Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Soi Carolina Hr ft A BRIEF REYIEW OF McCRADFS HI LSG THAT At the las t meeting of the Anderson Literary Club the following paper was read by Gen. M. L. Bonham : "South Carolina under the Proprie ! tary Government, 1670-1719," is the title of the first volume, and as yet the only one published, of the his tory which has been written by Gen eral Edward McCrady, of Charleston. It has been known for a long time that he was engaged upon such a work, and the knowledge has given satisfaction, because of his established reputation for erudition, great industry, fairness and accuracy. This confidence has been wholly justified in the work now under consideration. Beginning with a review of the attempts which had been made to :colonise America, and with the vari- ! ens expeditions of exploration whic?i *\ had been sent out from the old world to the new, the author follows with a succinct, but clear and comprehensive account of the conditions of politics and public affairs, of society, of laws and of religion in the countries of Europe, and more especially in Eng land, at the middle of the seventeenth century, and traces the influence of those conditions upon the movements which culminated in the colonization of America. The first visit of Span ish explorers to the soil of Carolina, thc several excursions of the French, the ill-fated attempt of Bibault to establish a colony at Port Boyal, are | ail treated in logical and chronical or der. And this brings the writer to the time when Charles II, recalled from his exile, moved mainly by a desire in a measure, to repay the devotion of some of those who had been loyal to him in his banishment, granted the first patent to the Province of Caroli na, to the Lords Proprietors. This patent was dated March 24, 1663, and was made to the Earl of Clarendon, the Puke of Albermarle, Lord Craven, ; Lord Berkeley, Lord Ashley, Sir George Carteretand Sir John Colic ton, all of which names are perpetuated in the nomenclature of the physical and political sub-divisions of North and South Carolina to this day. Nothing definite was ever done under this char ter toward the settling of the country, except that several exploring expedi tions were sent out, which added not j very much to the scant knowledge of this terra incognita. There seems to have been an apprehension that this charter infringed upon the rights of the patentees under a grant made years before (in 1630) to Sir Bobert Heath, to an extensive territory sup posed to be lying wholly northward and westward of this Province, and yet sometimes called Carolina. But .steps having been taken to quiet the title, by forfeiting the Charter of Sir Bobert Heath, another charter was jjssued in 1665 to the same Proprietors. "The territory embraced in this grant -covered that now included in the States of South Carolina, North Caro lina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, ''Texas, Indian Territory, New Mexico, Arizona and the lower part of Cali fornia. Curiously enough, as Mc .Crady points out, this territory is a early the same as that embraced in ?the late Southern Confederacy. Florida was not included in the cgrant because that land was already in the grasp of the Spaniards, who, hav ing their principal settlement at St. Augustine, afterward proved most ! dangerous neighbors to the colonists *5n Carolina. The Lords Proprietors now set about to utilize the great gift that had been made to them. They said that they "'were excited with a \ laudable and pious zeal for the propagation of the Christian faith," and the enlargement of the King's Empire and dominion, but all their subsequent course demon strates that, however strong the "pious zeal," and however ardent their loyalty and patriotism, they had an eye to the main chance and the .'American dollar." Thc historian details the various futile attempts made to effect settle ments at Cape Fear and Port Royal, and the efforts to procure settlers from Barbadoes and others of the West India Islands, and one is surprised to find how intimate a relation these Is lands bore to the early history of this colony. Then he gives a most inter esting account of the expedition, con sisting of three ships, which left Eng land in 1669, and tho survivors of the passengers of which, after ''moving accidents by flood and field," after shipwreck and incredible suffering and hardships, at last landed upon thc <'Oast of Carolina in 1679, and in time larne to settle at Old Town on the Ashley River, and subsequently moved to Oyster Point, the present site of the city of Charleston. And thus was the first permanent settlement made in South Carolina. It is of eourae impossible here to follow the author as he follows the fortunes of these adventurers in the wilderness. It is a moving story. Hardly one of us can conceive the dire want and suf ferings endured by these people, so PFDptary Government. STORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA DUR PERIOD. many thousands of miles away from civilization. Until we have read this history of their struggles with pov erty, their deprivations, hardships and the deadly and