The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-26

in Carolina were out stripping the Tories
| in England, in their efforts to exclude
the dissenters from participation in the
| government" 1t is something dreadful to
| ina CINE what would have happened furth-
err to the poor dissenters, if those church.
men had succeeded in setting their reg
ular church discipline" as proposed
Further, this exclusion was in violation
of the rights of these people as well es-
| tablished for many years. AS early as
1879, the Instructions to Governor John
Harvey said: but in case anv man for
religions sake be not free to swear allie
glance to the King, then shall he subscribe
the same in q book for that case provided
which shall be deemed the same as swear
| ing" Such was the law and practice in
| North Carolina until the very time Of this
exclusion. The instructions to Gov. John
son expressly included instructions to our
Former Governors" his law the Quakers
| obeyed to the letter. Pollock bears testi-
mony that Col. Cary, Mr.. Porter u $
| took the oaths according to law. But the
| Quakers would show themselves singular,
coming to the table in the Council with
| their hats on, laid their hands on the book
and repeating the words of the oath ex-
|
not pronounce, but the word Declare in
stead thereof, and then having their ex-
| PLANTATION of the sense and meaning in
J which they took it, entered underneath
+, they signed it without kissing the book -
The contest had begun in earnest. Com
plant was made against Gov. Daniel to
Sir Nathaniel Johnson in South Carolina
with such success that he was removed
and Col. Thomas Cary sent out IN his
room. Col. Cary was Carolina merchant
of some property, and the sonin-law of
Gov. Archdale, the Quaker proprietor
Shortly before this appointment he was
Register of the Admiralty Court az
Charleston. He was most likely an ad
herent of the Church of England, and, at
that time, fresh from the presence and
association with Gov. Johnson, in sym
pathy with the effort to establish the
Church of England.
Upon his arrival the Quakers again
sought places in the Assembly and Courts.
He also rendered the oaths they had form
erly refused. They again declined them
and were again dismissed 1t was at this
time the law imposing the five pounds
penalty was passed. ''This, says Gordon,
SO nettled the Quakers that in the year
1906 they sent one Mr.. John Porter to
England with fresh grievances and new
complaints to the Lords Proprietors, who,
by his cunning management, and the help
Of Mr.. Archdale, a Quaker proprietor, OBJ
tanned a new commission, by virtue where
of Sir Nathaniel Johnsons power in that
province was suspended, Col. Cary re-
moved, and several new populations sent
by the proprietors, with power to choose
a president among themselves"
Porter has been called the 'cleverest
politician" in North Carolina. He knew
that previous changes had worked but lit
tie good to the popular party, and seems
to have devised a plan to test the next
man before he should be confirmed In
power. He got together the new depu-
ties without having a meeting OF the
Council as a body, and chose William
Glover as president of the Council and
therefore ex offclo Governor, dlsplaclng
Cary. But he with the IntatuatIon That
possessed the officials of the day, pur-
sued, we are told by Gordon that same
Method as their former Governors dlu.
1hereupon meeting was held OF all the
Council, who declared the election OIL
Clover illegal and reelected Cary, Glover
and CouncnIor Pollock alone protesting. IL
was great puzzle to the church politician
o. that day tnat the popular party SHOULD
be- dissatisfied with change OF admins
tratlon without d change OF policy also.
Doubtless Porter had been able TO bring
news from England which satisfied Cary
that the church-party could not expect
further support from the propretors at
that time. Indeed we learn from Poi
locks Letter book, that the Porter ele-
ment claimed IN the Council that the new
commission brought over by HIM revoked
the penal and disabling acts therefore
passed In North Carolina, and this con-
tention seems to have been accepted by all
the Council except Glover and Pollock.
AT this period the church party We're
run OF venom towards Inc Quakers anu
the popular party. Even as Iacltus wiz
A1e oI the early Christians describes their
doctrines as savage and snameluI Wnen
they breathed the very spirit OF peace
anu purity, and charged them with be-
ing animated with haired OF their kind,
wnen their central tenet was an universal
charity" so the High-cnurch Tories found
no lmputation too foul Tor the peaceful
folks we call Quakers. ignorant, OBJ
stlnate," wicked" ''permclous," are
Walker writes, If tnere lis not put q stop
to their growth, we snail the most part
become heathen." Another speaks
of "Quakers, Atheists Deists and other
evil disposed persons" Indeed their rall-
ing against them was only limited by the
terms of reproach IN the English tongue
which were at their cmmand. And all
because Freedom could not live under
the laws sought to be established IN North
Carolina and the popular party We're Aor
Freedom.
A SONG OF FREEDOM.
Freedom spake to the Greeks of old
When the Persian hosts rolled on,
And their answer was stern Thermopylae
And the plains of Marathon
And Leonidas and his Spartan few
Still make us glow and thrill,
And the very name of Salamls
Can move us strangely still.
Freedom spake to the fierce old Scots
When bid to bow the knee,
And their answer was Bruce and Bannock-
burn,