The affembly being diffatisfied with the tenures by which they held their lands, petitioned the proprietaries, that the people of Albemarle might hold their poffeffion on the fame terms on which the Virginians enjoyed theirs, which was granted.

In 1665, the proprietaries appointed John Yeamans, a respectable planter of Barbadoes, commander in chief of Clarendon county, ftretching from Cape Fear to the river St. Matheo, and he was at the fame time created a baTo fecure its profperity, the fame powers were conferred, and the fame conftitution established, as thofe which had made Albemarle happy.

ronet.

A fettlement was all projected to the fouthward of Cape Romain, which acquired the name of Carteret. Thus a variety of feparare and independent colonies, each of which had its own government, its own affembly, is own cuftoms and laws, were established in Carolina.

In June the proprietaries obtained a fecond charter, which recited and confirmed the former. They were enabled to make laws for the province, with the confent of the freemen of their delegates; and likewife to grant titles of honour by the creation of a nobility. No one prerogative of the crown was referved, except the fovereign dominion.

Samuel Stephens, Efq. was appointed governor of Albemarle in October 1667, and was commanded to act agreeably to the advice of a council of twelve, the one half of which he was to appoint, the other was to be chofen by the affembly. The affembly was to be compofed of the governor, the council, and twelve delegates chofen annually by the freeholders. Various regulations provided for the fecurity of property; and no taxes were to be impofed without the confent of the Affembly. The proprietaries might mean no more, than that neither they, nor the governor and council, fhould impofe taxes without the confent of the Affembly; but the mode of expreffion tended to confirm the people at large in the opinion of their being exempted from all taxes which had not the confent of their own affembly. The feitlers had their lands confirmed, and granted to be now held by the free tenure of foccage, exprelling a certain rent and independence. All men are declared entitled to equal privileges, on taking the oath of allegiance to the king, and of fidelity to the proprietaries.

It was not till 1669 that an affembly conflituted as above mentioned was convened; when it was enacted, "none fhould be fued during five years for any cause of action arifing out of the country, and none fhall accept a power of attorney, to receive the debts contracted abroad." Hence this colony was long confidered as the refuge of the criminal, and the afylum of the fugitive debtor.

The proprietaries at length, diffatisfied with every fyftem which they had hitherto devifed for the government of their province, figned in July a body of fundamental conftitutions compiled by the celebrated Locke, giving as a reafon, "That we may eltablish a government agreeable to the monarchy of which Carolina is a part, and may avoid making too numerous a democracy." By this edict a palatine was to be chofen from among the proprietaries for life; who was to act as prefident of the palatine court, compofed of the whole, which was intrufled with the execution of the powers of the charter. A body of hereditary nobility was created, and denominated landgraves and caciques; the former were to be invefted with four baronies, each confifling of twelve thousand acres, the latter to have two, containing one half of that quantity; and thefe eftates were to defcend with the dignities infeparable. There were to be as many landgraves as counties, and twice as many caciques,

but no more. Two fifths of the counties, flyled figniories and baronies, were to be poffefi by the nobility; the other three fifths, called the colonies were to be left among the people.

The provincia legiilature, dignified with the name of Parliament, was to be biennial, and to confifl of the proprietaries or landgraves, or the deputy of each, of the cacique nobility and of the reprefentanves of the freeholders of every diltrict, who were to meet in one aparament, and every member to enjoy an equal vote: but no bulineis was to be propofed till it had been debated in the grand council, whofe duty it was to prepare bills for parliamentary confideration. The Grand Council was to be compofed of the governo, the nobility, and the deputies of the proprietaries (thefe being abfent,) and was invefted with the executive of the province. The Church of England was alone to be allowed a public maintenance by Parliament; but every congre gation might tax its own members for the fupport of its own mimflers; and to every one was allowed, perfect freedom in religion. However the moft degrading flavery was introduced, by invefting in every man the property of

his negro.

Thefe conftitutions, confifling of one hundred and twenty articles, and containing a great variety of perplexing regulations, were declared to be the facred and unalterable rule of government in Carolina for ever: and yet they were never altogether adopted. The parties engaged in this act of legiflation fhould have reflected, that the inhabitants had fettled on conditions which were no longer in their power to abrogate; and that in the forms of government which had been actually elablished, the people had acquired an intereft which could not be taken away without their confent.

A number of emigrants were fent over in January, 1670, under William Sayle, Efq. appointed governor of that part of the coaft which lies fouth-west of Cape Carteret, to form a colony at Port Royal. They arrived fate; and as it was found impracticable to conform to the conflitutions, it was de ermined to keep as close to them as poffible. Sayle dying, Sir John Yeamans had his command extended to and over this colony, in Auguft, 1671. This year feveral planters reforted from Clarendon on the north, and Port-Royal on the fouth, to the banks of Ashley river, for the convenience of paftuce and tillage, and laid on the firft high land the foundation of old Charleston. The proprietors promulgated temporary laws, till through a fufficient number of inhabitants, government could be adminiflered according to the fund-inental conftitutions. The temporary laws were of no long duration, being derided by a people without whofe confent they had been eftablished."