daily danger in which they lived from the savage Indians by whom they were surrounded, we can not justly estimate the courage, the hardihood and the fortitude of these settlers in the trackless forest. Mr. McCrady does them full justice in his graphic portrayal of their history. He devotes much time and space ; throughout his book to the purpose of making clear how little the Lords Proprietors comprehended the nature of the errand upon which they had sent these people to this new country. They were filled with ideas and dreams of the founding of empires and the amassing of untold wealth. Their im aginations overleaped all obstacles, and they lost sight of the labor and time and money which were necessary to accomplish the gigantic aims they had in view. They have founded an \ empire, the grandest in the world, and ; the richest. But centuries of time, I the sacrifice of thousands of lives and the labor of millions of men have been necessary to achieve the result. To show how little they understood the nature of the business upon which they had embarked, it is sufficient to say, that before a single emigrant had been sent out, before any settlements had been made, or even an expedition had been prepared, they had engaged the philosopher. John Locke, to draft for them for the government of the colony, a code of laws, which were known as the "fundamental constitu tion," which provided a system of government more elaborate aud com plex than would have been suited to the government of an old, long set tled, populous, and wealthy country. Provision, was made in Locke s Consti tution for a Landed Aristocracy, to consist of Landgraves, Caciques and Barons, each with his enormous allot meot of lands and his feudal powers. These ''fundamental constitutions," amended from time to time, the Lords Proprietors, throughout the whole period of their government of the colony, sought with all their might and main to force on the people, who, with all their might and main, resisted the efforts, and upon having a voice in making the laws under which they lived. The pertinacity of the Pro prietors in this particular was one of the very prime factors of the discon tent which ultimately led to the over throw of their power. Naturally all the men who came to position and prominence and wielded an influence in thc affairs of the colony receive careful consideration at the hands of the historian. His treat ment of them, their actions- and con duct, his comprehension of their sur roundings, their environments and of their motives, their lives and their characters show him to be a keen ob server, a close reasoner and a fair and just critic. I was particularly im pressed with this in reading what he says of Chief Justice Trott, who, by the way, reminds one of what was said of Lord Bacon, "the wisest, brightest and meanest of mankind." Trott seems to have been a scholar, an emi nent lawyer, a subtle theologian, a politician and schemer, and an all round old rascal. And yet he did a great work for thc colony. With infi nite pains, labor and research, he compiled, and codified such of the j Statute and Common Law of England as was suited to the colony, and codi fied the Statute Law of the colony itself, and so well was his work done, that much was and may well be for given to him for his short comings in other respects, which may charitably be ascribed, in part, to the influence of the times in which he lived. A prominent feature of the book, and it was to be so expected from so zealous a churchman as is its author, is that which deals with religion and the various Churches in the colony. By thc terms of the charter freedom of worship was established. By the terms of the "fundamental constitu tions" the Church of England was established in thc Province. Out of this legal establishing of the Church of England, and the attempts to legis late, both by the Proprietors and the colonists, in matters of religion, vari ous and vexing questions arose, and hardships were imposed upon the Congregationalists, the Huguenots, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, and a small body of the Quakers, all of which denominations existed in the colony. It is true that the Province was divided into parishes, each of which in time had its Church and its rector who were maintained at the public expense, yet in the main it seems the other bodies were permitted to follow their own consciences in the manner and form of their worship, and to maintain their own Churches : Notwithstanding that at one time, it was a prerequisite to the enjoyment of thc electoral franchise that an elec tor should have "conformed" in some degree to the worship of the Church of England. This was an echo ol' thc war of "Conformists'7 and ''non Co formists" in England. Thc author takes occasion in th book to do again what he has w( done in another and separate public tion ; namely, to refute the sland promulgated by McMaster and oth partisan historians to the effect th the matter of education, andmore ps ticularly the means of public educ tion, have always been neglected South Carolina. McCrady shows 1 the authorities cited by him that t charge is utterly