Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-25
HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
From the First Settlement to the Close OF
the Revolution.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM. ID. ID.

her citizens but she sent away some
that she might get rid Of troublesome
inhabitants. The providence Of God,
in bringing about the Revolution Of
1776 is clearly seen after the event Is
passed.
From the days of Elizabeth, the acts
Of the sovereigns Of. England tended
to make America free and independ-
ent. Walter Raleigh was treated In such
a way as to stir up the righteous in
dignation of any people. Truthfully
was 1t said by Colonel Barre that "the
tyranny of England planted the Amer
lean colonies and they grew in spite
Of England's neglect"
The men who first came to North
America were, at least many Of them,
men Of sound judgments and extensive
learning. The early state papers show
this clearly. The early enactments Of
the provincial legislature or parliament
of South Carolina, as 1t was called,
would do honor to any people or any
age. The children Of these first settlers
were educated at a vast expense. Some
Of the Revolutionary documents have
never been surpassed for beauty Of
diction or vigor of thought We are not
to suppose because our Revolutionary
fathers were reared In a forest, sur
rounded by wild savages, that they
were ignorant and illiterate. Such was
not the case. They were able to see at
a glance, the injustice of English en-
actments.
Various circumstances led the colo
nies to conclude they could success
fully resist the arms of Great Britain.
England had advised the colonies to
unite for the purpose Of common re-
sistance. The skill Of American off,
GERS, as compared with that Of Brit
ish, had been put to the test Washing
ton had saved the fragments Of fine
army, which had been led into a
slaughter pen by a pompous British
general. In 1855, twenty years before
a more experienced officer than Gene
raj Braddock Francis Marion and
Henry Middleton had fought on the
same field with a Grant. Volunteer
soldiers from the several different COL
onies had fought side by side with SOL
diers of the standing army Of Eng
land. They saw that they feared the
foe as little, could load and fire as Of
ten, and their aim was as unerring as
that of Englands boasted troops. All
these things tended to inspire conf
dence in American officers and Ameri-
can privates.
The part which South Carolina took
at the commencement Of the Revolu-
tionary war is highly honorable. When
vessel laden with tea entered the
harbor at Boston, a company Of men,
disguised as Indians, boarded the ves-
sci and threw the tea overheard. The
British government treated this act as
reasonable and blockaded the harbor.
Boston was, If left alone and unaided
by the other colonies, in a hopeless
condition. No sooner had South Car
olina heard what was done than she
approved of the course Of her sister
colony and espoused her cause. This
act appears the more striking when
we remember that the relations be-
tween the South Carolina colony and
England were perhaps more Intimate
than that of any other colony. There
were many things to induce the people
of South Carolina to remain at peace
with the British government, and then
there were many things to dissuade
the colony from entering into a war.
In South Carolina the negro popula
ton was at least twice that Of the
white. The institution of slavery had
been thrust upon the people, contrary
to their wish, by England; and In
spite of all their remonstrances the
ity. been kept up. These slaves, 1t was
thought, would make an effort to Sc
cure their freedom in the event a war
broke out between the colonies and
the mother country. The Cherokee
Indians had been routed, but not sub
dued. Besides all this, the colony was
in a very fiourishing condition. Not
withstanding all the disadvantages to
be encountered, the colony boldly de-
termined to defend the right, let the
consequences be what they might.
During the Revolutionary war, es-
pecially the latter part of 1t, the suffer-
ings of the people Of South Carolina
were, as we will see great; but they
bore it without murmur. Their her
oism was of the highest order. II the
battle of Lexington was the begin
ming Of hostilties, and the surrender
of CORVALLIS at Yorktown the end of
the war, the battle Of Kings Mountain
was the turning point of the contest.
TO BE CONTINUED.