In May, 1674. Jofeph Weft, Efq. was appointed governor of the fou thern colony, in the room of Sir John Yeamans, with whofe conduft the proprietaries were diffatisfied. But the difficulty of eftablishing the colony was not overcome for years; not till people repaired to it at their own expenfe, and men of eftate ventured thither under the full perfuafion of being fairly treated. In expectation of fuch treatment, the Diffenters being hai raffed by perfecutions in England, and dreading a Popish fucceffor, emigrated to Carolina in great numbers, and made a confiderable part of the inhabitants. They acquired the honour of introducing religion into the province, while they ftrengthened it alfo by their perfonal acceflions. But the pom.fing appearances of the country inviting over many of a very different flamp, after a while difturbances followed.

The planters being informed that the Cyfler-Point, fo delightfully formed by the confluence of the rivers Afhley and Cooper, was more convenient than

No. 25.

what was fixed upon eight years before, and the proprietaries encouraging their inclination, they began to remove, and in the year 1680, laid the foundation of the prefent Charleston, and built thirty houfes. It was inflantly declared the port for the purposes of traffic, and the capital for the administration of government. It was long unhealthy; but the adjacent country being now cleared and cultivated, it is allowed to enjoy the most falubrious air of Carolina.

Though the province had been formed into manors and baronies, it was not till 1682 that it was divided into three counties. In the autumn of this year, Governor Weft held a Parliament, and afterward immediately refigued his adminiftration to Mr. Jofeph Moreton. Thence commenced a reiterated change of governors. Kyrle, Weft, Quarry, and Moreton, were faccellively appointed. There was a fimilar change of every public officer. Thefe changes produced turbulence and faction, and the fcenes of anarchy produced by these measures were not changed, nor the condition of the colony inende), by the arrival of Governor Seth Sothel, in 1683, who was fent in hope of quieting the diforders by his authority, as he had purchased Lord Clarendon's fhare of the province. He was guilty of fuch bribery, extortion, injullice, rapacity, breach of truft, and difobedience of orders, for five years, that the inhabitants, driven almost to despair, feized him with a view of fending him to England to answer to their complaints; but upon his entreaties, and offering to fubmit their mutual accufations to the next Allembly, they accepted his propofal. The Affembly gave judgment against him in all the abovementioned particulars, and compelled him to abjure the country for twelve months, and the government for ever.

Charleston having been made the provincial port, the first collector was eftablished there in 1685, The governor and council were at the fame time ordered, "Not to fail to fhow their forwardness in affifling the collection of the duty on tobacco tranfported to other colonies, and in feizing fhips that prefumed to trade contrary to the acts of navigation." Little regard was paid to orders fo contrary to the views of every one. An illicit trade was not only practifed, but juftified under a claufe of the patent, which the people confidered of fuperior force to the law. Though the royal grant of :665, was paffed fubfequent to the act of navigation, the prefent exemption was infifted upon with the fame fpirit, that it was contended during this reign, that a king of England may difpenfe with the law. The principle of the Carolinians, and the doctrine so fashionable at the court of James, were therefore exactly the fame.

James Colleton, Eq. a proprietary, was appointed governor in Auguft, 1686. The next year he called an Alfembly, in which he and his party took upon them to pafs fuch laws as loft him the affeftions of the people. During the ferments that followed, Seth Sothel, whom we have feen banished from Albemarle, fuddenly arrived at Charleston. Countenanced by a powerful party, and prefuming on his powers as a proprietary, he feized the reigns of goverment in 1690, notwithflanding the oppofition of the governor and coucil. A general return of members was procured, who readily fanétioned by their votes whatever was dictated by thofe who had thus acquired power. Colleton, whofe conduft had been far from blamelefs, was inflantly impeached of high crimes and mifdemeanors, difabled from holding any office, and banifhed. Others were fine 1, imprifoned, and expelled the province. The proprietaries appointed a new governor, and in the year, 1692, upon the requifition of the Carolinians, abrogated Mr. Locke's fyllem of laws, the En

A 2

damental conftitutions, which, from having anfwered their end, introduced only diffatisfaction and disorders, that were not cured till the final diffolution of the proprietary government. The operation and fate of Mr. Locke's fyftem may convince us of this truth, that a perfon "may defend the principles of liberty and the rights of mankind, with great abilities and fuccefs; and yet after all, when called upon to produce a plan of legislation, he may aftonifh the world with a fignal abfurdity.

