RESUMÉ OF COLONIAL FOUNDATIONS. 137 Governor Oglethorpe in his tent, where it stood for a whole year as his head-quarters under the shadow of four lofty pines. On the first reception of this aged and venerable chief, he presented to the governor the skin of a huge buffalo, skilfully ornamented with the figure of an eagle, bearing his own beak, claws, and feathers, and through an interpreter addressed the following words: 'I give you buffalo skin; inside, eagle head and feathers. Take it. Eagle, speed; buffalo, strength. English, swift, like eagle; strong, like buffalo. Eagle fly over big seas; buffalo hard fight. Eagle feathers soft: that is, love. Buffalo skin warm: that is, take care of ys. English protect and love our little people.' ' And thus was founded the Commonwealth OF GEORGIA and its Capital on the Yamacraw bluff, where now stands the beautiful city of Savannah. Its constitution afforded the fullest protection to all its people, and the fair struc ture of a civilized Christian State sprang into being in an unbroken wilder ness. Order of Colonial Foundations.-And thus we give the résumé of the order in which the settlements were made, whose foundations we have so briefly surveyed. Twelve years-1607 to 1619'-says Lossing, 'were spent by English adventurers in efforts to plant a permanent settlement in Virginia. For seventeen years-1609 to 1623-Dutch traders were trafficking on the Hudson river before a permanent settlement was established in New York. Fourteen years-1606 to 1620-were necessary to effect a permanent settlement in Massachusetts; and for nine years-1622 to 1631-adventurers struggled for a foothold in New Hampshire. The Roman Catholics were only one year-1634-5-in laying the foundation of the Maryland colony. Seven years-1632 to 1639-were employed in effecting permanent settlements in Connecticut; eight years—1636 to 1643 -in organizing colonial government in Rhode Island; and about fifty years-1631 to 1682-elapsed from the landing of the Swedes on South river, before Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania presented colonial features. Almost sixty years-1622 to 1680-passed by before the first settlements of the Carolinas became fully developed colonies. But Georgia, the youngest of the Thirteen States, had the foundation of its colonial government laid when Oglethorpe, with the first company of settlers, began to build Savannah, in the winter of 1733.' 1 To-mo-chi-chi gave his very heart to Oglethorpe and his colony, and in turn they all loved him, and treated him with fondness and respect. When he was dying, in 1739, at the age of nearly one hundred. he begged that his body might be buried with the English in their graveyard. The Gentleman's Magazine 1740, p. 129, contains an account of his burial with public honors. Oglethorpe was worshipped almost as a divinity. The Creeks, Cherokees, Chickasas, and even the distant Choctas, came seven hundred miles from their homes on the Mississippi, bringing gifts. When a great war was appr:aching between those southern tribes, his power was sufficient to prevent it, through the simple ascendency he had gained over the savages. 'In he summer of 1733, Oglethorpe,' says Bancroft, 'made bis way through solitary paths, fearless of the suns of summer, the night-dews, or the treachery of some hire ling Indian; he came into the large square of their council-place to distribute presents to his red friends; to renew and explain their covenants; to address them in words of affection; and to smoke with their nations the pipe of peace?' In July, 1743, Oglethorpe sailed for England, never to return to the land where for ten years he had ex hausted the benevolence and philanthropy of his nature, and sanctified with his wealth the cause of religion and humanity. He had fared harder than any of the people that were settled there. Bancroft says of him: He was merciful to the prisoner; a father to the emigrant, the unwavering friend of Wesley; the constant bene factor of the Moravians; honestly zealous for the conversion of the Indians; invoking for the negro the panoply of the Gospel; his heart throbbed for all around 138 STRUGGLE FOR THE EMPIRE OF NORTH AMERICA. SECTION THIRD. AMERICA THE STRUGGLE OF FIVE POWERS FOR THE EMPIRE OF NORTH Ar some future period, not very remote, this inviting field for a philo. sophical historian will doubtless be entered, and one of the most instructive and fascinating histories be written. As yet, it has not been attempted. Many of its fragmentary parts have indeed been given by some of the most charming writers of England, France, Spain, and Italy, as well as by our own authors. I could not find space for the mere enumeration of their works. I cannot enter into the discovery, the settlement, or the history of any part of South America, not even to glance at the part which Portugal enacted in the period of early American discoveries-especially under the auspices of her enlightened Prince, King John — although the political hold which she gained, has proved far more permanent than that of Spain, her great rival. The Empire