New-York tribune., 1899-07-30

THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT QT9I776) BY
Edward McCrady. Octave, PIP. xviii Si7. The
Macmillan Company.
The literary enterprise begun by Mr. McCrady
in his South Carolina Under the Proprietary
Government is carried good step toward COM
nletiOn in the present volume, which brings the
narrative down to the brink of the Revolution.
This middle chapter lacks something of the
co,or and picturesqueness which went inevita-
bly TO the making of its predecessor, and for
which We may confidently look in the book which
tie author will next put through the press.
The period Of the old Landgraves and Caciques
had within il too many perncious elements to
endure; but while ii lasted it marked by
many curious and interesting characteristics,
suringing at once from the lndeveOped nature
s,f the region and the abnormalty OF the ad-
ministrative fabric. Similarly, the Revolution
ary epoch in South Carolina is rich in fascinat-
inS material for the historian. and the third
instalment in Mr. McCrady's valuable work
vii be awaited with considerable curiosity.
In the volume before us South Carolina wears
>slp aspect not dissimilar to that Of other colo
/nies; she is for time less markedly indi-
vidual than has been her wont. But she pre-
sents, as always, a spectacle of suggestive po-
htiCal fermentation, Of notable social and indus
trial conditions.
When the royal government was established
= there were many unsatisfactory things be-
Nqueathed by the earlier regime which had to be
corrected. The bad state of the currency was
not the least of the evils to be remeded. sue
cessive Governors labored, sometimes Wisely
sometimes foolishly, to purge the body polite
of its ills and the country prospered. What IS
more interesting to us than even this impor-
tant fact is that the people, having been
forced by the abuses of the proprietary rule
to think about public affairs, were now dis
posed to be more exacting than ever. "The
colonists in South Carolina" says Mr.. Nc
Grady, were closely following the development
Of the principles OF government in the mother
country The Commons, claiming to be the i'm
mediate representatives of the people were as
scrting for themselves al the power and privi-
lrges of the Commons in the Parliament or
England They were watching closely and curb-
ms upon every occasion the exercise OF any
questioned prerogative Of the Governor ana
Council" From this time on the story OF the
colony is the story of political sef-consclous-
ness slowly but surely urging the people toward
the Revolution. Yet it is important to relnen-
ber that for long the ideas of revolution were
hardly dreamed Of In South Carolina, we
read "an enemy to the Hanoverian succession
vas scarcely known 1hlS was because dh q"
of prosperity had dawned with the change in
= Government, and lasted until the last quarter
of the century. The population increased ana
luxury was brought within the reach OF so many
Srhat there was little cause for social discomfort
The first and second Georges, according TO
Ramsay were nursing fathers to the province
and the affection they lavshed on their SUD-
jects in South Carolina was reciprocated with
warmth. MI McCrady says: THE Caroiihiahs
were fond Of British manners, even to excess
To such an extent was this carried that Dray
ton adds they too much pTeJudlced in
favor of British manners, customs and culture
to Imagine that elsewhere than in England any
thing of advantage could be obtained. They were
not satisfied, it is said, unless the very Dicks oi
which their houses were built were brought from
England. Though unsUited TO the climate the
models of their houses were after those OF the
houses in London and the English country
seals Their furniture and carriage horses
chaises or coaches, must all be Imported IN
vain did the coachmakers in Charleston ad-
vertise in The Gazette that they could buid
&C good The tailors and milliners brought out
tn, fashions from London. In February, l'ol
neruke maker from St James, London ad-
vertises in The Gazette his arrival, and that
no has taken q shop IN Broad-st, where he ir-
tends to follow his business; has brought over
u,,h him q choice assortment of English nan
and other material belonging TO his business
be promises both ladies and gentlemen 'ha'
their business will be done according 10 the
best and newest fashions, that they shaI w
fitted TO the greatest nicely so that their "ies
shall never shrink in the foretop par's or conn
down; he promises the ladies that their tetes