The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-16
THE MARYLAND COLONY
IN NORTH CAROLINA
DR.. Ffufham Writes of Colonists Who Had no Small
Share i'm the Making of This Common
Wealth.

OF the forces which. coming together
from different quarters, have made North
Carolina some are we'll known. The
children of the graded schools know ABOUT
the Germans and Scotch irish Oh INC
cantre and west, the Scotch on the O"to
,,oar and the Switzers, Palatines anu
1,,,,,,a,o+S of the lower Neuse. But they
hove not learned that colonies '"i-'e
from MARYLAND also, NANNY ilon,
hoautiful region which fringes the oneS
- nov They were not one WHIT os-
la III, others in high moral characIeF,
.+s,,;roroo ,r clear understanding anu
G., r,osn ~ the principles OF free rep
.onto+;ve government. In their laull-
.,;t,, with the usages of the best Social
1ifo thew were in most cases superior 70
49, o+bers They had no small share III
,ol,;nq of North Carolina. or them
- thoir work | shall write briefly as
o,,+rihution to the history OF the
State. into
Tho first of these colonies came into
+ho northeastern part of the State soon
artar the close of the fierce poiltlco-re-
uoious struggle which lasted from At'i
70 1715. The contention in arms, on the
bustings and in the Legislature, was over
but the bitterness and heart-Durnlhs
tho enmities in families and nelghpor-
hoods. the sectarian hate long continued
&C the new settlers were to discover ny
nainful experience. The leader OF THESE
immigrants was Paul Palmer, man ol
comfortable estate and line intelligence
BEFORE 1920 he was a land owner and Il
slave holder in Perquimans county, dl,i
he continued to add to his property uh''i
173S when he divided his estate between
his two children, son and daughtei'
He had travelled in the Northern coio-
MES and resided in New England, where
no still had friends and correspondents.
He was a cultured, tactfui, Wen ORE"
gentleman who had in him much OIL Ch9
materials out of which statesmen are
made: Baptist preacher who was uL-
firing in the work of his high Gazing. III
the. conditions which then preValieu IL
was inevitable that he should encounter
opposition. In 1920 he was 1ndlcted oh
..suspicion'' of being accessory to a Ielohy
nv one of his slaves. The indictment was
brought by Nicholas Crisp, VINO was oL
different religious faith and man OF
some prominence in the colony. Inc
lawsuit dragged along for two years, the
form of it being changed. Danlel RICH
ardson. the Attorney General, at iehsth
"absconded" the court to avoid appear
ing in the suit Finally no one appear
ing to prosecute the case was dismissed
And so of a suit which was brought
against Mrs. Palmer. There seems TO
have been purpose TO destroy Palmer
influence but it was Intellectual. In lI29
Governor Everard wrote that he was
making converts and hundreds were
coming to him and it was impossible to
stop him. He found the Baptists with
out organic life and therefore without
mower or permanency. The task to which
he first addressed himself was the due
organization of the informal assemblies
and the clothing of them with life and
power In 1927 he formed church near
his home. now known as Yopplm, Dc
tween Hartford and Edenton. Two years
later, 1923, he organized another on the
head OF Raymond's creek, Camden coun-
ty and had notice sent to the court OF
Pasauotank with petition to have the
notice recorded. Thenceforward his first
word to his brethren was, Organic, or
ganize. 10 ganize!" They needed him and
the worn went bravely forward. This
was the beginning of the Baptist de-
nomination in North Carolina There
had been Baptists in the colony from the
first but not a Baptist denomination be-
fore this time.
With the spirit and power of organize
ton Palmer brought into colony which
was filled with sectarian bitterness ana
strife, the lofty courtesy, the sweet toll
GRANGE and the large catholicity which
pervaded his native province of Mary
land for sixty years of its history. When
the indictment was first brought against
him he declined to make answer or give
bond for his appearance. 1t was only
after the case had been called and con-
tinued more than once that at the en-
treaty of friends he complied with the
conditions required of those against
whom an action is brought. A certain
sweet reasonableness with the power to
discriminate between mere eXpediency
and that which is vital truth, enabled
him to make converts from every rank
and condition of men and from all the
warning creeds about him. These quail
tbs nabld him TO bring into union with
they Baptists a considerable body of In
dependents or Congregationalists that ne
found in the province. They were the
remnants OF large and fourishing
churches of that persuasion in Nanse-
mond county, Va The centre of activity
and influence had been church on the
plantation of Richard Bennett William
Durant being pastor Bennett, afterwards
Commissioner, Major General and Gov
ernor of Virginia, was of course the
leading member. For a good while they
were unmolested and their growth was
so rapid that it was necessary to send to
Boston for pastors to supply the new
churches. At length Governor Berkeley
smote them with his heavy hand and they
were compelled to flee. thousand OF
them. with Bennett among them made
their way into Maryland and settled in
the neighborhood of Annapolis. Durant
thought he could remain in Virginia but
he was arrested and required to give
bond for his appearance in court. BY
advice of his brethren who could not
get away he followed Bennett to Mary
land. 1t would save them trouble. they
thought. and they paid the forfeit. These
things may be found in the records OF
Norfolk county-the arrest and escape
h.W.,. IA 10 f rNgf ~ ~