of Brazil now stands before the world as the principal power of South America. Under a wise policy, she has generally enjoyed peace, and launched upon the stream of progress which it is fondly hoped will steadily bear her forward to participate in the highest blessings of modern civilization. Our own great example of consolidated liberty has long been her inspiration. She will soon, as we have-and by no such terrible sacrifice-rid herself entirely of the incumbrance of negro slavery; and with a domain vast enough for a mighty empire, and richer perhaps than any other portion of the globe, and possessed of the advantage of unity-which has never belonged to the Spanish reign in the New World-Brazil has a future that may well invoke the highest statesmanship, and fill all her children with the ardor of patriotic. loyalty and pride. Separated far enough from the great Republic of the North, and with nothing to gain by attempted conquest, or the annexation of the fragmentary ruins of Spanish dominion spread around her borders; and at peace with all the world, she has but to complete the emancipation of her million and a half of laborers; encourage emigration from Europe; make a thorough exploration of all her territory, from the South Atlantic to the great chain of the Andes; promote the education of all her people; develop agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, under the auspices of freedom for trade as well as for men, and a future opens before her of unclouded brightness.' him. He loved to relieve the indigent, to soothe the mourner; and his name became known as another expression for vast benevolence of soul. Loyal and brave; choleric, though merciful; versed in elegant letters; affable, even to talkativeness; slightly boastful, and tinged with vanity.-he was ever ready to expose his life for those who looked to him for defense. A monarchist in state; friendly to the church; he seemed, even in youth, like one who had survived his times-like a relic of a former century, and a more chivalrous age, illustrating to the modern world of business what a crowd of virtues and charities could cluster around the heart of a cavalier.' The life of Oglethorpe was prolonged to near five score, and even in the last year of it, he was extolled as the 'finest vigor ever seen, the impersonation of venerable age. His faculties were as bright as ever, and his eye was undimmed. Ever heroic, romantic, and full of the old gallantry, he was like the sound of the lyre, as it still vibrates after the spirit of the age that sweeps its strings has passed away.' 1 For a very carefully written and comprehensive SPAIN-FRANCE-ENGLAND AND THE AMERICANS. 139 I have never proposed to trace the progress of the Spanish in their dis coveries, settlements, and establishment of civil government in South America, nor in the islands of the West Indian Archipelago. The course of narrative will necessarily lead us to Mexico, for our relations with Spain and the Spanish States have been most important, from the acquisition of Florida to the independence and annexation of Texas, the war with Mexico, and the acquisition of California and New Mexico. But these matters will not be reached till a later period. How far we may yet be influenced by the remains of Spanish power and institutions in America, it is impossible to conjecture. But it is rational to suppose that those elements of the Latin race, which have proved themselves too feeble in their strife to maintain themselves against the hardier races of the North, will not hereafter seriously affect the fortunes of our republic or its people. And since it has been proved abundantly in the past, that the Latin people and powers have grown weak just in proportion as they attempted to move north, it is believed that their example will deter us from any further attempts to move south. It will be far better for us to adhere to the policy which the Republic has always followed, of preserving the unity of her people, and as far as possible, the purity of their northern blood. Better by far, if these broken but glittering fragments of former Spanish dominion are to be consolidated, and show themselves capable of forming a great and powerful confederation, that they should do it by themselves. In going some steps further than we have already advanced towards the equator, we might, indeed, be conferring a possible boon upon those mixed communities; but no possible good could come to ourselves. We should part with some of the virility of our own power, by attempting to add political strength to those States by a union with our own. But in speaking of the French dominion in the New World, we had to be more minute. Our relations with France have been far more intimate and significant. It was indeed a long and a hard struggle which our early settlers went through in the French and Indian War,—at which we are soon to glance-and historical sketch of Brazil, see the article 'Brazil,' in Appletons' NEW CYCLOPÆDIA, vol. iii.