false, and that t converse is true. As soon as the i crease of population and the birth ai growth of children in the colony ma it necessary that schools should be c tablished, they were provided f( and supported, in part at leas out of the public funds, i early as 1710 au Act was pass* for the establishment of a publ school, and before this time the mt ter had received attention. Natural these schools were first confined to tl town of Charleston, where for a loi time all the interests of the colonis were centered, and where most of the lived. But as the country surroun ing became settled and families gre up, with children to be educated, tl facilities for giving them at least tl rudiments of education were provide Indeed, it is not a matter of dou that public schools were established South Carolina, as soon as there we children to be taught in them, and th< were generously supported. No more thrilling story is told i the histories of a ny of the nations i the earth than that he tells of the ui ceasing warfare which the settlei waged with the tribes of savage Ii dians,by whom they were surroundei and their no less savage allies, tl Spaniards, in Florida. It were idle I attempt to review the story, except i all its details. The harrowing scene of murder, arson, pillage and rapir make the blood run cold at the bai recital. Yet another very interesting part ( the book is that which deals with tb pirates who infested the islands of th West Indies, and the shores of tb main land, and preyed upon the con merce of the colonies, and robbec and murdered and laid tribute upo the people. So bold andf cruel wer they that the reader rejoiced when h reads that Col. Wm. Rhett has al tacked, captured and killed the fa m o is pirate, Thatch, in his place of re treat in Cape Fear; that Governc Johnson has himself lead his nava forces against the pirates who threate Charles Town itself, and has destroye their ships, slain and captured man of them, including their infamou leader. Richard Worley; and finall, that Stede Bonnett, the most noted the most dreaded, and the bloodiest o all these bold buccaneers, has beet captured and tried before that eccen trie Judge, Chief Justice Trott, con victed and sentenced to death. Om takes a grim satisfaction in noting wit! whai apt quotation of Scripture, o law, and of the classics, old Trott lay; the law to him; and that in spite o all the influences that could be brough to bear on the Chief Justice, he leave the pirate to meet his well deserve? doom. The militia was an important facto in thc affairs of the colony. Thu counties and parishes were divide< into Militia Beats, each of whicl Beats was commanded by some promi nent and influential citizen, residen therein, who was given the rank o Colonel. Thc author humorously suggests that this gave rise to th? practice of calling everyman of promi nence in a community by the title ol "Colonel;"' a custom which prevaih to this day in South Carolina. The growth of commerce, the trade in naval stores, rice, indigo, lumber, etc., the manners, habits of life, dress, homes, houses and pleasures of the people are all discussed and described. Finally, the author sets forth with detail the causes whieh led to the overthrow of the Proprietary Govern ment. The conflict of authority be tween the Proprietors and the Coloni al Assembly, involving the vital rights and interests of the colonists, had been growing in bitterness and im portance for years. The people also complained, and it seems with good cause, that the Proprietors were neg ligent of, and indifferent to, the wel fare of the colonies. That they ig nored their requests for assistance in their times of trouble and peril. Thc incursions of thc Spaniards from Florida, the constantly recurring wars with the Indians, and the repeated at tacks of thc pirates mado demands for defense upon the limited resources of the colonists which their poverty, their scarcity ?f numbers, and a lack of arms munitions and ships of war made it hard for them to meet. But the Proprietors refused, or at least neglected, to come to their aid in these emergencies. .So that to raise thc funds necessary to boar the ex pense ol' procuring warlike and naval outfits, and to employ aid from friend ly Indians and neighboring colonists, thc colonists were obliged to resort to the expedieut of bills of credit, that is to say, paper money. Thc constant recurrence of this necessity at length piled np-a large debt, which came to bc a grievous burden to the people. This the Proprietors declined to assume or to pay. They manifested no concern in these affairs of thc colonists, huton thc other hand were continually cry ing out agaiust thc extravagance and the heavy expenses of the colony. At the same time they were clamorous in their demands for rents and the pur chase money of lands. Added to these causes of discontent was this, the Proprietors, having the power of appointment of all of the executive, judicial and administrative officers of the colony, were not always wise or careful in the selection of men to fill these places. Their appointees were sometimes incompetent, sometimes corrupt, and oftentimes harsh