Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-07-01
Aisturp uf $. Garulima.
Written for the Yorkvlle Enquirer.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Early Settlement of South Carolina.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.

BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
John Archdale remained in South Carolina
only short time His arrival in the colony
was, as we have seen, on the 18th of August,
1895, and in the latter part of 1896 he return
ed to England. From the meagre material
which has been left US, it is not easy to give a
complete sketch of his life and labors. He
was Quaker by profession, and we have
good reason to believe pious man. From
his own account of his management Of Caro-
lima, he evidently was vain man. He had
good opinion of himself and attached very
great Importance to his labors, and was by no
means backward in expressing his opinions of
himself to others. He was weak man in
this respect. He was easily puffed up by the
batteries of others. He left the colony fully
convinced that he had settled all difficulties
that existed on his arrival, and had, by his
wisdom, laid a foundation deep and broad for
the future prosperity of the province. Such,
too, was partially the opinion of the people.
On the eve of his departure from the colony
the Assembly addressed through him ITO the
right honorable the true and absolute lords
propretors" paper which they are pleased
to style, "The humble address and recogni-
ton of thanks by the commons, assembled at
Charles Town" In this address the com.
mons declare that by the prudent conduct
and wise management of Governor Archdale,
peace and prosperity seemed to be in storefor
the colony. This made vivid and indellible
impression on the mind of John Archdale.
and he felt fully convinced that all that was
to do by the colony to make it every thing
that could be desired was that his plan of
government be carried out in the letter and
spirit. John Archdale did many good things,
but he did nothing to remove one of the main
causes of contention in the colony at Charles
Town. He so managed the affairs of the COL
ony that "the conclusion of all matters" to
use his own language, tended amicably," so
far as he and part of the people were con.
cerned !; but for another part of the colo
ny-the French Huguenots-he did nothing.
The special favor for which the people were so
grateful, and for which they returned thanks
to the lords proprietors, was that "some ar
rears of rents" had been remitted. That in
definite pronominal adjective, "some," seems
to indicate that the people were not even yet
wholly satisfied with the rental system.
Archdale was granted extraordinary pow
ers. He was made Governor of Carolina,
that is, of the whole province including what
we now call North and South Carolina. He
bought lands in Albemarle, in the present
State of North Carolina, and some of his de-
scendants are still in that State. In 1888, his
daughter, Ann, married Emmanuel Lowe, of
Pasquotank county. A daughter of Ann
Lowe married a man by the name of Pendle'
ton. Mary Pendleton married Dempsey Con-
ner. Frances Conner Blount, daughter of
Dempsey Conner, was the second wife of Will
liam Hill, at one time Secretary of State of
North Carolina.
During the administration of Archdale,
many very important events transpired. To
say that he had nothing to do with them,
would be to SANDER his memory; but to say
that he was the only agent in bringing about
these events, would be doing great injustice
to the memory of others. Some very impor-
tant laws, which were highly beneficial to the
colony, were passed But it should be re-
membered that there we're number of men
in the colony who thought for themselves,
and were not afraid to propose anything that
they thought would prove advantageous to
the settlement.
1t is admitted that these leaders of the
people were sometimes carried headlong into
measures by blind and unreasonable preju,
dice. They had no love for the French, n9f
had they much sympathy for the Scotqh.
Their treatment of the first immigrants from
Scotland and France was as wicked as it was
unwise. Notwithstanding all this, there were
men of skill and energy in the colony, and
many of them had been taught lessons Of
great practical Importance by Joseph West.
The passage of many of the laws was as much
the result of the mature judgment and expe-
rience of the people as of the wisdom of
Archdale. Giving the people what is due to
them is by no means detracting from the fame
of Archdale. During the time of Archdale's
administration the colony received some valu-
able accessions. The Rev. William Hubbard
wrote to Governor Archdale relative to the
emigration of several families from Massa-
chusetts to South Carolina. About the time
that this correspondence between the Rev.
Hubbard and Governor Archdale was in pro-
gress, considerable number of families left
Salem, Massachusetts, and came to Carolina.
The particular spot to which they came, was
some place in the neighborhood Of Sewee Bay.
About the same time a very important
company of emigrants came to the State from
Dorchester, Massachusetts. These individuals
were Puritans, originally from the southern
part of England. In the year 1880. on &C.
count of the many trials to which they were
|