The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-04-27
South South Carolina Carolina i UiiiidGGfi ttfh6 Tic fi'ir0GpIT Proprietary government GVPGrnmJnt


many thousands Of miles away from
civilization. Until VIC have read this
history Of their struggles with pow
crty, their dcprivations, hardships aud
the deadly and daily danger in which
they lived from the savage Indians by
whom they were surrounded, We can
not justly estimate the courage, the
hardihood and the fortitude Of these
settlers in the tracklcss forest. Mr..
McCrsdy does them full justice in his
graphic portrayal Of their history.
He dcvotcs much time and space
throughout his book to the purpose of
making clear how little the Lords
Proprictors comprehonded the nature
of the GRAND upon which they had
sent these people to this new country.
They were filled with ideas and dreams
of the founding Of empires and the
ainassing of untold wealth. Their i'm
aginations ovcrlcapcd all obstacles,
and they lost sight Of the labor and
time and money which we're necessary
to accomplish the gigantic aims they
had in view. They have founded an
empire, the grandcst in the world, and
the richest. But centuries Of time,
the sacrifice Of thousands Of lives and
the labor of millions Of men have been
necessary to achieve the result. To
show how little they understood the
nature Of the business upon which
they had embarked, it is sufficient to
say, that before q single emigrant had
been sent out. before any settlements
had been made, or even an expedition
had been prepared, they had engaged
the philosopher. John Locke, to draft
for them for the government of the
colony, Il code Of laws, which were
known as the Fundamental c0nstitu-
%tion,' which provided q system Of
government more elaborate and COM
p!ex than would have been suited &c
tho government of an old, long set
tied, populous and wealthy country.
Provision was made in Locke sConsti-
tuition for n Landed Aristocracy, to
consist Of Landgravcs, Caciques and
Barons, each with his enormous allot
mcut of lands and his fcudal powers.
! These fundamental constitutions
amended from time to time, the Lords
Prenrietors, throughout the whole
period Of their government CT the
colony, sought with all their might
and main to force On the people, who,
with all their might and main, resisted
the efforts, and upon having u voice
in making the laws under which they
lived. The pertinacity of the Pro
prietors in this particular was one Of
the very prime factors of the discon-
tent which ultimately led to the over
throw Of their power.
Naturally oil tho men who came to
position and prominence and welded
an influence in the affairs of the colony
receive careful consideration at the
hands Of the historian. His troat-
mens OF them, their actions. and CON
duct, his comprehension Of their sur
rouadings, their environments and Of
their motives, their lives and their
characters show him to be a keen OBJ.
server, q close reasoner and q fair and
just critic. [ was particularly i'm
pressed with this in reading what be
says or Chief Justice Trott, who, by
the way, reminds one Of what was said
of Lord Bacon, 'sthc wisest, brightest
and meanes Of mankind Tro.t
seems to have been a scholar, an emf
nont lawyer, a subtle theologian, a
politician and schooner, and an all
round old rascal. And yet he did q
great work for the colony. With inf
mite pains, labor and research, he
compiled and codifed such Of the
Statute aud Common Law of England
as was suited to the colony, and codi-
fed the Statute Law of the colony
itself, and so we'll was his work done,
that much was and may vel! &c for
given to him for his short comings in
other respects, which may oharitabiy
be ascribed, in part, to the influence
of the times in which he lived.
A prominent feature Of the book.
and it was to be so expected from so
jealous q churchman as is its author,
is that which deals with religion and
the various Churches in the colony.
BY the terms of tho charter freedom
Of worship was established. By the
terms Of the Fundamental constitu.
tons" the Church Of England was
established in the Province. Out of
this legal establishing of the Church
of England, and the attempts to lcgis-
late, both by the Proprietors and the
-