and ty rannical, but the Proprietors did not listen kindly to the repeated com plaints of the people against the offi cers. The people of Carolina saw that Virginia and the New England colo nies, which were under the immediate control of the British Government, were defended from their foes, pro tected in the rights, and were peace ful and prosperous. Hence the Caro linians continually importuned the British Government to take them un der its wing. That government, knowing the resources of the colony, was nothing loth to do this, and for years awaited a good opportunity and a fair excuse to grant the petition. These the Proprietors, in their blind ness and obstinacy, finally gave. In a last effort to impose upon the eolony the obnoxious fundamental constitu tions they set aside certain Acts of the Assembly, among them being an Act regulating the conduct of elec tions. This gave great offense to the colonists and raised a strong protest. About the same time they flagrantly violated an agreement which they had made regulating the disposition of the lands which had been abandoned by the Yemmassee Indians when they fled to St. Augustine after their last foray against the colony. The Proprietary Governor, Robert J Johnson, who was personally popular with the people, sought to carry out the unpopular instructions of the Pro prietors. He dissolved the Assembly, and ordered another election under the regulations sent from the Lords Pro prietors. This was the last straw that broke the camel's baek of the patience and forbearance of the people. They openly rebelled. They elected an As sembly of their own, refused to recog nize the authority of Governor John son, and elected Col. James Moore their Governor. Feeling ran very ligh. Each party called on its friends; Governor Johnson called out thc roi itia, and for a time war was iintni icnt. But thc party of the people vas too strong for that of the Gover nor; they took possession of the pub ic buildings, convened their Assem bly and proceeded to declare the colo iy free from the rule of the Lords Proprietors. Governor Johnson made jtrong efforts to hold on to the reins )f government, and for a long time this conflict of authority raged. Fi nally the British Government stepped in, declared the charter forfeited, and took the colony under its immediate protection and government. And thus, in 1719, the Proprietary Gov ernment in South Carolina came to an end. And at this period doses the Erst volume of McCrady's History. Let us hope that the second volume will not be long delayed. But I am admonished that I am go ing beyond the limits of the "brief re view" to which the committee re stricted me. It is not possible, in a sketch like this,to do more than bring to the attention of the members of the Club the salient features of this ad mirable work. It must be read in de tail to be understood and appreciated. General McCrady has rendered meri torious services to his native State as statesman, as soldier, and as a Christ ian citizen; but he has accomplished no work in her behalf of more endur ing benefit than the writing of this history. In language as chaste and style as ornate and graceful as that of Lord Macauley he has written tins story of the birth of Carolina. It is greatly to be hoped that he will not j lay down the pen until he has finished t the labor of writing her whole history., j a part of which he helped to make, j It seems to me a reproach to the Leg j islature of the State that it refused to j appropriate the small sum of money jj asked for the purpose of putting this v durne in the colleges, schools and li braries of the State. At a time when we are crying out against the unfair ness and injustice of the writers of partisan histories, it seems a strange inconsistency to refuse so small a re quest in aid of the publication of a truthful, able and accurate history. I hope that the people of the State will encourage the author to contiue his labors by buying the present volume of his book. - Chicago now has a public billiard parlor for women players. DEAN'S PATENT FLOUR. EVERY BARREL GUARANTEED. Our Mill writes us that we, upon their r pponsibtlity, "may guarantee every Barrel of D?an ?fe Ratliff''a Fancy Paten B-an ?fe Ratli?Vs Patent, Bean's Patent, Dean & Ratline's Choice Family, and Dean Ka.hfiV-'s Standard, and thar, they mean every word tbev say." Tois is a gilt edg guarantee, and we stand ready to make it good for them If you can get a guarantee Fiour at the parue price as a wild-cat article, why not buy the one that is guaranteed We want to say that we have the Cheapest line of Shoes in town-all new styles, Dress Goods of all kinds, and Light and Heavy Groceries. Te snit a poor man's pocket book. All we ask is a trial. DEAN & RATLIFFE. 9fr- Parties owing us for GUANO will please come forward at once and close dreir accounts hy Note, as we requiro this to be done by May 1st. B. & R. S?^^B PLASTICO j 1 M|||W ?k COMBINES J* I H Uigjp ?i i I ^L^l; CLEANLINESS AND || Ul ^S==S=4I1J|I^'^ DURABILITY.?