Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-05-27
Mistprp ri, 8. Garnlima.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Early Settlement of South Carolina.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. }
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK
No one can form even a tolerably correct
idea of American history, without knowl.
edge of the history of Europe, and especially
of England. Although only about fifteen
years had transpired between the landing of
the colony at Ashley river, and the departure
of Joseph West from the colony, still, great
changes had taken place amongst the proprie.
tors and in the English government. George
Monk was dead Ashley Cooper was commit
ted to the tower in 1851; in 1867 Clarendon
was banished for life; John Locke was forced,
in 1854, to leave England and take up his
abode in Holland.
On the 9th of FEBRUARY, 1855, Charles the
Second died, and on the same day bis brother
James ascended the throne with the title of
James the Second. On his death-bed, Charles
made a profession of the Roman Catholic
faith, and made confession to Father Hud'
dleston second rate priest James the Sec
ond was professed papist. This the protes-
tant part of the kingdom, and especially the
dissenting protestants, had been dreading for
years. Things had been drifting in this d.
rection for long time, and many had left
the kingdom and come to America that they
might escape future troubles. Not only did
individuals, unknown to fame, quit the land
of their birth and seek home in the wilds of
America but many persons Of wealth and
position bid an adieu to all that was dear, and
fled tothe New World that they might escape
the cruelties of a papal monarchy.
Amongst those who came to South Caroli-
ma, were Joseph Blake, from England, and
Lord Cardross, from Scotland. Blake was
brother of the Admiral. He sold out his es-
tate in Somersetshire and came to South Car
olina in 1858. From what we can learn con.
cerping him, he was an old man, and also a
man of exemplary life and of great influence.
The reason he gave for leaving England, was
that the miseries which the dissenters at that
time suffered were nothing, compared with
what they would be called on to endure under
the "reign of Popish successor" The son
of Joseph Blake was, in after years, Govern.
or Of South Carolina, and his daughter mar
ried Joseph Morton, another Governor.
Blake, by his presence in the colony, greatly
encouraged the sober and law abiding portion
of the people, About the same time, Lord
Cardross obtained permission to transport to
Carolina ten thousand immigrants. The pro-
prietors so altered the Fundamental Constitu-
tions as to be very favorable to these Scotch.
Cardross had been most unrigbteously treated.
His property had been destroyed by the
Kings troops and his income taken from him
and given to another.
In 1853, he, with number of families, ar.
rived in Carolina. A settlement was com.
menced at Port Royal. The town they found
ed was, in honor OF his wife, named Stuart's
Town. How many families and what number
of immigrants came with Cardross, it is not
easy to say. Some think that only ten fami-
lies came but there are reasons for believing
that there were more than ten. Amongst the
individuals who came, was Scotch clergy
man, by the name of William Dunlop. The
settlers at Charles Town viewed, with jeal-
Gus eye, the new comers Cardross was sum-
moned to appear before the Grand Council at
Charles Town, to give an account of himself
and colony. Irritated and disgusted at such
demands, he, as soon as his health would per-
nit, returned to his native land, and took an
active part in the Revolution of 1858. A part
of his colony remained, but in few years it
was broken up and malgamated with that at
Charles Town.
On the retirement of Joseph West, Joseph
Morton became Governor. His commission
was duly signed by the proprietors. In No.
vember, 1885, only few months after re-
ceiving his commission, Morton convened the
parliament, and agreeable to the instructions
of the proprietors, called upon the members
to subscribe to the Fundamental Constitu.
tions of 1882. Of the twenty commoners,
only nineteen were present. Only seven OF
this number would subscribe to the constitu-
tions. This irritated the Governor, and he
ordered the twelve who refused to comply
with the instructions of the proprietors, to
leave the house forthwith. The reason that
the twelve members gave for not su bscribing
to the constitutions of 1852, was that they
had subscribed to those Of 1869. These latter
the proprietors declared were "unalterable." "
The eight deputies and seven commoners went
to work and passed various laws. These acts
are entitled as follows: An act for the re.
straining and Furnishing privateers; an act
for the better security Of the province, &c. !;
an act for the revival of several acts of par
Lament heretofore made, &c an act for the
reviving and ascertaining the fees heretofore
chargeable to the register of marriages, births
South Carolina, edited by Thomas Cooper,
these acts are numbered, 26, o., %, 29, and
are signed by Joseph Morton, Robert Quarry,
John Godfrey, Paul Grimball, Stephen Bull,
Joseph Morton, Jr., John Farr, and Will
Dunlop.
About this time a serious difficulty occur
red between the settlements at Charles Town
and Port Royal, and the Spanish at St. Au-
gustine. In the country there were, at this
time, two notorious Indians named Antonio
and Wilma, who, besides acting as spies for
the Spanish, greatly irritated the various
tribes against the white settlers. In the year
1886, the Spanish at St. Augustine sent their
vessels, with an armed force, to attack settlers
at Charles Town and Port Royal. The force
landed on the Edsto, and first made an attack
upon the houses Of Joseph Morton, Governor,
and Paul Grimbal, the secretary Of the pro-
vince. Both these individuals were in
Charles Town on the day that the attack was
made. No sooner had the Spaniards landed,
than they commenced plundering. They
killed the brother-in.law Of the Governor,
took away about thirty slaves, and nearly ff-
teen thousand dollars worth Of other proper
ty. This secured, they set out to make an
attack upon the feeble Scotch colony at Port
Royal. Nearly all the men were sick, and
those who were in good health were in no way
prepared to defend themselves against the in
vaders. Some were killed others were taken
captive and inhumanely treated. Thus ended
the colony planted by Lord Cardross.
AS was natural, all party feelings we're laid
aside, and the repelling Of the enemy was
made common cause. The Provincial Par
Lament was assembled, and on the 18th day
of October 1886, an act was passed "for the