misunderstood even by friends, this noblest of all America's colonizers, disappointed and calumniated, at last found it necessary to quit the colony he loved so well, and never lived to see posterity do justice to his philanthropic motives nor to his great labors and achievements in behalf of the only free colony established by England west of the Atlantic. APPENDIX Of course the regulations under which negroes were admitted were soon practically abolished. It does not appear, indeed, that any effort was made to enforce most of them. July 19, 1750, President Stephens and his assistants report: "By an exact list taken this month it appears that there are in this Province three hundred and forty-nine working negroes, namely, two hundred and two men and one hundred and fortyseven women besides children too young to labour." Pastor Zouberbuhler of Savannah, December 20, 1750, writes to Secretary Martyn an account of the religious destitution at that place; but he says: "I have the pleasure to see many negroes decently join our service. Our school in Savannah at present consists of forty-one children and ought to increase to many more, if the masters of slaves would show a greater concern to have their young negroes instructed and brought up in the knowledge and fear of God. In expectance of which, as well as for the greater benefit and improvement of the whites, I have desired the society to send me a quantity of Bibles, testaments, psalters, primers, Lord Bishop of Man's Essay towards an Instruction of the Indians, and some other useful and pious tracts, as the society shall think proper, and to recommend them to the care of Mr. Verelst." This would seem to indicate that negroes and whites were taught together in the sabbath instruction given in that day by the Church-a singular circumstance! Soon a question arose as to the import duty upon negroes: Was it to be levied upon all brought into the colony, or only upon those imported direct from Africa? The Georgia assembly decided for the latter; the president and assistants, for the former; but the latter officials thought the duty should be suspended for awhile until more immigrants should arrive, as the Georgians were too poor to buy negroes direct from Africa, for the whole annual produce of the colony (deer-skins excepted) barely paid the planters' necessary family expenses. Now, too, loud entreaties began to be sent to the trustees to renew or continue their charter, which must soon expire, otherwise "the prospect is gloomy and affecting and our condition must be most deplorable." It is really amusing to hear the piteous wails of these malcontents, who for more than twelve years had been unceasing in traducing the government of the trustees, in slandering their agents-especially the brave Oglethorpe-in seeking to defeat every measure inaugurated by the benevolence of those men who at great expense had founded and cherished the colony-these same complainants living meanwhile chiefly upon the board's bounty-now, at last, when that bounty seems likely to be withdrawn, supplicating for its continuance. Republics may be ungrateful, but what ingratitude ever surpassed that of these pensioners toward their benefactors? Many of them had been picked up from the almshouses of London and Westminster, had been provided for and carried across the Atlantic, had had lands allotted to them--not at first in fee simple, it is true, but even this difficulty was soon removed-had been fed from the trustees' stores for years" on the charity," had received bounties and rewards on the little which they produced, and had always been most patiently cared for; yet in return had lifted up the heel against their benefactors, and had busily striven to thwart their cherished designs. No wonder the trustees regretted having ever sent any other emigrants than foreign Protestants to Georgia. That the trustees made mistakes in their policy, who will pretend to deny; yet what other colony can show such unselfish philanthropy on the part of its founders? But the trustees had had enough. They did not even wait until the expiration of their charter; but one year in advance (1752), by permission of his Majesty, they surrendered it and gave over their weary task. In their petition to the king (August, 1751) to be permitted to surrender the charter, they give Georgia's population at above one thousand seven hundred whites and about four hundred negroes. In 1752 the Dorchester immigrants, more recently from South Carolina, more remotely from New England, arrived and established themselves in what is now Liberty county. These were computed at two hundred and eighty whites and five hundred and sixty-six negroes. In May, 1753, the committee appointed for the purpose listed two thousand three hundred and eighty-one whites and one thousand and sixty-six blacks in the colony, but report that the list is not complete. Georgia in 1754 passed under the immediate government of a royal governor appointed by the crown. Governor Reynolds, the first of these, writes December 5, 1754, to the board of trade, that more troops are needed on the southern border, "since St. Augustine is so near that negroes often desert thither both from Georgia and Carolina, being encouraged by the Spaniards." Another trouble arose: The Altamaha had been regarded as a kind of southern frontier for the British possessions. Reynolds writes in April, 1755, that numbers of settlers were crossing that stream and establishing themselves outside of Georgia, "to lead a kind of lawless