The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-26
MR.. PITTMAN ON JOHN PORTER
AND THE CARY REBELLION
His Lecture Before the Summer School on Very
Interesting Epoch i'm North Carolina
History
History.

About this time the King gave to eight
of his favorites the great territory OF
Carolina and invested them with roya
privileges and powers of government
Archdale, proprietor, after he had been
Governor, says of this grant: "The char
ter generally as in other charters, agrees
| in Royal Privileges and Powers, but
especially at that time it had an over
plus power to grant Liberty of Con.
science, although at home was hot per-
scouting time
The Lords Proprietors were men of
affairs and entirely familiar with the
situation in England. 1t was evidence
of their sagacity to procure the clause
authorizing them to grant liberty of con
science, through which they could make
strongest appeals to both the fears and
hopes of men, who were to be induced to
leave their homes for the unknown ex-
periences of a wild and unsettled country.
few weeks after the grant we find Sir
John Collector writing to the Duke of
Albemarle: THE persons that at present
design thither expect liberty of con-
science and without that will not goe.''
Two months later the Lords Proprietors
offered as an inducement for settlers: eve
will grant in as ample manner as the I'M
dertakers shall desire liberty of CON
science in all religious or spiritual things
and to be kept inviolably with them we
having power in our charter so to do
A little later in the Fundamental Consti-
tutions of 1869, they state among other
reasons for granting religious liberty
that civil peace may be maintained
amidst the diversity of opinions and our
agreement and compact with all men may
be duly and faithfully observed" So it
is clear that men were induced to escape
the "hot prosecuting time at home" by
assurances of religious liberty, guaran-
teed by the agreement and compact of
the Lords Proprietors, under authority
of their charter.
Drawn by these and other inducements,
and by the natural attractions of the
country, settlers had located to the num-
Der of some 5000 in North Carolina, and
about a like number in South Carolina,
by the close of the 18th century. During
the forty years that followed the or
ganization of Carolina there had been lit
tie If any interference with the religious
observances OF the people. In fact salts
fled with the liberty assured to them by
the terms of their settlement, the people
seemed to trouble themselves little about
religion in any form. The majority were
at least nominally dissenters of whom the
greater number were Quakers, who were
also first to organize and were most ac-
tive and influential But a change was
now about to be introduced through the
politics of the mother country. Up to
that time church politics in England did
not greatly affect the course of events in
the colony. The inclination of Charles II.
to Rome moderated in a measure the
effective aggressiveness of the State
church. James H., as an out and out
Romanist, sought security for his own
communion by a show of tolerance tow
ards dissenters He sought their coop
Grafton for the conflict which was newt
able from the fear and hostility of the
British towards the Catholic church.
Their patriotism, however, was superior
to considerations of personal ease and Sc
curity, and they aligned themselves with
the forces that brought William and Mary
to the throne. William was a Calvinist
and Presbyterian. He already believed
in religious liberty. This with the graft
tude of the church people to the dissent
ers, for their late friendly course made
possible the federation Act which was
passed during the first year of William
and Mary. 1859.
The death of Mary in 1894, without is
sue, was the signal for new activity in
church politics. The Tories were high
upon whom the succession to the crown
had been limited, was of their party.
The Wings were generally low-church and
inclined to tolerance.
At the beginning of the 18th century
Williams health was so broken, as to
assure the early close of his reign. The
Tories and high-churchmen resented the
presence of dissenters in the Commons
and in municipal posts, who qualified,
Notwithstanding the Corporation Act, by
occasionally partaking of the sacrament
in the Church of England. Upon the
accession of Queen Anne an attempt was
made to strengthen the Corporation Act,
by new test act against Occasional
conformity This passed the Commons,
but failed in the Lords, which was still
held by the Wings.
And now. after so long time we come
to Carolina Lord Granville was a pro-
prietor and palatine of Carolina, a Tory
and high-churchman. He had been zeal
Gus for promoting the bill against cocoa
sion2l conformity" He was an avowed
and open enemy of dissenters and it is
said had been removed from a high posi-
ton because of the bitterness of his
speeches against them He determined
that though the Tories at home could not
exclude all who were not churchmen from
the Commons in Parliament, he at least
would make the attempt to do so in
Carolina" The effort was made through
| Governor Sir Nathaniel Johnson in South
| Carolina, and his deputy, Robert Daniel,
of North Carolina.
An act was passed in South Carolina
and ratified May 6, 1904 which required
that every person thereafter chosen a
member of the Commons House should
| receive the sacrament of the Lords Sup
per according to rites and usage of the
| Church of England in some public church
| upon the Lords Day. commonly called
Sunday and should deliver IN the SnaaL