Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-08-05
Aisturp 1T $. 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.
James Moore became Governor of South
Carolina by the practice of fraud and deceit
and he so discharged the duties of that high
Office as to be neither honorable to himself
nor profitable to the province. Although the
official head of the colony, and the acknowl'
edged leader of clan, he is still by no means
to be regarded as true representative Of the
people; nor are his hasty and inconsiderate
acts to be regarded as the acts of the people,
He and his party, although in the ascendency
were by no means in the majority. There
are many evidences that in spite Of the party
which he represented, the colony still contin'
ued to advance in civilization and increase in
numbers. The majority Of the Assembly
were earnest in their efforts to promote peace
to advance the welfare, and increase the com
forts of those whom they represented. AS an
evidence of this, post.office was established
in Charles Town. and Edward Bourne ap
pointed postmaster. In 1898, a law was en-
acted that the masters of all ships coming into
the province should deliver all letters which
might have been entrusted to their care to
Francis Fidling, and to no one else. Whilst
this enactment of 1898 must have conduced
much to the convenience Of the people; stll
it was not contemplated by it to establish
post-office, but was designed rather for the
security of the province. Fidling was requir
ed to make a list of all the letters and pack
ages which came into his hands, and to KEEP
this list in some public place. On delivering
letter or package, he was required to write
the name of the person to whom it was de-
livered, opposite to the name of the individual
to whom the letter or package was addressed
For the delivery of each letter or package
Fidling was to receive six and quarter cents
and in each instance that he failed to dis
charge his duty faithfully, he was to forfeit
ten dollars.
The act, ratified September 10. 1902, was
to all intents and purposes, an act to establish
general post.office. This is evident from
the preamble which states chat "Several
(many) foreign letters are imported into this
province; therefore, for the maintenance OF
mutual correspondence, and the prevention Of
many inconveniencies that may happen by
miscarriages of the same, and that an office
may be managed so that safe dispatch may
be had, which is most likely to be effected by
erecting one general post-office for that pur
pose." The date of the establishment of 8
post-ofice in South Carolina is September the
10th, 1902. This was just a short time be-
fore the Governor and his troops set out to
capture St. Augustine.
The gubernatorial career of James Moore
was short. In 1903, he was succeeded by Sir
Nathaniel johnson. The commission of John
son is dated the 18th of June, 1902 Owing
to the troubled state of affairs, both in Europe
and America, the commission and instructions
did not arrive in the province until after
Moore returned from St. Augustine. AS was
the case with several other Governors, Ma
thaniel Johnson's commission embraced both
the Carolinas.
On the same day that johnson was commits
stoned Governor of North and South Carroll
ma by the Palatine and other proprietors
James Moore was commissioned Receiver
General Of South Carolina, Nicholas Trott
Attorney. General, and Job Howes Surveyor
General. Thomas Broughton was also, at the
same time, appointed Deputy for Lord Carter
ct. During the administration of Moore, po'
litcal strfes and ecclesiastical difficulties had
been engendered, and now they assumed a
tangible form and shape. Lord Granville
was one of those deluded creatures who think
that the religion of no one is worth any thing
which is not, in every respect, similar in all
its forms and ceremonies to that practiced by
themselves. In one word, Lord Granville
was maliciously opposed to all dissenters
His opposition was measured by his ability.
Nathaniel johnson was easily swayed by
Granville. Attorney.General Trott was a
man of decided talent and very considerable
learning, but, wthal, an unprincipled and
designing politician. James Moore would en-
ter into any scheme, provided there was fair
prospect of remuneration. With Lord Gran.
Vile as Palatine, and johnson, Trott and
Moore the chief officials of the colony, party
was organized to which it would be difficult
to give proper name. 1t was neither poit-
ical nor ecclesiastical and yet it combined
some of the features and assumed some of the
prerogatives of both. The party which had
been opposed to the course of Moore now de-
SPARED of redress.
A petition was sent to the grand jury, by
Edmund Bellinger, asking that the disorderly,
unbecoming and unconstitutional conduct Of
the late Governor be investigated; but to no
purpose. The dominant party exercised too
much power The prosecuting officers were
the most guilty persons. Deprived of what
they regarded as their inalienable rights, one
hundred and fifty of the best citizens of South
Carolina drew up fair and unbiased repre-
sentation of the facts and circumstances con-
nected with the late election riots in Charles
Town. John Ashe, who had been one of the
sufferers in the riot, was sent to England to