Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-05-20
Aisturg uf $. Garolina.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Early Settlement of South Carolina.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
For various reasons, the proprietors and
the first Inhabitants of South Carolina, never
acted in perfect harmony. The. proprietors
were unable to carry out their plans of gov
ernment, from tie fact that, under the cir
cumstances, these plans we're impracticable in
forest Another reason why the proprietors
failed in their plans, arose from the peculiar
character of the immigrants. The result was
that neither the conditions of the charter, nor
the Fundamental Constitutions, either as
originally drawn up, nor as subsequently al
tered at various times and in different respects,
never were complied with in the colony. The
Atlantic rolled between the proprietors and
the colony, and the latter seemed to have be-
gan to breath the air of freedom the moment
they landed on the shore Of Carolina. This
was the case, also, in the two colonies which
had been previously planted under the same
charter in what is now the State of North
Carolina. At this distant period, where the
scenes are all enacted, we can see the point to
which things earl ly commenced to drift. The
proprietors were not always wise in their acts
toward the colony; but generally they were
liberal in supportngit. Up to the time of
the founding of the present city Of Charleston,
the colony had cost the proprietors, in one
way and other near, if not altogether one
hundred thousand dollars AS yet they had
received nothing in return for all their trou-
BILE and expense in founding the colony, and
the prospects were, unless some changes were
made, by no means encouraging tor the tu-
ture. They became disheartened and vexed.
The Fundamental Constitutions, which they
had not hesitated to declare we're "unaltera-
bIe," they changed time and again; but to
their chagrin the immigrants persistently re-
fused to adopt them. Joseph West, whom
the proprietors had declared to be the httest
man for the office of Governor, was removed,
and Joseph Morton was commissioned. No
doubt the proprietors thought, or at least
hoped, that this change Of Governors would
produce change in the general aspect OF the
colony. 1t did effect change; but not for
the good of the colony, and surely not for the
proprietors. When West vacated the office
of Governor, and Morton commenced his CUB
ernatoral career, the colony was in very
aourishing condition. Immigrants were COM
ing in from all quarters. The Capital was
fast building up. The only draw back seems
to have been the health of the locality. For
number of years, from June to October, it
was very sickly and the people went else
where to reside during this season. This, no
doubt retarded its growth very materially
On the 10th of May, 1882, the proprletors
issued instructions to divide the province into
three counties. This Morton did, and named
the counties Colleton, Berkley and Craven.
The county lines were vague and poorly de-
fined. Colleton embraced Port Royal and
the adjacent islands, together with the inland,
for distance of thirty miles from the coast
Berkley, in which was the Capital, was limit
ed by Stono creek and the Sewee river.
Craven county contained all northward to-
ward Cape Fear At this time, Craven coun-
ty contained but few settlers. In the other
two counties, there were between fifteen hun
dred and two thousand inhabitants, the most
of whom were in Berkley. The proprietors
ordered that an election should be held in
London-now Witown-and Charles Town,
for members who would compose the Colonial
Parliament. Ten were to be chosen from
Berkley and ten from Colleton.
In order that an individual could be chosen
a member of the Parliament, it was necessary
that he be the owner of five hundred acres Of
land, in the county from which he was chosen.
1t seems that at the last election for members
of the Parliament, many individuals had sent
their votes by others. This was justly re-
garded by the proprietors as dangerous
practice. Still, no provisions seem to have
been made to establish election precincts. In
country full of hostile Indians, and with
deficient means of travel it was very great
undertaking to attempt to 60 few miles from
home. Every mans presence was required
on his own farm. Previously, the members
of the Parliament were chosen at Charles