Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-07-22
Misturp Ut $. Gatnlina.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Early Settlement of South Carolina.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
On the death of Joseph Blake, in 100,
Joseph Morton, the oldest landgrave, was, by
a majority of the deputies of the proprietors,
elected Governor. The intentions of the
Grand Council were thwarted, and Morton
never entered upon the duties of the office.
In the colony there was man by the name
of James Moore This Moore was restless
character, bopelessly involved in debt. With
out extraordinary endowments, he was ambi-
tious, reckless and unscrupulous. Governed
in his acts, not bv principle, but by policy, he
was ready to do anything or espouse the cause
ofany party, provided there was slight hope
that such course on his part would retrieve
his ruined fortune or exalt him to position.
Moore was one of those strangely constituted
men who are never in their element unless
opposing some measure or some person. Eve
ry time that Moore's name occurs in the pre-
vious history of the colony, it is connected
with some opposition movement He was not
always on the wrong side; for he was, no
doubt one of those vascilating creatures that
readily unites with any party, and as readily
quits it.
The history of James Moore and Nicholas
Trott is intimately associated with all the
events of the colony, from the time of which
we are speaking up to the time that it passed
out of the hands of the proprietors into the
hands of the crown of England ; a period of
nearly twenty years. Both were unprincipled
and designing men, and were capable of in
stigating others to perpetrate base deeds.
When the majority of the deputies of the
proprietors, in accordance with the constitu-
tional regulations of the colony chose Joseph
Morton as Governor, James Moore, also one
of the deputies, opposed the choice, on the
ground that Morton had been commissioned
Judge of Admiralty, by the King of England.
All the previous history Of Moore proves
that this was vile subterfuge 1t was true
that Morton was Judge Of Admiralty, and
had been advanced to this position of honor
by the King; but this could not, in itself,
disable him from exercising the Office of Gov
ernor of the colony. Neither the Charter
nor the Fundamental Constitutions of the
province made any provision for any such Of
fee as Morton held. The necessity of such
an Office was admitted by all. Admitting
that it was unsafe in any individual in the COL
ony to hold Office at the same time under the
proprietors and under the King of England
or rather, to hold two Offices at the same
time-one under the proprietary government,
and the other under the Crown of England ;
James Moore was the last man in the world
that should have objected to such thing.
He had, but a short time before this, been ne
gotiating with the King Of England to work
the mines of the province for the promotion
of the interest of his majesty. So secret had
this negotiation in reference to the working OF
the mines been conducted, that it is very prob
able that few, if any, Of the colonists, except
those Immediately concerned in the scheme,
knew anything about it, Had they known
this fact, it is reasonable to suppose that they
would have rebutted Moore's arguments
against Morton with his own conduct The
only reason why James Moore did not hold a
commission from the King Of. England was,
that the English Board of Trade did not see
fit to give him one.
The unblushing audacity of Moore prevail
ed, and he, we may say, thrust himself upon
the people as Governor. He commenced his
administration with kind of political fraud
and deception, and its continuation was mark
ed by series of outrages seldom equaled in
the annals of government. In fact, the COM
mencement of James Moore's administration
marks the beginning Of the downfall Of the
proprietary government in South Carolina
A few individuals, amongst whom was
! Nicholas Trott, constituted themselves into a
kind of oligarchal rulers and inflicted upon the
people trouble of mind, suffering of body, and
intolerable expense. Sometimes these self.
constituted managers of the affairs of the COL
ony were agreed amongst themselves, and
sometimes they were not. To these restless
and evil-designing spirits, it was matter OF
the utmost Importance to have the members
of the Grand Council, and also of the Assem-.
bly,, either to think as they thought, or to be
wholly under their control. In November,
17O1, a new Assembly was chosen. All kinds
of frauds were practiced. Persons, in every
sense disqualified by law to vote, were taken
to the polls and voted. Strangers, aliens,
negroes and mulattoes we're not only permit
ted to vote, but solicited to do so. In this
fraudulent way some "men of no sense and
credit" were chosen members Of the Assembly.
Those who opposed such course were rudely
treated by the frantic mob which espoused
the side of the Governor and his party. At
this time Lord Granville was Palatine, and he
sanctioned the course of Moore, first by con.
frming him in the Office of Governor, and
then by treating with contempt any petition
that was sent up by the people of the colony
asking for relief from the high handed meas
ures of the Governor.
Notwithstanding the fact that Moore had
succeeded in having several individuals chosen
members of the Assembly, who were wholly
under his control, still the majority of the AS
sembly was true as steel. When the Assem-
bly, convened, petitions were sent up from va
rious quarters, but especially from Colleton
county, asking an investigation Of the official
conduct of the sheriff, who had acted as man.
ager at the precinct where the illegal votes
were cast. To prevent an investigation,
Moore by wise stroke of policy, prorogued