Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-11-25
Aisturp uf 8. Garulima.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
Early Settlement of South Carolina.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
Early in 1885, Robert johnson died. The
last law to which he assented, is dated April
%, 1876. He was succeeded by Thomas
Broughton. Robert johnson was Governor
of South Carolina in 1719, when the govern.
ment Of the State passed out of the hands of
the proprietors and became royal province.
In 1870, be succeeded Arthur Middleton as
the third royal Governor. Robert johnson
was more than popular-he was universally
beloved. To perpetuate his memory, mon
ument was erected at the public expense.
From the inscription over this monument, We
(seE9 Gfa The following facts: He died on the
was the first Captain General, Governor and
Commander.in.Chief, and Vice-Admiral of
the province of South Carolina after the pur-
chase Of it by the King of England. The
marble upon which these facts are recorded,
was given, we learn from the same source, by
the General Assembly as "mark of peculiar
esteem and gratitude" He was buried near
St Philips Church, of which he was mem
Der.
Hissuccessor, Thomas Broughton, had long
been connected with the colony. In ITO, we
find him contending, as one of the deputies Of
the proprietors, with Robert Gibbs for the
office of Governor. Again, we find him
speaker of the lower house of the Assembly,
under Nicholson and Middleton and now, in
1875, Governor of South Carolina. Thomas
Broughton is quantity described as "plain,
honest man, but little distinguished, either for
his knowledge or valor." He continued in
office until 1877.
At this time, that portion of the State south
of line drawn east and west across the State,
as high up as Kings tree, was partially SET
tied. In some sections Of this territory, there
we're only few settlers, and in other sections
there were only a few traders. In 17O4, a
trader, by the name of Henry Sterling, estab-
ished kind of trading post on Lyon creek,
in the present county of Orangeburg.
During the administration of Broughton,
as previously, multitudes continued to pour
into the country from Germany, Ireland, Scot
land and England. All of them we're Pro-
testants, and most of them poor. One of the
first acts that was passed by the Assembly
after Broughton became Governor, was ian
act to provide full supply for subsisting poor
Protestants coming from Europe and settling
in South Carolina" Previous to this, the
sum of FIVE thousand pounds-about twenty.
five thousand dolars-had been annually ap-
propriated, by the Assembly, for this purpose
but 80 great was the tide of immigration, and
so needy were the immigrants, that this sum
was found insufficient. 1t was proposed that
some of the immigrants be bound out to mas.
ters, for a term of years; but this proposition
was not acceded to, and tax was imposed fol
the purpose of relieving the poor.
Charles Town, about this time, presented a
very strange spectacle. Husbands we're seen
carrying all sorts of household stuff on their
backs, whilst their wives and children were
following at their heels, each loaded with
something The old settlers were kind, but
so great were the numbers of newcomers, that
all could not be comfortably provided for
Some of these immigrants were the SONS and
daughters of wealthy families, whilst many Of
them were from the humble walks of life
The tyranny of the governments of Europe
in conjunction with the oppression of land
lords, drove to South Carolina some of the
best families of the Old World.
These immigrants had, at first, many things
in common. Prominent among these was
the fact that they were, whatever might be
their nationality, all protestants At first the
majority of the settlers were Dissenters. These
dissenters embraced Presbyterians, Baptists
Huguenots and individuals who, although
members of the Church of England, were not
in full sympathy with it. The Huguenots
who we're what are known in Church history
as Geneva Presbyterians, gradually became
almost, as whole, part and parcel of the
Church of England. Many things made the
transition easy. Their forms of worship, in
some things, bore striking resemblance tc
those forms practiced by the Church Of Eng
land. They were kind ly treated and gently
dealt with by "the society for the propagation
of the gospel in foreign ports" By this so
ciety, ministers who spoke the French Ian
guage were furnished the Huguenots. This
had powerful effect upon the minds of these
French immigrants. Almost imperceptibly
the majority Of them soon became warmly at
tached to the Church of England.
In 1898 an effort was made to establish
Episcopacy as the form of religion of the pro
vince This law was modified in 1904, ano
Episcopacy became the established religion "
to the time of the Revolution in ITS. This
enabled Episcopacy to grow and flourish a
no other form of religion could. For this
particular denomination churches were built
and ministers supported out of the public
treasury. Dissenters not only had to build
their own houses of worship and support tbeil
own pastors; but also to contribute their part
to the support of the established church. AT
the time that Broughton was Governor Of
South Carolina the province was, when we
take everything into consideration, we'll sup
piled with churches and ministers of the gos'
pel With regard to the ministers, it may be
said that they we're men of learning and ex
cellent natural endowments.
At a very early period, the settlers of South
Carolina directed their attention to the propa
CATION of the gospel and the establishing Of
high schools. A public library was formed
in Charles Town, within thirty-6ve years after
the settlement of the province; and in l7lC
and 1712, free schools we're established by leg
islative enactments. In 1928, the Rev. Thom'
as Morrit proposed to the Assembly plan fol
establishing college.
The early settlers of South Carolina read
the Bible with great regularity, and the effect
was seen in all their acts, both public and
private. People that study the Bible and
make themselves thoroughly acquainted with
its history and its laws will always bel strong
minded people; and those who make its pre-:
cepts rule of conduct will always be moral
people.
During the administration Of Governor
Broughton, the Carolinians and Georgians
came very near becoming involved in &C.
rious difficulty. After Oglethorpe had put
the Georgia colony in state of defense, he
returned to Enpland. in order to adjust diff: