Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-09-09
Aisturg 1T s. Garolina.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
EarIy Settlement of South Carolina.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.

\CoN FnO4u l>hoA "A|oA>'/
When Charles Craven entered upon the
duties of the Office of Governor, he made, in
April, 1872 an address to the House of Com
mons, in which he declared that the highest
aim of his ambition was to advance the pros
perity of the colony. Placing the colony in
proper state of defence, and making it the
most Aourishing colony in America would, he
said, be more pleasing to him than all the
glory that might be attached to the fact of his
being Governor of the province. The AS
sembly had the utmost confidence in the sim
cerity and honesty of the man, and, conse.
quently, the words which he uttered we're be-
lieved, not only by the Assembly, but by the
people. Charles Craven was not ONLY a pop
ular man, but he was pure man. The in.
habitants of the colony were aware of this
fact. New energy was infused into the peo-
pie, and the arts of civilization began to grow
and flourish under his benign influence.
In June, the Assembly voted seven thous-
and five hundred dollars for the purpose of
"building a convenient State house for the
holding the General Assembly, courts of JUS
tice and other public uses" This sum, at
present set apart by the Legislature for build.
ing of astate house, would be niggardly small
and indicate miserably low state of civiliza-
tion but when we consider that the colo
ny was only forty years old, and that it had
been involved in heavy expenses by a rash
invasion ofSt. Augustine under James Moore
that it had been invaded by the French and
Spaniards, and that it had suffered by floods
and disease, and its progress had been impe-
ded by civil chickering's and contentious when
we consider all these things, we are prepared
to conclude that seven thousand five hundred
dollars appropriated by the General Assembly
Of South Carolina, in 1712, was large sum,
and indicates the liberality and refinement Of
the people at that time. From the occur
renee of the word "convenient" in the title of
the bill, we may infer that previous to this
time no suitable house was in existence.
At the same time that an appropriation was
made for the purpose of building State
house, five thousand dollars were appropriated
for purchasing tract of land and erecting a
house upon it for the use of the Governor.
In the preamble to this act, it is stated that
the appropriation was made to obviate, in
future, the necessity Of the Governor living at
great distance from Charles Town, and that
the assembly might "give an instance of that
very particular Difference and respect, which
is so Justly due to the birth and merit of the
Right Honorable Charles Craven, Esq, our
present Governor" This preamble very
clearly indicates the good state of feeling
which prevailed in the Assembly, and conse'
quently in the colony. Three Commission
ers-Charles Hart, William Rhett, and Hugh
Grange-were appointed to purchase the land
and build the house. They we're charged not
to purchase less than one hundred acres of
land, nor more than three hundred. 1t was
to be within six miles of Charles Town. The
house was to be brick building, constructed
in such a manner as to be convenient Prior
to this time, the Governors had resided on
their plantations, except when necessity de-
manded their presence in Charles Town.
During the same session of the Assembly,
laws were enacted establishing schools in
Charles Town and in the province. Sums of
money were appropriated to individuals who
would erect saw.mills, inventrice mills, or i'm
prove the mills already in use in the colony.
Premiums we're offered individuals for making
potash, and liberal offers were made to induce
settlers to come into the country. The con.
tentions of past years died away, and the
frauds ceased which had been practiced here
tofore in the elections. Chief Justice Trott
was engaged in arranging the statutes, and
Col. William Rhett was appointed to several
Offices of Importance. The business in which
Trott was now engaged was more congenial
to his nature and education than the broils in
which he had been conspicuous actor Trott
was lawyer by profession, and evidently a