The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-09-10

began its life" Not indeed without
internal discord, for the revolution in
Carolina was almost civil war, many
of the best people clinging to their
loyalty to the crown OF England.
Families and churches were divided.
The assistant rector of st. MichaePs
Church was asked to resign for
preaching "a most unmannerly dis
course" in which he addressed his en-
tirely aristocratic congregation "aS
silly clowns and illiterate mechanics
who ought not to censure the conduct
of princes and governors" The Rev.
Mr.. Smith, rector of st. Philips, how
ever tooh the side of the colonists,
and was pablcly thanked for preach
ing a most patriotic and Christian"
sermon before the new congress.
And soon the British fleet under Sir
Peter Parker appeared in the harbor
of Charleston and after fierce en-
gagement with Fort Sullivan was en-
tirely repulsed; and William Henry
Drayton cried. "We established the
first independent government; we
alone repulsed British fleet"
In May, 1871, President Washing
ton visited Charleston. Great was
the honor done him, and there were
many balls and receptions and speech
es; and on Sunday service in st. Phil
| ip's Church in the morning and st.
Michael's in the afternoon. Gravely,
as he did everything, does Washing
ton set down in his journal the ac-
count of his visit: went to a concert
where were 400 ladies, the number
and appearance Of which exceeded
anything | had ever seen."
Again: "Was visited about two
o'clock by a great number of the most
respectable ladies of Charleston, the
first honor of the kind | had ever ex-
perienced; as fattering as singular"
The next visitor came near en-
broiling the government in war. The
French Revolution had burst up
on the world. The imaginations of
the people who had just won their own
freedom were excited. France had
helped them, too. Were they not in
bare justice to help France now? In
the midst of the excitement Citizen
Genet landed in Charleston to be
minister of the new French republic
to America. He was received with
enthusiasm, and assuming that Am
erica was going to decide for France
he began to fit out privateers in
Charleston harbor to prey on English
commerce. But Washington had de-
clared for neutrality, and fortunately
General Moultrie, the governor, was
as wise and calm as Washington, and
the excitement was allayed, and the
president demanded the recall of NJ.
Genet.
In 1919 President Monroe visited
Charleston. There were the usual
functions, banquets and speeches. One
morning the president breakfasted
with Mr.. j. R. Poinsett-and that was
quite the thing to do at that time,
Mr.. Poinsett being a gentleman of
great culture who lived in villa out
side the city walls, surrounded by q
wonderful garden-for he was noted
flor his breakfasts and his flowers
one, which he naturalized in his gar
den in Charleston, being named after
him, Poinsetta.
In 1925 General Lafayett on his tri-
umphaI progress through the country
visited Charleston.
Another visitor to Charleston was
Mr.. Thackeray, and many tales are
still told of his extraordinary rude
ness and lack of gentle manners.
From now until the Notification
days Charleston was in the height Of
its prosperity; the city was rich, cul-
twed, comfortable and happy. 1t
did not like Mr.. Andrew Jackson; it
very greatly loved Mr.. John C. Cal
houn. Sad for the city was the day
when st. Michael's bells rang out the
dismal tidings of his death and tolled
as his funeral cortege passed on its
way to his burial in st. Philips church
yard. Six horses caparisoned in
mourning trappings which swept the
ground drew the catafalque and the
longest procession the city had ever
seen followed
Dark days followed, too, internal
.dissensions between those who stood
for states rights and those who stood
by the Union, and gradually a grow
ing anger spread as the news of the
John Brown raid was told and final
ly the election of Mr.. Lincoln.
South Carolina, as she had led the
way in the Revolution, now impetu-
IouSly led it gain. In St. Andrew $
hall, the scene of so many gay par
ties, the convention met which passed