrendered his commission from the proprietary,
accepting a new one from itself; and the inhabitants of the province
were required to recognize no other authority but that of this new
legislature, or of the king. The Restoration cut short the rule of this
commonwealth party in the province. Baltimore obtained the countenance
and aid of the new government,--and thus fortified, enjoined his
brother, Philip Calvert, as his governor, to proceed against the
insurgents even by martial law, and especially not to permit Fendall to
escape with his life. Fendall, accordingly, with one Hatch, was excepted
from the general indemnity, and proclamations were issued for their
apprehension;--yet, on a subsequent voluntary surrender, he found means
to be quits for a short imprisonment, with a disability to vote or hold
office;--a lenity not more impolitic in the government, than unmerited
by him, as he not long afterwards attempted to excite another rebellion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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