The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-11


OF Yorktown he was discharged. With DR..
Franklin. John Adams, and John Jay he
signed the prellminaries OF peace in 1882. He
then returned to South Carolina, broken In
health by his imprisonment In the Tower.
The people OF South Carolina offered him every
honor in their power to bestow. but he declined
all public employment and interested himself
In promo citing the welfare OF his family and his
fellow citizens. He died In December. 1892.
in his Goth year.
The following extracts are from a letter to
John Laurens, his son. dated Aug. IA. 1776.
1t consists Of ten closely written quarto pages
points OF interest, such as hia description OF
the reception OF the news OF the Declaration OF
Independence In Charleston and the first Brit
ish attack upon that city. But It's chief inter-
est is comprised in Its expression OF the views
OF this eminent statesman and his contempo-
raries on the subject of African slavery at the
time OF our own Declaration Of Independence.
The three subjects are SO commingled In the
letter that that It is better to give the extract
than to attempt its separation.
After describing recent journey to Georgia.
where he had been to remove crop OF rice
from his plantations further into the interior to
escape the "depredations Of the plckaroons
from st. Augustine" he says in referring to
those plantations:
My negroes there. all to man. are strong
~ attached to me. so are all OF mine in this
country. Hitherto. not one OF them has at
tempted to desert: on the contrary. those who
are most exposed hold themselves always
ready to fly from the enemy in case OF O sud-
den descent Many hundreds Of that color
have been stolen and decoyed by the servants
OF King George the Third. Captains OF British
ships of war and noble lords haze busted
themselves in such ingorious pilferaee to the
disgrace Of their master and their cause. These
llsh. Acts OF Parliament have established
r es vf nf srnas IN o,a e9
it. Men-oi-war, forts, castles. Governors.
authorizsd By the English Parlament to 20 p ane
ttect. regulate. and extend the slave trade;
e %sss by ss9 nS sod
slave trade. The British ParlIa mont now en- c
them, pretending to set the poor wretches
wSrse the ssa naes
where probably they viii become the properly
e again sna Q, some bn wh0 sit II
Gated wick edness appears in this, scene Oh.
Enagland how changed how fallen
estabil shed By British kings and Pariiaments.
Before m a. ound tho sEsa
religion and slavery growing under the came
npthOrit' and dis
Interest; The day hope Is approaching when
every man Will strive to BIO foremost In show
tng his readiness to c9mply With the Golden
my negroes produce II sold ut auction to.mor.
row, I am not the. man who ,enslaved them:
they are indebted to EngIishmen for that.
Nevertheless l am deysing means for mar
Oh oiRt the entail q = slavery: Great powers
SGVnn WHAT viii my say q, III
ddssRrys them q SO much estate These are
much as liza, can In my time and loave the rest to
""i't am I not one Of those who arrogate tbs
peculiar care OF Providence in each fortunate
event. nor one OF those who dare trust In
Sh the. %ho
ere as well entitled TO freedom as themselves;
/ perceive the work before me 10 great. shall
strange. but OF dangerous doctrines. II viii
theref9Te be necessary TO- proceed with eau,
In this AFFAIR. but US have no doubts concern-
ing your concurrence and appreciation. most
H6n Wish for your Ga IN rooS afh s
nRishia s,sp
northward OF Charleston bar For the his
tory OF this feet I refer you TO Jack Wells
added. His account. though true In general.
% the most bunGling and inaccurate Of any
thing ] have seen from him. II would be
at full length than to mend tho botchery
which he took q full month to compose
Upon tho tremendous range OF hfty-five sail
OF hostile ships before our doors and In full
view after Wishing that they had rather come
my duty to add to tho dignity OF Vice-P resl-
dent Of the colony. now state, the several on
GERS OF engineers. superintendent OF works,
contribute to the service OF my country"
He then describes his own exertions for tho
defence OF the rity-ths gathering OF volun-
teers from North Carolina AMI Georgia tho
arrival Of Gen. Leo to take tho command. aud
Eat tho approach OF the ships OF war toward
Suiliyant's, the rampArts and parapets Of Fort
johnson. where Col Gordon had chosen his