* M m i'ACKEo tv 5 MI. PACKAGES. AND <TT WILL NOT RUB OFF." W M ,"? iMvnmc CAN BRUSH IT ON W M NO ONE CAN RUB IT OFF! || Pl?stico is a pure, permanent and porous wall coating, and does not require ^ |jjs taking off to renew as do all kahmnines. It is a dry powder, ready for use ?grj by adding water (thc latest make is used in cold water) and can be casih* ^ p| brushed on by any one. Made in white and twelve fashionable tints. & ffef? 5?| For full particulars and sample card ask J* S ?>g? i HILL-ORR DRUG CO. ? CUBA MUST BE FREE ! If you want to enlist at once and at a good salary apply to - - - D. C. BBOWF Sc BRO, And they will assist yon. IF you don't want to enli&t, but want to buy your Goods for the least money apply to D. C. Brown & Bro. We will sell 200 Barrels Straight Flour ut. $4 75 250 Barrels Best Familv Flour at. 4 25 50 Barrels Good Family Flour at. 4 00 70 Barrels Low Grade Flour at. 3 50 We handle HAY, CORN, OATS, BRAN, and all Heavy Groceries, and are selling them below all competition. On SHOES and DRY GOODS we are headquarters. Come ami see us. D. C. BROWN & BRO, Next to Post Omeo. DURING THE SPRING MONTHS While business is supposed to be dull, we have decided to offer CiltKAT IN DUCEMENTS in our large and well selected Stoc'i ol'. DRY GOODS, NOTIONS, HATS and SHOES. We have peveral thousand dollars worlJi of these Gooda that wc are going to sell lor less than same Good? can be bought for elsewhere. No wind-work about ihi?. Come see for yourself. We carry a Splendid Stock of Heavy Groceries, And make Specialties of Fine Flour, Molasses, Coffee, Tobacco and Sugar. If you will honor ns with a visit when you want to buy your next bill, we will appreciate it and make it mighty interesting for you. Tonie see for yourself. Yours for Traffic, BROWNLEE & VANDIVERS. AN OPEN LETTER To MOTHERS. WE ARE ASSERTING IN THE COURTS 'OUR RIGHT TO THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE WORD "CASTORIA," AND "PITCHER'S CASTORIA," AS OUR TRADEMARK. /, DR. SAMUEL PITCHER, of Hyannis, Massachusetts, was the originator of "CASTO RI A," the same that has borne and does now bear - on every the fae-simile signature of C^Ss^^fi???c^^ wrapper. This is the original "CASTO RI A" which has been used in the homes of the Mothers of America for over thirty years. LOOK CAREFULLY at the wrapper and see that it is the kind you have always bought ~~ on the and has the signature of Out^/?fA&?j?^ wrap per. No one has authority from me to use my name except The Centaur Company, of which Chas. H. Fletcher is President. March 24,1898. JJ ?* j Do Not Be Deceived. Do not endanger the life of your child by accepting a cheap substitute which some druggist may offer you (because he makes a few more pennies on it), the in gredients of which even he does not know. "The Kind You Have Always Bought" BEARS THE SIGNATURE OF Insist on Having The End That Never Failed You. THC CCNTAUft COMPANY. TT MUMMY STTiCCT, NEW TONK CITY. . BAGS, BAGS, BAGS ! [ am again buying Bags-Save them np and bring them and your Hides ! ITyou need a good STEEL BANGE OE STOVE IT bottom prices, either for Cash or ou time for a good Note don't, Ail to see ny line. I will swap you a New Stove for your old'one or fox Cattle, and ?ive you the market price for your Cattle. Now is the time to get you a goad Stove before cotton-planting time. Tinware, Crocfcery, Glass, Lamp Goods, A. SPECIALTY, Thanking yon all for past favors, and soliciting a continuance of same Respectfully, .10HN T. BURRIER CARDEN SEEDS. Cf yon want to have a good barden plant good Seeds. WE ARE SELLING D M. FERRY & CO'S. SEED! Everybody knows they are the best. Buist's Seedling Irish Potatoes, Yellow and White Onion Setts, MuJti >lying Onions for planting. See us before you buy your Flour, Coflee, Sugar, Molasses, Tobacco, )r anything in the Grocery line. OUR PRICES ARE RIGHT. Yours for business, _ OSBORNE & BOLT. THE OLD, RELIABLE Furniture Store! - OF - B* F. TOJJLY m mom Still in the Lead ! They have the Largest Stock, Best Quality, and Certainly the Lowest Prices ! OTHERS try to get there, hut they miss it every time. New, beautiful and select Stock of Furniture, Ac, arriving every day., ind at PRICES NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE. Here you have the Largest Stock ; therefore, you ??n get :ust what you pant. Here you have the Best Grade of Furniture ; therefore, you ?an get ?oods that will last. Here you have the very LOWEST PRICES ; therefore, you save gooiJ tig money. SOT Come along, and we wiill do you as we have been doing for the la? ?rty years-sell you the very best Furniture for the very lowest prices. Bffi, The largest Stock in South Carolina and the Lowest Price in the kmthern States. New Lot Baby Carriages Just Keceired. C. F. TOLLY &> SON, _Depot Street, Anderson, S. C._ THIS IS NO FAKE ! rhat Jewelry Palace - o JP - WILL. R. HUBBARD'S, NEXT TO F. and M. BANK, Has the Largest, Prettiest and Finest lot of . ?MAS AND WEDDING PRESENTS IN THE CITY. Competition don't cut any ice with me when it come* to prices. I don't uy goods to keep. I want the people to have them. Gold and Silver Vatches, Sterling und Plated Silverware, Jewelry, Clocks, Lamps, Ulina, pectacles, Novelties of all kinds. Rogers' Tripple Piate Table Knives S 1.60 er Set. A world beater. WILL. R. HUBBARD.