The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1844-02-08
The Historical Sociriy Of the TaiTrnily d
keflh Carplil8.


kenh Carolina
The recent publication. under the di-
reeiion Of The Public Treasurer, of the
.lndexes 10 Colonial Documents" pre-
served in Inc q State Paper 0fEice," and
the I. Office Of the Board Of Trade" in
London. viii serve much more eifectusl-
II than any preceding work, TO q rect
and limit the inquiries OF the historian %
the proper objects Epr research.
The first charter of Carolina was gram
ed March 2ilh, 1868. The earliest settle
ment within our borders probably preceded
This date by a Few years. From the time
ofthe first settlement until the close Of
the Proprietary Government in 1870.
these Offices, when properly examined.
will probably afford numerous, IL NOT am
pie materials for history. This result is
not certain, however; and the presumption
in relation 10 il rests mainly on the Few
references TO This period, in the a Index
es," mentioned above, and the statement
contained in Mr.. Gallatin's letter, prefix
ed 10 The publication, that :. there will be
found among the records Of the Board Of
Trade, under the heads OF ]. Carolina and
Properties documents Of date prior to
The year l729, that relate 10 North Care
lima, and are not included in the Inder."
From The commencement Of the Royal
Government, in l729, until lis annihila-
-s-.ss- 81 sfsu nrvurutIun, a very slight ex-
animation sfthe s'Indexes' will satisfy the
inquirer, that there is no necessity 10 seek
for Information elsewhere. All The books,
pamphlets and newspapers ever published
IN North Carolina, together with all the
documents and manuscripts now in The
State. would, in relation to the history of
the regal government ofihe colony, consii-
tute comparatively meagre collection.
The most obs 'ure and critical portions
Of our history, are the periods extending
from the first charter 10 the termination
of the Proprietary Government, (l66S 10
l729-66 years. and from the era Of he
Mecklenburg Declaration MAY, I775,)
until the organization of the General Co
yernment, (4ih March. 1887
With respect to The former period, as
has already been iniimaied, much valuable
information may probably be drawn from
the archives o-the mother country. In
relation 10 the latter, il is certain that lit
tie knowledge can be derived from TO
reign sources. aud that every days DELAY
IN the prosecution Of inquiries at home,
dlninishes the prospect Of successful re-
search.
This society has been established, first.
for the purpose endeavoring 10 excite
such interest in the public mind in reg ard
TO the history Of the State, as may induce
the Legislature TO adopt early and efficient
measures, to obtain from England the
most interfering documents in relation 10
the Regal Governments: iogeiher-with such |
papers as mav be found to reflect ligh.
on the obscure history of the Proprietary |
Government Of Carolina; aud, secondly, |
TO collect. arrange and preserve at the !
University, as nearly as may be possible, |
one or more copies ui every book, pamphlet
andnewspaper published in this State since
the first introduction of the Press among
us in l7f9; all books published without, /
the Stae, in our own or foreign countries,
on the History Of 'arolina. and, especial
ly, all The records. documents and papers
TO be found within the State, that may
tend 10 elucidate the history Of the Ame-
rican Revolution.
Though many valuable papers con-
nected with this most interesting period,
have been recoverable lost, enough re-
main TO satisfy the most sceplical, that
Mr.. Jeferson's statement. that there
was no doub,fulness in North Carolina
that no State was more fixed or forward"
is sustained by clear aud indubisable tes-
iimony.
The. Society indulge the confident ex-
Pectaiion. that our most enlightened and
patriotic citizens will cooperate heartily
in the attempt to collect and perpetuate
these memorials; and they earnestly
solicit communications frnm gentlemen
everywhere, who have it in their power
to contribute in the slightestdeg 10 the
undertaking. They have asceriained the
existence. in various families, of collec-
tons of letters, written during the Reyo-
luton, and shortly subsequent 10 ii; and
beg leave 10 suggest that. in many instan-
ces, the arrangement and prosecution of
these relics. under the auspices of this
Society, may prove to be the most sp>