Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-26

more valuable legacy to the posterity Of
Charleston than their old-fashioned dig
nifty and contentment, their respect for
religion and morals, and the exclusive
ness which has protected their homes
II the commercial spirit is to take pos
session Of Charleston. let US hope that II
will permit the individuality Of the city
to be preserved.
One Sunday at St. James Church. on
Goose creek, during the revolution, Far
son Ellington. in due form and with his
usual fervor. prayed:
THAT it may please Thee to bless and
preserve our sovereign lord, King
George" He expected the usual Sua. re, re-
good Lord" But. to his CONSERVATION.
the silence was broken with the treason
able words: GOOD Lord. deliver US
A similar response should come from
toms and habits. which are much more
valuable than Chippendale furniture and
four-poster bedsteads.
The people Of Charleston may abolish
ineonvenient to dine at that hour than
1t was in the olden days; and 1t will do no
harm to lay sewers and pave the sandy
streets and increase the number Of the
cotton mills and fertilizer factories; but
another petition should be added to the
litany for protection against the invasion
Of the Charleston home.
x00SI1L0Q 4SuOSUClSS.
The people here came honestly by their
aristocratic tendencies. If you will 60
to the ancient city library, which. be-
lieve, was established as far back as 17Os.
by DR.. Bray. commissary of the Bishop
Of London, who gave the librarian dis
cretionary power as to what volumes he
should loan to certain people. because
several Of the books had been lost and
others damnihed." you will find a curious
copy Of the original constitution Of the
province. 1t was prepared by Lord Ash
ley. afterward Earl Of Shaftesbury, with
the assistance of that great philosopher.
John Locke. and was intended. among
other things. ito avoid too numerous
democracy"
THIS was done by establishing a nobility
based upon the amount of land owned by
according to his means without regard to
birth. or breeding, or service to the state.
Some people have claimed that the titles
Of nobility which passed with the owner
mote the sale Of the lands which had
been granted by the king to the proprie-
tors Of the province. but that Is neither
here nor there. As plantations were sold
for nominal prices, poor men as well as
plutocrats could acquire titles. Twelve
and there were many baronies; twenty
four thousand a marquis and forty eight
thousand a landgrave. which explains the
appearance of these titles in the early his
tories Of the state.
BY tho charter from the king the coast
territory now included in the states Of
North Carolina, South Carolina and Geor-
gia, extending westward ito the South
sea-, which was supposed to be some
where In the neighborhood of Birmingham
or Montgomery, was created "a county
palatinate," In which the king delegated
his authority to the Oldest of the proprie-
tors, as his ancestors had delegated it to
that feudal potentate. the Lord Bishop of
eminent was cited by Charles II as a
model for Carolina. The palatine was
authorized and instructed by the king ito
build forts. castles and towns, to make
laws. levy taxes and customs, establish
the Church Of England. put down rebel
lion. tumult. suppress sedition and pur-
sue the enemies of his majesty the king
All Of these ancient rights and privileges
and regal functions were conferred upon
the palatine OF South Carolina. Ito have.
any Bishop OF Durham In our kingdom Of
England ever heretofore held, used or en-
joyed."
Unfavorable to Royalty.
The scheme did not work. The atmos-
phere of America was not favorable. but
the spirit which inspired it has been trans
from generation to generation. even unto
the present day. Perhaps the French
Huguenots who came over between 1850
and 1888 to minsle with the English aris-
tocracy may have had some influence in
modifying these regal pretensions. They
had narrowly escaped death upon the
revocation Of the edict of Nantes; they
had suffered terrible hardships in their
flight and emigration. but were kindly
treated by the lords proprietors Of the
Archbishop of Canterbury. and were pro-
| vided with a ship by King Charles him.
self. who admonished them upon their ar
| rival in his province to cultivate wine, oil
and silk Few Of them obeyed his injunc-
| ton. Most Of them became merchants
and artisans. teachers and physicians and
performed other professional duties in
the little colony and the influence they
exercised survives today.