Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-11-25
EARLY IMMIGRATION.
Why People Came to and Settled
in North Carolina.
Governor Tyron's Opinion of tho North
Carolina Province in I7es The Reason
Why They Left the Old and sourh, Now
Homes.
CWritten for the Raleigh Post by sallie
Walker Stockard.)

W.
The years between l74e-1771 wore
years OF immigration. AS in the time of
the Goths whose hordes swept down
from the north upon southern italy in
droves and swarms, like focks of
raven. so from the north came our
early settlers, aetuated by an unknown
principle.
Governor Tryon, in n letter TO tho
h -, oil Trade, in August. 1866. said:
an OF opinion this province is
settiinS faster than any other on the
continent. Last autumn and winter
upwards of one thousand wagons
passed through Salisbury with fon-
mes from the norihward, to settle in
TINS province chiefly; some few went
TO Georgia aud Florida, but liked it so
indifferently that some of thnm h,vo
since returned.
The dispatch containing the pat
ents L have granted since my admins
ration VIII show TO your lordships the
great increase of settlers in the west
ern or back country.
Ihese inhabitants are Il race of peo-
PIE differing i'll health and COMMISSION
from the natives of the maritime ports
VI the province; as much as Il sturdy
Bflton differs from n puny Spaniard:
III the present situation of my health,
l may include myself among the
latter"
Great waves of theories sweep over
earth like storms. Once it is religion,
and again it is discovery; as in the
tune of Raphael to paint the face di-
vine was the center OF human study;
IN the time of the Crusades to find the
Saviour's tomb. furnished the great
neld for ambition; so in the 18th CEN
tury to discover new lands gave human
nature something it were good TO do:
TO travel over earth was epidcmic-Co-
lumbus. Du Cana. Magellan. Drake.
serve as examples.
The following go years were years
of immigration. Length of years the
world requires to comprehend new dis
covered truth. New discoveries offer
ed new hopes. All eyes looked toward
the west and saw 4 puisant nation
arise, waving silvery pinions freckcd
with gold and jewels. What the couu-
try lacked in these. imagination gratu-
ousiy supplied. Health and wealth and
youth 1t promised, spreading out its
wings to gather to its bosom a willing
brood.
New lands offered new life: old mis-
takes of the old might be buried be-
hind To migrate was epidemic; to
move to town is now.
Why so many left their homes,
friends. government, property and pro
lection is n mystery. The measure of
revolution was brooding over earth.
Fixed forms of thought they then as
sailed. Visions of Utopia were playing
upon the fancy of men. Coleridgc.
Wordsworth, Shelley and Lord Bryon
give testimony to this indispensable
restlessness. For hundred years it
kept exploding like some terrible. un-
certain. intermittent volcano. 1t. spit
n m a rl1 In
healthful stroke, Kidding itself of
some venom to ripen the rest
Both England and the continent were
in turmoil then. Human nature had
grown restless; the progeny of the
Goths again were lashing to wild I'M
rest the sea of human action. Crom-
we'll and Milton, the instrument and
spirit, had hammered on the temple of
English freedom. Then, as the east is
for peace, so is the west for progress
and unrest
These reasons and more authentic
ones are given to tell us why the early
settlers coming from Pennsylvania
S2-1749-moved through wilderness
slowly like an avalanche for thous-
ands of miles to the territory now
known as Guilford. About the same
time there came from Scotland, from
Wales, from Ulster. Ireland. some by
way OF Pennsylvania, others by Char
lesion. S. {. Friends came from far
away and cold Nantucket, and the
Dutch from the German homes upon
the river Rhine 10 the province of
North Carolna-to GranVillc'S one
eighth part granted TO him by his grace
King George iii.
The reasons for their coming have
been discussed at length by the his
toric. But did they come from cold
Nantucket seeking a milder climate in
western North Carolina from Penn
sylvania for fine cattle lands and |
greater elOow-roOm: from Virginia |
TO be rid of the Church of England law |
and political prosecutions; or had |
John Lawson's history and tos through |
the section had it's desired effects? |
He described n good land and ali its |
virtues manifold. its luXuriant vegeta-
ton. its perfect climate. its congenial |
environments-wh where the women all |
got married and the men all got rich |
or-held Office
The thirty years dcpopuatcd n large |
territory. which gave its quota toward |
the making of our composite nation. |
Southern Germany suffered horribly. !
Soldiers treaed men ana women as |
none but the vilest of mankind treat |
brute breasts. When Augsburg was |
besieged by the lmperialists. after the
Nordlinsen victory, it contained a. pop
ulation Of over rocco souls: after
siege of seven months 10000 living beg
gars, wan and haggard. remained and
the great commercial city dwindied
down to a country town. Up the
Rhine from Cologne, the country was
demolished. Queen Anne invited them
to England some escaped to Holland;
10000 of these (many OF whose names |
may be found in Pennsylvania records.
see Col. Rec. Vol. 81 landed at the
Philadelphia seaport in 1852, and years
following thither our people trace their
ancestery. Many church records point