life." Chief among these were Edmund Gray's miserable Quakers, formerly from the "back of Virginia," but more recently from about Augusta. These having settled south of the Altamaha lived like Indians, by hunting; and they kept the planters in constant apprehension of losing their negroes and cattle through the depredations of these marauders. The introduction of negroes also introduced an immense and everincreasing body of statutes, general and local, into Georgia's code. At first many of these related to the escaping of negroes to the Spaniards who still held St. Augustine. Some of these laws would be regarded with horror by Georgians of the present day, though not more cruel than laws relating to like cases in other colonies. A close patrol system was established as absolutely necessary for the safety of the province, and the greatest caution was exercised to prevent insurrections or plots. At the same time it was provided that negroes whose fidelity had been tried and approved might be drilled and armed in case of invasion to meet the enemy. In 1763 Florida was ceded by Spain to England, and thenceforward the laws pertaining to negroes refugeeing to that province became null, and St. Augustine, so long the nightmare of the Southern colonies, now meekly crouched under the lion of Britain. The negro population of Georgia has never been in excess of the white, as was the case in Carolina, and the quondam dread of the negro as a wild barbarian and an alien savage gradually passed away. Georgia became the native land of its dark as well as of its white inhabitants, and both would now be loath to leave it. The negro became part of his master's family, priding himself upon its name and reputation scarcely less than did the heirs to the estate. From a heathen he became civilized and Christianized; and after a hundred years he exhibited to the world the unexampled spectacle of a slave toiling for and caring for his master's unprotected family, while the master himself was struggling upon distant battle fields to prevent the bursting of the fetters which were to assure the negro's perpetual bondage. EMORY COLLEGE, GEORGIA. H.A. Scomp. KINGS, PRESIDENTS, AND GOVERNORS OF GEORGIA 1732-1889 1. George II. By whom the charter was sanctioned in 1732 for the establishment of the colony of Georgia in America. The projected colony was named in honor of this reigning monarch of England. John, Lord Viscount Percival, first earl of Egmont, was selected as the first president of the common council of the trustees. 2. James Edward Oglethorpe. Special agent of the trustees in the colonization, de facto civil and military governor of the province, and subsequently appointed general and commander-in-chief of his Majesty's forces in Georgia and Carolina, 1732-1743. 3. William Stephens. President of the colony, 1743-1751. 4. Henry Parker. President of the colony, 1751-1753. 5. Patrick Graham. President of the colony, 1753-1754. 6. Captain John Reynolds. First royal governor of the province, 1754-1757. 7. Henry Ellis. Second royal governor of the province, 1757-1760. 8. Sir James Wright. Third royal governor of the province, 1760– 1782. 9. George III. Proclaimed king in Savannah in February, 1761. 10. James Habersham. Acting royal governor of the province in 1771, during the absence of Sir James Wright. II. William Ewen. President of the council of safety, and, virtute officii, president of republican Georgia in 1775. 12. Archibald Bulloch. President and commander-in-chief of republican Georgia in 1776. By him was the Declaration of Independence promulgated in Savannah on the 10th of August, 1776. 13. Button Gwinnett. President and commander-in-chief of republican Georgia in 1777. 14. Jonathan Bryan. At one time acting president and commanderin-chief of republican Georgia in 1777. 15. John Adam Treutlen. First republican governor of Georgia, 1777. 16. John Houstoun. Republican governor of Georgia, 1778, and again elected governor of Georgia in 1784. 17. John Wereat. President of the executive council and de facto republican governor of Georgia, 1779. 18. George Walton. Elected republican governor of Georgia by the assembly which convened in Augusta in November, 1779. 19. Richard Howley. Elected republican governor of Georgia, January 4, 1780. 20. George Wells. President of council and de facto governor of Georgia during the absence of Governor Howley in attendance upon the continental congress, 1780. 21. Stephen Heard. President of council and de facto governor of Georgia in 1780. 22. Myrick Davies. Georgia, 1781. President of council and de facto governor of 23. Nathan Brownson. Elected governor of Georgia, August 16, 1781. 24. John Martin. Elected governor of Georgia in January, 1782. It was his good fortune to behold the successful termination of the Revolutionary struggle and to witness the public recognition of Georgia as a sovereign commonwealth. 25. Lyman Hall. Elected governor of Georgia in January, 1783. Elected governor of Georgia in 1785. Elected governor of Georgia in 1786. 26. Samuel Elbert. 31. Edward Telfair. Elected governor of Georgia in 1787. Governor of Georgia, 1790-1793. 32. George Matthews. Governor of Georgia, 1794-1795. 33. Jared Irwin. Governor of Georgia, 1796-1797. 34. James Jackson. Governor of Georgia, 1798-1801. He had been, on a former occasion, elected governor, but declined to serve on the score of his youth and inexperience. 35. David Emanuel. Governor of Georgia, 1801. Governor of Georgia, 1818-1819. 45. George M. Troup. Governor of Georgia, 1823-1827. |