of the belligerent nations. Carolina, as being near to their colonies in the West-India islands and on the Main, came in for a large share of this carrying trade and derived great profits from it. This was called by England, "War in disguise;" as it facilitated the transportation of commodities between the french and spanish colonies, and their respective mother countries, to effect which their own reduced marine was unequal. Orders, and counter decrees, decrees and counter orders, alternately retaliating not on each other, but on unoffending third persons, followed each other in rapid succession, till neutrals were reduced to the alternative of either abandoning the ocean or subjecting themselves to almost certain capture by one or the other of the belligerents. The laws of nature and nations were disregarded. Both the hostile nations, England and France, so often and so grossly violated the rights of neutrals, that it is difficult to ascertain who was the first or the greatest ag gressor. They both deserve the execrations of every friend to the rights of man, or of neutral commerce. The citizens of Carolina, conscious that they had given no just cause of offence to either, humbly hoped to be permitted to live in peace. But this boon was too great to be granted. Each of the nations at war endeavored to goad them into a quarrel with its respective adversary; and to compel them to do so each hostile nation interdicted them and all americans from trading with the other and all its dependencies: thereby shutting them out from nine tenths of the ports with which, by the laws of nations, of nature, and

of nature's god, they had a right to trade. That their innocent commerce might be saved from universal seizure, under color of british orders of council, and french decrees, the ruling powers of the United States in December 1807, directed that the americans should retire within themselves from all commercial intercourse with foreigners. A coasting trade is all that throughout the year 1808 remained of an extensive commerce, which though not two centuries old had grown with such unexampled rapidity as to be the second in the world. That year, which will be long remembered for the privations and sufferings resulting from a general embargo, was an eventful one to the inhabitants of South-Carolina. Their foreign trade was in a moment, and with little or no previous notice, completely arrested. To vessels loaded and ready to sail clearances were denied. Such as having already cleared out, had began their voyages, were pursued, and when overtaken brought back. The price of produce instantly fell more than 100 per cent. or rather could not be sold from want of pur chasers. The labors of the past year were rendered unavailing to the relief of their owner though pressed with debt and threatened with executions. Factors, wharfingers, and others engaged in the transportation or sale of commodities, suddenly passed over from the full tide of employment to listless inactivity. A general stagnation of business in the midst of that bustling period which is called the crop season, instantly took place. The distresses ΩΙ

VOL. II.

of individuals were both the causes and effects of the distresses of others. A chain of suffering encircled the community. All this was magnanimously borne by a great majority of the inhabitants. Their reproaches fell not on the administrators of their own government, but on the authors of british orders and french decrees. The legislature of the state applauded the measures of the general government and their applause was re-echoed by the people. The discontents of a few evaporated in private murmurings, and did not produce a single public expression of disapprobation or impatience. While others contended that they suffered most from the embargo, the carolinians with justice preferred their claim to the honor of bearing it best.. History is confined to the relation of facts, and does not extend to conjectures on contingent events, or it might be added that if the embargo bad been as faithfully observed and as patiently borne in every part of the union as it was in Carolina, the issue would probably have been very different, and certainly more to the honor of the United States.

L

To procure food, clothing, shelter, and defence, are primary arts, at all times indispensable, but éminently so among the settlers in new countries or such as are inhabited only by savages. The first `europeans who located themselves in Carolina must have derived their food from the waters and woods, except what they brought with them and the maize they obtained from the indians. Their clothing they must have imported, for the country afforded none other than the skins of beasts. The aborigines had no domestic animals, no stores of food artificially preserved, no cultivated fields or gardens from which they could supply the wants of the new comers. The embarkation of the latter in January was probably the result of design, that they might be in readiness to improve the approaching season of vegetation. Of their proceedings no records, nor even any tradition has reached us further than that their governor,

William Sayle, set them a noble example of personal industry. From the nature of man, we must suppose that their first care was to make some rude shelter to cover them, and their next to prepare the ground for planting. After they had committed to its bosom such seeds as they supposed likely to grow and be useful; it was natural for them to employ their leisure time in fishing and hunting for their immediate support. They had no experience to guide them as to the nature of soils, and seeds or grains suitable to each other. Tradition has informed us that. their first essays in planting were with highland grains on the high and sandy soil which was most easily cleared as being slightly covered with wood. We know that more than once they labored under serious apprehensions of famine, and threatened to compel their governor to abandon the country. Their agricultural efforts were for some time poorly rewarded, and much of their food, and all their clothing was imported. In the arts of fishing and hunting, they had advantages over the natives to whom fish-hooks and guns, were unknown. The arts of the new comers in destroying the wild beasts were eminently conducive to their comfort. The flesh of some of them was exquisitely agreeable. The skins of all were serviceable for domestic purposes. They were so common that hunters had no difficulty in finding game. From the indians the settlers. must soon have learnt not only to plant maize, but to dress it in its various forms. This agreeable vegetable, added to fish, oysters, crabs, and shrimps, from the water; and