Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-13

city, and we propose in this sketch to
! give summary for the use of visitors to
this Sesqui-Centennial celebration of the
/ chief events preceding and accompanying
/ the planting and growth of the colony OF
] Georgia.
The story is familiar to all who have
! read the record and were it not so. it
( is too long to relate here. Let it be said
/ that the efforts of the nobility and gentry
/ IN the early part Oft the last century in Eng
land, after much thought and many fail
ures in behalf of remedies at home, finally
eliminated lii providing in our w estern
world "a home for those who, through
misfortune, had lost the comforts of Il
home in the Mother Land A"
To these benevolent spirits, Thomson
pays the deserving tribute.
And here can I forget the generous band,
Nho touched with human wo, redressive
searched
Into the horrors of the gloomy iail
Where misery means implied and unheard,
where sickness pines, where thirst and hun
ger burn,
And poor misfortune feels the lash of vice."
Under such benevolent impulses, and to
rescue sorrow from such suffering, these
generous men, headed by Oglethorpe,
who had been their prime mover and most
earnest leader, settle upon colonial
scheme. This was presented to the soYer-
eign, George H., and resulted in charter.
granted on the 9th of June, 1872, to the
tWenty-fOur associated petitioners: An
thOny, Earl of SALISBURY: John, Lord
NiscOunt Percival; John, Lord Viscount
Tyrconnel; James, Lord Viscount Linn
erick; George, Lord Carpenter: Edward
Digby, Esq; James 0glethorpe, Esq;
George HeathcOte, ESQ.,; Thomas Tower,
Esq; Robert More, Esq; Robert Hucks,
Esq; Rogers Holland, Esq; William Slo-
per, Esq; Francis Eyles, Esq; John La
roche, Esq; James Vernon, Esq; Stephen
Hales, A. NJ; Richard Chandler, Esq;
Thomas Frederick, Esq; Henry EApos-
tire, Esq; VIM. HeathcOte, ESQ.,; John
White, ESD; Robert Kendall, Esq, Alder
man; and Richard Bundy, ID. d.
This charter provided for a province to
he settled south of Carolina, and bounded
on the south ''by the most southern stream
of certain great water or river called
the Altamaha," to be called Georgia, in
honor of the Kings name. The right of
England extended much beyond, and was
therefore properly asserted and defended
by Ogleth0rpe in all his negotiations and
contests with the Spaniards. We shall
soon see, in the charter ITSELF the best
proof of the unselfishneSS of this scheme,
and of the generosity of it's propOsers; and
it is equally an honor to Georgia that the
personal character of its incOrpOratOrs
was as free from selfish greed as the
motive of its establishment was
benevolent. The trustees contributed
literally of their own means,
as well as solicited aid from public and
private sources; and the Ministry gave
100000 sterling through the persuasion of
OglethOrpe. This amount was all that was
left of the proposed endowment of Bishop
Berkeley's BishOpric in America, and
which, with Berkeley's consent to his
friend OglethOrpe, was granted by Par
. liar To ho tod
to the feeding, clothing, arming and
transporting those who offered to go over
and begin the settlement.
In less than six months from the issue
of the letters patent the first colOnists
were organized, equipped, and setIsail for
the wilds of Georgia, and the founder
himself, having ren0unced the ease and
comfort of his wealth and position, had
embarked with them, as father leading
his household into new land. Well does
Gen. Henry X. Jackson, President of our
SeSqui-Centennial General Committee, in
his late address, sum up the noble charac-
teristics of the founder and his brother
trustees:
"And when the scheme was matured and
the cOl0nistS were gathering, gentleman
and a soldier, the finest type of herOism
and benev0lence that ever planned or led
such an undertaking, from pure sympathy,
/ became their leader, and in the prime of
I life denied himself the luxurious ease and
refined intercourse to which he was enti-
tied by rank and education, and sought
and found his friends and associates
among the poor cOlOnists. OglethOrpe,
who thus became the Governor, in person
/ as in authority, was one of the trustees
to whom was granted the charter of the
/ colony of Georgia on June 8, 1872,
+ in the time of George H., whose name
was appropriately given to the colony.
| At their own request, and to show the
1 purely charitable motives of the trus-
/ tees, they had caused to be inserted in the
/ charter, clauses restraining themselves
/ from receiving any salary, fee, perquisite
/ or profit whatsoever by or from the under
/ taking, and also from obtaining any grant
/ of lands within the district, either them
/ selves or in trust for Them In entire
/ consOnance with this honorable course,
/ Oglethorpe himself led forth his colony
/ upon the condition that he was not to re
! ceive any salary or other recompense
/ whatever OF like Specification, too, was
/ the colonial seal, which bore the design of
/ silk worms feeding,' for silk raising was
/ hoped to be the future business of the
/ colony, and it illustrated the design by
the apt motto mon Sibi Sed dIiiS,' which
equally symbOlized the charity of the
founders and the trustees"
| Nor did the zeal flag nor the beneyOlence
Z
/ forts of a barOnial home and cultured So
/ ciety to the hardships of a new life. Ten
/ long years of the most valuable and enjoy
/ able part of his life, from his first leaving
/ England, November II, 1882. and landing
on the bluff Of Savannah, February l
( %. s. J, 1893, to his final return to England
/ in August, 1743, We're devoted faithfully
to the establishment, the protection and
/ the sustenance Of his poor colony. In these
;
traversed the stormy Atlantic six times in
behalf Of the infant colony, having made
two Journeys to England and back before
his final return, and having spent in all
eight years in Georgia, two years in En-
gland and ten months in the six voyages.
/ This was decade of constant Self-denial,
anxious cares and successful labOrs.
If, then, the story of the trials of a colo
ny's early years gives spirit and pride to
their descendants, GeOrgians may well
be proud of their early history. Pure be-
/ neVOlence caused its founder to embark
with the colony, and in person to preside
over its growth. Before the winter set in
the venture was made by the colOny's
embarking at Gravesend on the 18th OF
November, the Rev. DR.. Henry Herbert
accompanying as voluntary and unpaid
chaplain, and Mr.. Amatis, from Pied
mont, coming out as instructor III the art
Of raising silk worms. DR.. Herberts ca.
reer was a sad one, for, having staid in
Georgia but three months, he set sail fol
England, but he died on the passage home,
and the body of the first clergyman who
ministered in Georgia was buried in al
ocean grave.
The annexed statement from con-
temporary journal, gives us fresh inter
est in the expedition: The Anne, galley
John Thomas, master, of about two
hundred tons, is on the point of sailing
from Deptford, below London, for the new
colony of Georgia, with thlrty-fivt
families, consisting of carpenters
bricldayers, farmers, etc, who
take all proper instruments for theil
employment ON their arrival, The mel
are learning military discipline of the
guards, and are furnished with muskets
bayOnets, and swords, to defend the colony
in case of an attack from the Indians
The vessel has on board ten tons of Alder
man Parsons best beer, and will take il
at Madeira five tons of wine for the
service of the colony. Many of the trus
tees were on board for the purpose o
ascertaining whether they were suitably
accommodated and provided for; and (
take leave of the worthy gentleman % gle
thOrpe) who goes with them to take cart
of them and to direct in laying out theil
laws and forming town." GeRtlemdn''
Magazine, page 1929
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