Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-03-09
HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
;. From the First Settlement to the Close OF
the Revolution
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1875
INSTALLMENT Xxx.
The First Post Office.

| INSTALLMENT Xxx.
The First Post Office.
James Moore became governor Of
South Carolina by the practice Of fraud
and deceit, and he so discharged the
duties Of that high Office as to be
neither honorable to himself nor prof
table to the province. Although the
official head Of the colony, and the
acknowledged leader Of a clan, he Is
still by no means to be regarded as
true representative Of the people; nor
are his hasty and inconsiderate acts
to be regarded as the acts Of the peo-
pie. He and his party although In the
ascendancy were by no means in the
ma jority. There are many evidences
that in spite Of the party which he
| represented, the colony still continued
to advance in civilization and increase
in numbers. The majority of the as
sembly were earnest in their efforts
to promote peace, to advance the well
fare and increase the comforts of those
whom they represented. AS an evil
dence of this, postoffice was estab-
'ished In Charles Town, and Edward
Bourne appointed postmaster. In 1898.
a law was enacted that the masters OF
all ships coming into the province
should deliver all letters which might
have been entrusted to their care to
Francis Fidling and to no one else.
Whilst this enactment Of 1898 must
have conduced much to the conven-
ience of the people; still, 1t was not
contemplated by 1t to establish a
postoffice; but was designed rather for
the security Of the province. Fidling
was required to make a list Of all the
letters and packages which came into
his hands, and to keep this list In
some public place. On delivering
letter or package, he was required to
write the name of the person to whom
it was delivered, opposite to the name
Of the Individual to whom the letter or
package was addressed. For the de-
livery Of each letter or package, Fid-
ling was to- receive six and quarter
cents and in each instance that he
failed to discharge his duty faithfully,
he was to forfeit ten dollars.
The act ratified September 10, 17O2,
was to al intents and purposes an act
to establish a general postofice. This
Is evident from the preamble which
states that Several (many) foreign
letters are imported into this prov
lnce: therefore, for the maintenance Of
mutual correspondence, and the pre-
vention of many inconvenience that
may happen by miscarriage Of the
same, and that an office may be man.
aged so that safe dispatch may be had,
which Is most likely to be effected by
ere citing one general postoffice for that
purpose" The date Of the establish
ment of a postoffice in South Carolina
is September the 10th, 1902. This was
Just a short time before the governor
and his troops set out to capture ST.
Augustine
Sir Nathanial johnson, Governor.
The gubernational career Of James
Moore was short. In 1903, ne was sue
ceeded by Sir Nathaniel Johnson. The
commission Of Johnson Is dated the
18th of June, 1902. Owing to the trou-
bled state of affairs both in Europe
and America, the commission and in
structions did not arrive in the pro-
vince until after Moore returned from
ST. Augustine. AS was the case with
several other governors, Nathaniel
Johnson's commission embraced both
the Caro,inas.
| On the same day that Johnson was
commissioned governor Of North and
South Carolina by the Palatine and
other proprietors, James Moore was
commissioned receiver general Of South
Carolina: Nicholas Trott attorney gen.
aral and Job Howes surveyor general.
Thomas Broughton was also, at the
same time, appointed deputy for Lord
Carteret. During the administration
of Moore, political strifes and ecclesi-
astical difficulties had been engender-
ed, and now they assumed a tangible
form and shape. Lord Granville was
one of those deluded creatures who
think that the religion of no one Is
worth anything which Is not, In every
respect. similar in all its forms and
ceremonies to that practiced by them
selves. In one word, Lord Granville
was maliciously opposed to all dissen-
ters. His opposition was measured by
his ability Nathaniel Johnson was
easily swayed by Granville. Attorney
Genera! Trott was a man of decided
talent and very considerable learning;
but .withaI. an uaprincipled and design
ing politician. James Moore would
enter into any scheme, provided there
was a prospect Of remuneration. With
Lord Granville as Palatine, and john
son, Trott and Moore as chief officials
Of the colony a party was organized
to which 1t would be difficult to give
a proper name. 1t was neither poll
tical nor ecclesiastical; and yet 1t
combined some Of the features and
assumed some Of the prerogatives Of
| both. The party Whlch had Deen OPP
posed to the course Of Moore now des-
paired of redress.
Moore Too Strong For Investigation.
A petition was sent to the grand
jury. by Edmund Bellinger asking
that. the disorderly. unbecoming and
unconstitutional conduct Of the late
governor be investigated; but to no
purpose The dominant party exer-
cised too much power. The prosecut-
Ing officers were the most guilty per-
sons. Deprived Of what they regarded
as their ina!ienable rights. one hum
dred and fifty of the best citizens Of
South Carolina drew up a fair and un-
biased representation Of the facts and
circumstances connected with the late
election riots in Charles Town. John
Ashe, who had been one Of the suf-
ferers in the riot, was sent to England
to make a statement of the facts in
the case. and lay the representation
before the proprietors. The complain
ants met with no encouragement from
the proprietors. The governor and
| Grand rounnil had done nothing con-