Year: 1875

intimation that the Spaniards were planning
an attack upon the colony. He called his
council and as many of the newly elected
members of the Assembly as were convenient,
together, and made known to them the condl-
ton in which the province was situated. The
Notifications around Charles Town we're in
no condition to resist an invading foe. Hav-
ing been hastily erected, and constructed out
of improper materials, the winds and rains
had greatly injured them. The Governor in
timated that since there were no funds on
hand for accomplishing the work of REPAIRS
and as the time for the convening of the AS
sembly had not arrived, it would be necessary
to raise, by private subscription, sum suffi-
cient to put the province in defensible con.
dition. Generously, he headed the list with
a subscription Of about two thousand hive
hundred dollars This was generous, manly
and patriotic but the die was cast. The
members of the Assembly who were present,
affirmed that the revenue arising from certain
imports were sufficient to meet the expense OF
repairing the forts. The Governor told them
the proprietors had repealed the law. The
membefs Of the Assembly replied that there
was an order requiring every man who re-
fused to pay these mposts to be sued, and as
for the repeal of the proprietors, it was their
intention to pay no attention to 1t. Chief
Justice Trott, member of the council, de-
clared that if an action was brought into his
courts against any individual for the purpose
of forcing him to pay the duty, he would give
Judgment in favor of the defendant. No sub
scrption was raised. The Council, and what
few members of the Assembly were present,
stood face to face, in determined opposition to
each others views The consultation effected
nothing but to widen the breach between the
people and the proprietary party. Rather
than succumb to the Governor and his Coun-
Gil, the Assemblymen preferred to leave the
province in an unprotected state, to be invaded
by their old and uncompromising enemies.


Governor johnson, moved no doubt by
praise-worthy motives, and having the pros
perity of the colony at heart, since he could
effect nothing through his Council and the
members of the Assembly, ordered the militia
ry officers of the colony to call out their men
and appoint place of general rendezvous
This order the military captains and men
willingly obeyed, but with far different inten-
tions from those contemplated by the Cover
nor. On assembling, articles of confedera-
ton, drawn up by the leading spirits of the
popular party, we're presented to the men and
signed by nearly every man in the province,
except council men.


The leading spirit Of this confederation, was
Alexander Skrine, one of the rejected men,
bers of the Council. Indignant on account
of the treatment which he had received at the
hands of the proprietors, he was determined
to push the opposition to the propretors to
the utmost limit. He was eminently quail
fed, besides, for heading democratic party.
He had, for many years, been secretary of the
Island of Barbados, and understood the
manner in which to conduct popular assem-
bles.


The Governor knew nothing of what was
goingon. His plantation was four miles from
Charles Town. Here he was all this time, no
doubt fretting about the past and planning
for the future On the night of the 9th of
November, 1719, committee was appointed
to wait upon him and inform him of the pres
ent -nnnditinn of things and make certain
propositions to him.


On the next day, November 28th, letter,
signed by A. Skrine, George Logan and Will
liam Slakeway, was prepared and sent to the
Governor. In this letter, the signers, in be.
half of the inhabitants, expressed their love
and esteem for the Governor, and asked him
to assume the office of Governor of the colony
in the name of George the First, until they
would hear from his majesty. The letter was
conveyed to the Governor at his plantation,
but the committee left Charles Town before
the Governor arrived. 1t seems that the
committee, on due reflection, hesitated about
holding an interview with the Governor.
Why they hesitated we are left to conjecture
This fact was almost the only circumstance
which gave the Governor any hopes of re-
gaining his authority over the people.


Trott now counseled mild measures. He
saw that there was no place for force. Gov
ernor johnson, aware Of Trotts influence with
the proprietors, readily fell in with the views
of the Chief Justice, and let things drift
Meetings were common amongst the people,
and various consultations were held and IN.
fammatory speeches made until the meeting OF
the newly elected Assembly, about the 10th
of December. The movement had, by this
time, became emphatically democratic. The
Assembly could act boldly, for the people
were ready to sustain them in their acts The
Governor, as usual sent them his message in
forming them that he and his Council, which
formed the upper house, were ready to join
with them in their transaction of business.
The Assembly replied to this message by 60
ing in body to the Governor, and through
Arthur Middleton as spokesman, declaring to
the Governor that they recognized him as
their Governor since he had been acknowl-
edged by the King; but as for the newly aP-
pointed Council, they regarded them as an il.
legally appointed set of officers and would
have nothing whatever to do with them
Governor johnson was now placed in fear
ful dilemma. If he acted in concert with the
Council, the Assembly would have nothing to
do with him and if he acted in concert with
the Assembly, he would virtually discard the
proprietors.


The Assembly soon discovered that they
occupied an awkward position. They had
been elected by writs issued by individuals,
whom they publicly declared exercised no
legal authority in the colony. To relieve
themselves from this inconsistency, they
changed their name and declared that they
we're not legislative body, in the usual sense
of that word but Convention of the people.
They proceeded to undo what the proprietors
had done, and even to declare that no one
who had held office under the proprietors
should be recognized any longer as an officer
in the colony. The illegality of the council
was argued because there we're more than one