Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-06-10
Aisturg uf $. Garolina.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Early Settlement Of South Carolina.
BY REV, ROBERT LATHAM.

| BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
In 1851, Colonel Philip Ludwell, of Vir'
ginia, succeeded Seth Sothell as Governor Of
what was then called the Ashley River colony
On the death of Sir William Berkley, Philip
Ludwell married his widow, and was, in 1859
appointed by the proprietors to succeed Sothell
as Governor of the Albemarle colony. About
this time, the province began to receive the
titles North Carolina and South Carolina, but
no fixed bounds were established for many
years after.
In 1929, the province was ordered to be
divided; but nothing was done respecting it
until 1872. The dividing line was not run
until the year 1885, and even then, was not
executed with anything like correctness. 1t
was not until 1853, one hundred years after
the charter for settlement was granted, that
by order of George the Third, King of Eng
land, the dividing line between the two Sec
tions of the province was established. This
was found to be incorrectly located, and ii
was not until 1901 that the line was perma'
nently established. In 1876, the year after
the province was divided, silver medal was
struck to commemorate the event. This
medal was found, in cabinet of curiosities
in the city of Philadelphia, in the year lS45
The first line of separation between North
and South Carolina, was very different from
the present dividing one. The line, in some
places, was much farther south than the
present. York, Chester and part of Fairfield
together with several other counties, were re-
garded as being in North Carolina. The line
was, at one time, regarded as being as fal
south as Rocky Mount, in Fairfield county
We have an old document in our possession
which bears date, April 24th, 1772, in which
Rocky Mount is stated as being in North
Carolina. The territory which fell to the
State of South Carolina, by the correction OF
the dividing line, was called the "new acqui'
sition" 1t will be seen that up to 1929, the
colonies Of Carolina had common interest
They had different Governors, but the charter
under which they were settled was the same
So much has been said respecting the divi
ding line, in order to avoid confusion in
point of time, we have anticipated events
Hereafter, we will drop, only when necessity
requires it, the titles Ashley river colony and
Albemarle, and adopt those of North Carolina
and South Carolina.
From 1856 to 1895, the colony Of South
Carolina was in most wretched condition
The English settlers were disposed to treat
in an unrighteous and prosecuting manner
the French settlers. Prosecuted at home on
account of their religion, many men OF wealth
and influence had sold out their possessions
in France and removed to England, and from
thence they came to America. The proprle'
tors instructed the settlers of South Carolina
to receive these immigrants kindly. This
Governor Ludwell did but it is evident that
the English settlers were disposed to be hos
tile in their treatment to all immigrants ex-
cept those who came from England. This
was demonstrated by their treatment Of the
Scotch settlement at Port Royal under Lord
Cardross. The French emigrants generally
settled in what was called Craven county, on
the Santee. They were men of more means
than the English, and one reason why they
were disliked, was simply because they COM
menced their settlement under more favora-
BILE circumstances. Some of the English were,
no doubt, in fair circumstances, but the ma
iority were poor. Envy moved them to hate
the French because they were comparatively
rich. Such is human nature. The rich look
down with contempt or disdain upon the poor;
and on the other hand the poor view the rich
with an envious eye. The great reason Of
the bad feeling which the English bore toward
the French, was that national animosty
which the two people bore toward each other.
No good feelings we're cherished by the two
nations. The arrival of a colony of French
men, considerable in numbers, of itself ava
kened the hate-yhich had been slumbering in
the bosoms of the English on the banks of
Wando. They had no disposition to grant
them equal rights with themselves. On the
contrary, they determined to regard them
only in the light of foreign citizens.
The proprietors were more liberal in their
views than the people. Instructions were sent
to the Governor to allow the French colony
six representatives in the Colonial Parliament.
The English settlers declared that the propri-
etors, in granting this, had gone beyond the let
ter and spirit of the charter. Governor Lud-
we'll, who was kind and humane man, receiv-
ed the immigrants who came into the coun-
try, with marked civility. He did everything
in his power to make South Carolina an asy-
lum for those who had been forced to leave
their native country on account of persecu-
ton. He exerted himself that they might
not be disappointed in their expectations.
They heard, in Europe, that America offered