Governor Archdale, arrived at Carolind, in Auguft 1695; he managed with great prudence, and fucceeded fo well that the Aflembly voted him an addrefs of thanks. He was fucceeded by Jofeph Blake, Efq. whofe fentiments were fo liberal, that though a Diffenter, he prevailed with the Affembly to fettle one hundred and fifty pounds per annum upon the Epifcopal minifter at Charleston, for ever, and likewife to furnish him with a good houfe, a glebe, and two fervants. A very different fpirit wrought in the Earl of Bath, when he fucceeded to the power of palatine, and became eldest proprietary, in 1701: being a zealot for the Church of England, he was ambitious of establishing its worship, and excluding non-epifcopalians from a fhare in the government of Carolina; a fimilar principle was at that time too prevalent in England. His views were feconded by the pliability of Governor Moor, who was after a while fucceeded by Sir Nathaniel Johnfon. Then the Affembly being convened, a bill was brought in for the more effectual prefervation of the government, by requiring all perfons chofen members of the Affembly, to conform to religious worship, and receive the facrament of the Lord's Supper, according to the ufage of the Church of England. By this act, all Diffenters were difqualified from fitting in the Affembly, though legally elected, and the candidate who had the greatest number of voices, after the difqualified Diffenter, was to be admitted. The paffing of this act was unconstitutional and oppreffive. Another bill was passed for eftablishing religious worship in the province, according to the Church of England, and alfo for the erecting of churches, the maintenance of minifters, and the building of convenient parfonages. Both these acts were afterward figned and fettled by John Lord Granville, then palatine, for himself and the other proprietors. In confequence of the laft act, many oppreffions were committed by the government against the Diffenters, who laboured under these and other grievances, till the matter at length was brought before the House of Lords, who having fully weighed the fame, addreffed the Queen in favour of the Carolinians, and the laws complained of in 1706, were declared null and void.

About the year 1710, a number of Palatines from Germany, who had been reduced to circumftances of great indigence by a calamitous war, took up their refidence in this ftate. The proprietors of Carolina knowing that the value of their lands depended on the ftrength of their fettlements, determined to give every poffible encouragement to fuch emigrants. Ships were accordingly provided for their transportation, and inftructions given to Governor Tynte, to allow one hundred acres of land for every man, woman, and child, free of quit rents for the first ten years; but at the expiration of that term, to pay one penny per acre annual rent, for ever, according to the ufages and cuftoms of the province. Upon their arrival Governor Tynte granted them a tract of land in North-Carolina, fince called Albemarle and Bath precincts, where they fettled, and flattered themselves with having found in the hideous wilderness, a happy retreat from the defolations of a war which then raged in Europe.

In the year 1712, a dangerous confpiracy was formed by the Coree and Tufcorora tribes of Indians, to murder and expel this infant colony. The foundation for this confpiracy is not known; probably they were offended at the incroachments upon their hunting ground. They managed their confpiracy with great cunning and profound fecrecy. They furrounded their principal town with a breaft work to secure their families. Here the warriors convened to the number of twelve hundred. From this place of rendezvous they fent out small parties, by different roads, who entered the settlement under the mask of friendship. At the change of the full moon all of them had agreed to begin their murderous operations the fame night. When the night taine, they entered the houfes of the planters, demanding provifions; and pretending to be offended, fell to murdering men, women, and children, without mercy or diftinction. One hundred and thirty-feven fettlers, among whom was a Swifs baron, and almost all the poor Palatines that had lately coine into the country, were flaughtered the firft night. Such was the fecrecy and difpatch of the Indians in this expedition, that none knew what had befallen his neighbour until the barbarians had reached his own door. Some few, however, escaped, and gave the alarm. The militia affembled in arms, and kept watch day and night until the news of the fad difafter had reached the province of South-Carolina. Governor Craven loft no time in fending a force to their relief. The Affembly voted four thousand pounds for the fervice of the war. A body of fix hundred militia, under the command of Colonel Barnwell, and three hundred and fixty fix Indians, of different tribes, with different commanders, marched with great expedition through a hideous wildernefs to their affiflance. In their first encounter with the Indians they kil led three hundred and took one hundred prifoners. After this defeat, the Tufcororas retreated to their fortified town, which was fhortly after surrendered to Colonel Barnwell. In this expedition it was computed that near a thousand Tufcororas were killed, wounded, and taken. The remainder of the tribe soon after abandoned their country, and joined the Five Nations, with whom they have ever fince remained. After this, the infant colony remained in peace, and continued to flourish till about the year 1729, when feven of the proprietors, for a valuable confideration, vefted their property and jurifdicton in the crown, and the colony was divided into two feparate provinces, by the name of North and South-Carolina, and their prefent limits eftablished by an order of George II. From this period to the revolution in 1776, the hiftory of North-Carolina, is unpublished, and of course, in a great measure, unknown, except to those who have had access to the records of the province. Some of the most important events that have fince taken place, have however, been already mentioned in the general hiftory of the United States.

South Carolina, from the period of its becoming a feparate colony, began to flourish. It was protected by a government, formed on the plan of the English conftitution. Under the foftering care of the Mother Country, its growth was aftonishingly rapid. Between the years 1763 and 1775, the number of inhabitants was more than doubled. No one indulged a with for a change in their political conftitution, till the memorable flamp act paffed in 1765.

From this period till 1775, as we have feen, various attempts were made by Great-Britain to tax her colonies, without their confent; thefe attempts were invariably oppofed. The Congress, who met at Philadelphia, unani