-now in course of publication, and constituting altogether the most valuable contribution to literature yet made on this continent. In all matters concerning America, it is of absolute authority. After very close examination of many of its Titles, I have found it so uniformly exact and reliable, that I have felt safe in following it implicitly in the final revision of this work. Probably no other similar publication, even in Europe, has been prepared with such unwearied vigilance. From this article I gather the latest facts known about Brazil, down to last year-1873. many races. No regular census has yet been taken, but it cannot rary much from ten millions-an agglomeration of The whites number about one-third of th: entire population. The other two-thirds are made up of mixed Indian and negro, and Africans; the latter constituting the largest unmixed race in the Empire. In 1850, the slave-trade was effectually suppressed, and a law was passed, Sept. 28, 1871, for the gradual abolition of slavery. The act emancipated the slaves owned by the government, and within fourteen months upwards of 30,000 slaves were manumitted by private individuals; and the system of apprenticeship is carried out in such good faith, that it will hardly live out its allotted term of twenty-one years. The value of the imports for the three years ending in 1869 was $225,400,000-the exports, $272,000,000. One quarter of these exports were to the United States. Brazil is advancing in popular education. She has 4.437 schools, of which 3,603 are public, and devoted to primary education. The annual cost of all the public schools is $1,681,000, or nearly 15 per cent. of the annual revenue of all the twenty-one provinces. The number of scholars enrolled is 134,000. The number of chil dren attending school is rapidly increasing. The whole educational system is under the jurisdiction of the Minister of the Interior and the control of the General Assembly. The Emperor, Don Pedro II., is an enlightened ruler, and Brazil seems to be advancing securely, if not rapidly, in civilization. 140 CAUSES OF THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. no statesman of that time would have prophesied the peaceful relations that so soon afterwards grew up between France and the United States. But the fact is easily explained. England and France were struggling for the Empire of North America. Nor was it looked on as a war between Americans and Frenchmen. It was not a war between Louis and the Thirteen Colonies: it was a war between the King of France and the King of England; and it was regarded as of infinite importance to both, to preserve their dominion in the New World. No sooner had the French power yielded, and its last ensign in North America had disappeared, than the third power was seen to enter the field; and that power was the Thirteen Colonies, who were preparing to construct here an American, and not a European Empire. This idea did not early dawn upon the mind of Europe. It was an American idea; and when once fairly conceived, it was bound to work itself out. We heard no longer of any animosities between the French and the American people. On the contrary, France became our ally; and the strange spectacle was witnessed of French officers and soldiers, who had fought against each other in the French and Indian war, now fighting side by side, as brothers, against a common foe that in all lands, and on all oceans, was attempting to sweep the French nation out of existence, while the colossal power of England was to dictate political institutions to the rising people of the American colonies, and repress every aspiration here for an independent life. The Indian was the Fifth Power contending for the dominion of the New World, and he has not yet given up the battle. He has survived every invader and oppressor. The Spaniard, the Frenchman, the Englishman and now if we are determined to inflict upon him the last wrong he can ever suffer on the earth, we can decree his extinction. : Causes of the Seven Years' War.—With the discovery of the New World, the rivalries of France and England for its possession began; and they con tinued till the French dominion in America went down before the united forces of England and her colonial allies. As early as the granting of the charter to the West India Company by England, Richelieu, the powerful minister of France, made a vain effort to secure the commerce of Asia for his country; and the English had no sooner occupied Barbadoes than the French took a part of St. Christopher's. The English increasing their possessions till they finally added to them Jamaica, the French settled on Martinique and Guadeloupe, founded a colony at Cayenne, and took possession of the west of Hayti. This extention reached the African coast: from Sierra Leone to the Cape of Good Hope; and planting a colony on the island of Madagascar, the maritime power of France even exceeded that of England: for a while she had even a larger colonial system. But she seemed to be destitute of those qualities in which England excelled all the world-genius for control. ling colonies, and thereby augmenting her commercial importance. |