Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-05-20

80.
Town, and now, in the face of the instructions
and wishes of the proprletors, they were
chosen at Charles Town again. Whether the
inhabitants Of Colleton were dissatisfied with
the manner in which the Parliament was
chosen or not, we are not certain; but the
proprietors were incensed and ordered the
Parliament to be disbanded and no other Far
lament to be called until their instructions
we're complied with.
This last order was equally disobeyed. The
Parliament went to work and passed various
laws. Among them was one which declared,
in substance, that "all prosecutions tor foreign
debts were suspended This filled the proprle-
tors with indignation, and they rallied out on
their deputies, and wrote to Governor Morton,
asking him : "Are you to govern the people,
or are the people to govern you ?" The pro-
prietors now found that Morton managed their
affairs no better than West had done. The
great trouble with them was, that the indi'
viduals whom they appointed Governors were,
to very great extent, unknown to them'
Not only 80, but people and Governors we're
implicated in the same crimes-lt crimes they
were-and breathed the same spirit. The
proprietors were not always consistent. They
granted privileges and then threatened to
punish those who had courage to enjoy them.
They made laws which they said were "unal-
terable," and then, in order to meet some new
case which might spring upon them, they
changed these laws. They granted permis-
sion to sell Indians at one time; and at anoth-
er, they deposed West because he sold them.
The proprietors were often 6ckle, and the
people unyieldng. The proprietors aimed at
accomplishing one object and the people an
other.
To meet the critical condition of things, the
proprietors determined to appoint man who
was not in the colony, to the high office of
Governor. Accordingly, in April, 1854,
Richard Kyrle, of Ireland, was appointed to
succeed Joseph Morton. Kyrle was a man of
some fame and of considerable energy. 1t
was thought that he would, by his energy and
skill, place the colony in a more favorable
condition toward the proprietors. In this ex'
pectation they we're disappointed for death
terminated his life some time during the first
summer after his arrival in the colony.
As an evidence of the eminent fitness of
Joseph West for the office of Governor, and
of his great popularity in the colony, he was
again, for the third time, chosen to that high
and responsible Office. He was not in the
colony at the time, but in October, 1884, he
was in due form chosen by the Grand Coun.
Gil, who immediatel ly wrote to the proprietors
informing them of their action. The proprie-
tors, although they had only short time be-
fore dismissed West, were now highly graft.
fed and sent him commission.
During the absence of West, which contin-
ued for q few months only, Col. Robert Quar-
ry acted as deputy. Quarry, although some.
times mentioned as one of the Governors Of
the colony, in fact, was only deputy. He
never was chosen by the Grand Council or
commissioned by the proprietors. At one
time he was Secretary Of the province, and in
virtue of this position he was honored with
the Office of temporary Governor:
At this time the sea was infested with a
band of pirates, partially, at least, under the
protection of the English government. These
pirates often came to Charles Town and re-
eeived various favors from the people, for
which they received ample compensation.
These pirates kept the Spanish at St. Angus:
tine in check. The proprietors, however, did
not favor this friendly intercourse between the
colony and the pirates. At least, they pre-
tended not to favor it but in this, as in many
other things, they were not wholly consistent.
The English government favored, to some ex-
tent, the pirates. To say the least of it, they
winked at their raids in many instances.
The proprietors were thoroughly English
in all their sentiments COL Robert Quarry
was bold and imprudent in showing favors to
these robbers on the sea. So'imprudent was
his conduct, that he was deprived Of the Office
of Secretary.
In September, 1854, Joseph West returned
and assumed the duties of his Office. A great
change had taken place in the colony since
he was succeeded by Morton in 1852. The
proprietors had so changed the laws that it
was almost impossible for the people to pay
the "quit-rent," which was about two cents
per acre. At first the landholders had been
allowed the privilege Of paying this quit-rent
either in money or in produce. Now the
money was demanded, and failure to pay
the money subjected them to forfeiture Of
their lands 1t is easy to see that this new
law placed the poor colonists in very critical
condition. Many of them saw that in the
midst of a boundless forest, where land was
in great abundance and settlers few, they
were, for the want of few pence, about to be
turned out of house and home. 1t was vain
to entreat for mercy. The proprietors were
irritated and declared that they had a right
to do with their land as they pleased. They
claimed the right to sell their land for what.
ever they saw fit. This right they insisted
upon.
The parliamentary difficulty was still un-
settled. Maurice Matthews, Arthur Middle
ton and James Moore, then perhaps the most
influential members from Berkley county,
had been expelled from the Parliament be-
cause they had engaged in sending Indian
slaves from the colony. In the meantime,
the proprietors sent instructions to West in
which all the former laws and regulations Of
the colony we're abrogated. The proprietors
evidently determined to make a complete
transformation of the colony. West saw that
the condition Of things was hopeless. No
room was left forhim to exercise his own Judg-
ment in the government Of the colony: lie
gave up the task as hopeless, and retired.
Here the history of Joseph West ends.
Whether he quilted the colony entirely, or
went, as some think, to his plantation on Ash
ley river, is not certainly known. 1t is more
than probable that he left the colony entirely,
from the fact that his name never again ap-
pears in any of the records of the colony. 1t
is barely possible that man of Vests wis
dom, influence and popularity, could have
lived in the colony in perfect obscurity. His
own public spirit would not have permitted
tbio ond his feIlow.citizens would not have