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or of their deputies; who were to be assembled from time to time as seemed
best。〃
John Locke; who wrote the 〃Essay Concerning Human Understanding〃; wrote
also; with Ashley at his side; 〃The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina;
in number a Hundred and Twenty; agreed upon by the Palatine and Lords
Proprietors; to remain the sacred and unalterable form and Rule of
government of Carolina forever。〃
〃Forever〃 is a long word with ofttimes a short history。 The Lords
Proprietors have left their names upon the maps of North and South
Carolina。 There are Albemarle Sound and the Ashley and Cooper rivers;
Clarendon; Hyde; Carteret; Craven; and Colleton Counties。 But their
Fundamental Constitutions; 〃in number a hundred and twenty;〃 written by
Locke in 1669; are almost all as dead as the leaves of the Carolina forest
falling in the autumn of that year。
The grant included that territory settled by Roger Green and his men。 Among
the Proprietors sat Sir William Berkeley; Governor of Virginia; the only
lord of Carolina actually upon American ground。 Following instructions from
his seven fellows Berkeley now declared this region separated from Virginia
and attached to Carolina。 He christened it Albemarle。 Strangely enough; he
sent as Governor that Scotchman; William Drummond; whom some years later he
would hang。 Drummond should have a Council of six and an Assembly of
freemen that might inaugurate legislation having to do with local matters
but must submit its acts to the Proprietaries for veto or approval。 This
was the settlement in Carolina of Albemarle; back country to Virginia;
gatherer thence of many that were hardy and sound; many that were
unfortunate; and many that were shiftless and untamed。 An uncouth nurse of
a turbulent democracy was Albemarle。
Cape Fear; far down the deeply frayed coast; seemed a proper place to which
to send a colony。 The intrusive Massachusetts men were gone。 But 〃gentlemen
and merchants〃 of Barbados were interested。 It is a far cry from Barbados
to the Carolina shore; but so is it a far cry from England。 Many royalists
had fled to Barbados during the old troubles; so that its English
population was considerable。 A number may have welcomed the chance to leave
their small island for the immense continent; and an English trading port
as far south as Cape Fear must have had a general appeal。 So; in 1665; came
Englishmen from Barbados and made; up the Cape Fear River; a settlement
which they named Clarendon; with John Yeamans of Barbados as Governor。 But
the colony did not prosper。 There arose the typical colonial
troubles…sickness; dissensions; improvidence; quarrels with the aborigines。
Nor was the site the best obtainable。 The settlers finally abandoned the
place and scattered to various points along the northern coast。
In 1669 the Lords Proprietaries sent out from England three ships; the
Carolina; the Port Royal; and the Albemarle; with about a hundred colonists
aboard。 Taking the old sea road; they came at last to Barbados; and here
the Albemarle; seized by a storm; was wrecked。 The two other ships; with a
Barbados sloop; sailed on anal were approaching the Bahamas when another
hurricane destroyed the Port Royal。 The Carolina; however; pushed on with
the sloop; reached Bermuda; and rested there; then; together with a small
ship purchased in these islands; she turned west by south and came in March
of 1670 to the good harbor of Port Royal; South Carolina。
Southward from the harbor where the ships rode; stretched old Florida; held
by the Spaniards。 There was the Spanish town; St。 Augustine。 Thence Spanish
ships might put forth and descend upon the English newcomers。 The colonists
after debate concluded to set some further space between them and lands of
Spain。 The ships put again to sea; beat northward a few leagues; and at
last entered a harbor into which emptied two rivers; presently to be called
the Ashley and the Cooper。 Up the Ashley they went a little way; anchored;
and the colonists going ashore began to build upon the west bank of the
river a town which for the King they named Charles Town。 Ten years later
this place was abandoned in favor of the more convenient point of land
between the two rivers。 Here then was builded the second and more enduring
Charles TownCharleston; as we call it now; in South Carolina。
Colonists came fast to this Carolina lying south。 Barbados sent many;
England; Scotland; and Ireland contributed a share; there came Huguenots
from France; and a certain number of Germans。 In ten years after the first
settling the population numbered twelve hundred; and this presently doubled
and went on to increase。 The early times were taken up with the wrestle
with the forest; with the Indians; with Spanish alarms; with incompetent
governors; with the Lords Proprietaries' Fundamental Constitutions; and
with the restrictions which English Navigation Laws imposed upon English
colonies。 What grains and vegetables and tobacco they could grow; what
cattle and swine they could breed and export; preoccupied the minds of
these pioneer farmers。 There were struggling for growth a rough agriculture
and a hampered trade with Barbados; Virginia; and New Englandtrade
likewise with the buccaneers who swarmed in the West Indian waters。
Five hundred good reasons allowed; and had long allowed; free bootery to
flourish in American seas。 Gross governmental faults; Navigation Acts; and
a hundred petty and great oppressions; general poverty; adventurousness;
lawlessness; and sympathy of mishandled folk with lawlessness; all combined
to keep Brother of the Coast; Buccaneer; and Filibuster alive; and their
ships upon all seas。 Many were no worse than smugglers; others were robbers
with violence; and a few had a dash of the fiend。 All nations had sons in
the business。 England to the south in America had just the ragged coast
line; with its off…lying islands and islets; liked by all this gentry;
whether smuggler or pirate outright。 Through much of the seventeenth
century the settlers on these shores never violently disapproved of the
pirate。 He was often a 〃good fellow。〃 He brought in needed articles without
dues; and had Spanish gold in his pouch。 He was shrugged over and traded with。
He came ashore to Charles Town; and they traded with him there。 At one time
Charles Town got the name of 〃Rogue's Harbor。〃 But that was not forever;
nor indeed; as years are counted; for long。 Better and better emigrants
arrived; to add to the good already there。 The better type prevailed; and
gave its tone to the place。 There set in; on the Ashley and Cooper rivers;
a fair urban life that yet persists。
South Carolina was trying tobacco and wheat。 But in the last years of the
seventeenth century a ship touching at Charleston left there a bag of
Madagascar rice。 Planted; it gave increase that was planted again。 Suddenly
it was found that this was the crop for low…lying Carolina。 Rice became her
staple; as was tobacco of Virginia。
For the rice…fields South Carolina soon wanted African slaves; and they
were consequently brought in numbers; in English ships。 There began; in
this part of the world; even more than in Virginia; t