withstanding which, when he came early on the Monday Morning, he found the Militia drawn up in the Market-Place, with Colours flying at the Forts, and on-board all the Ships in the Harbour, and great Solemnity preparing for their Proclaiming their Governor. It would be tedious to the Reader, to enumerate all he did at this Juncture to oppose their Proceedings; some he menaced, and handled more roughly, and some spoke fair to, to perswade them from what they were doing; and going to the Commanding Officer, he ask'd him, how he durst appear in Arms, contrary to his Orders? and commanded him in the King's Name, to disperse his Men. But he answer'd, He was obeying the Orders of the Convention. And the Governor approaching him, he commanded his Men to present their Muskets at him, and bid him stand off, at his Peril. Mr. Johnson was in hopes some Gentlemen and others might have joyn'd him; but the Defection was so general, that hardly a Man but was in Arms; and only one of his Council and Mr. John Lloyd walk'd with him; and it appear'd, the latter of these was sent under pretence of being his Friend, by the other Party to prevent any hot Action he might have been provok'd to do, for that was his Business all the Day; and Two Days afterwards he was sworn into their New Council.

Col. Rhett, who had always pretended to be very Popular, and to have great Power with the People, and to be extremely in the Interest of the Lords Proprietors, did not appear in the Lords Behalf to assist Mr. Johnson: And indeed this whole Affair was owing to his and Mr. Trott's Counsels, who did, as usual in such Cases, leave their Masters in the Lurch; as will appear by their future Transactions. In short, they proceeded to Proclaim their Governor, which they did in spite of all the Opposition Mr. Johnson could give them; which could not be much, he being, as I have said, left entirely alone; altho' he did, in their March, stop the Militia that attended them, and had almost perswaded them to alter their Opinion; which if he could have effected, he might have been able to have given a great deal of Trouble to the opposite Party: But Sir Hovendine Walker was with them, and put them in mind to keep up the Spirits of the People; which occasion'd their turning back and Haranguing their Men, who thereupon marched on as they formerly intended.

Surely, after this, no one will say but Mr. Johnson did all that was possible to prevent the Defection of the People: And these minute Circumstances we have been the more particular in, because their Lordships have been made believe, that he was himself in the Design, and conniv'd at their Transactions,

which he might have prevented, if he would. A Thing very improbable, that he should join with the People to Divest himself of his Government; and when he had done so, refuse to Govern them in their own Way as they desir'd: Which, it is plain, he might have done, but that he thought it was inconsistent with his Honour and the Trust, repos'd in him by the Lords Proprietors; and that his so doing, might have been resented by His Majesty as a presumptuous Act he had no Authority for.

The People having thus overcome all the little Opposition could be made, proceeded to chuse a Council of Twelve, after the manner of the King's Governments; of these, Sir Hovendine Walker was chosen President; so they had now their Governor, Council, and Convention, (as they call'd themselves ;) but they soon after voted themselves an Assembly, and as such, made Laws, appointed Officers, especially a new Chief Justice in the Place of Mr. Trott, a Secretary, a Provost-Marshal, and voted, That no one should be capable of bearing an Office in the Province that own'd the Authority of the Lords Proprietors, except such as related to their own particular Revenue; which were Mr. Rhett and Mr. Yonge, their Receiver and Surveyor-General; they also pass'd a new Duty Law, and several Laws for raising Money to defray the Expence of the Government, to pay Agents whom they sent to represent their Affairs to his Majesty, and for other Uses.

Governor Johnson immediately writ home to the Lords Proprietors, to give them an Account of what had happen'd, as he did also to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, to the following Effect:

"That the People labouring under great Difficulties, occa"sion'd by the Debts contracted by the late Indian War, and "their having receiv'd Intelligence of the Designs of the Span"iards to attack the Place, which is unhappily situated as a "Frontier, not only to them, but also to the French, who had lately made a great settlernent, and sent many People to Misissippe, together with the Danger that continually threat"en'd them of another Indian War, and some Differences "lately arisen between the Lords Proprietors and the People, "about their Privileges.

"These Things had stirred up the Minds of several of the "richest Inhabitants, who had put it into the Heads of the rest, "that neither They nor their Posterities could be safe in their "Persons or Estates, nor the Province subsist, without the im"mediate Protection of the King; so that they had with one "Accord disclaim'd all Obedience to the Proprietors.

"That he apprehending himself bound in Honour to Govern "those People in no other Way than as he was Commission'd "by the Lords Proprietors, and instructed by his Majesty, to "whom he had always been a Faithful and Loyal Subject, and "the People having for that Cause disown'd his Authority, with "that of the said Lords, he humbly hop'd their Lordships "would interest themselves so far, as that if His Majesty "thought fit to take the Government into his own Hands, he might be honour'd with his Majesty's immediate Commission, or otherwise, that he might be restor❜d to his Government as formerly, by his Majesty's special Command; the present "Disturbances not being in any wise owing to his Male-Administration, as might appear by the Address of the People to "him, a Copy of which he inclosed them.

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He also writ to Col. Rhett, who was Surveyor and Comptroller of the Customs, as well as the Lords Proprietors Receiver to the following Purpose:

"That the People having found Means to hinder almost all "the Masters of Ships from coming to him with their Clearan"ces, or from Clearing in the Lawful Secretaries Office, not"withstanding the Laws of Trade made such Neglects the "Forfeiture of Ship and Cargo, and that the Naval Officer by "his Order, did all he could to induce them to act according to "Law.

"And that whereas he was sensible the Defection was so general, and his Authority so depress'd by them, that he had no Power left to punish them; he therefore could think of no "other way to oblige them to their Duty, but by stopping their being Clear'd by the Custom-House Officers, until they paid "their Duty to him as the Lawful Governour of the Province. "He therefore desir'd that Col. Rhett would consult his Powers "and Instructions, as Surveyor and Comptroller of the Customs "and act in this Affair as he should think agreeable to them, "the Laws of Trade, and the Service of His Majesty, and the "Lords Proprietors, as he was likewise their Lordships Officer."

If Mr. Rhett had thought fit to have order'd this to have been done, according to Mr. Johnson's Project, and which he would have done, if he had consulted the Lords Proprietors Interest, it would have given the Revolutioners a great deal of Trouble: They would have seen their Authority disown'd by all the transient People, and two Governments kept up in Opposition one to the other. The Fees due to the Governor and Secre

tary, would have gone in their proper Chanel, in spite of all Opposition, which were otherwise transferr'd to those which had no Right to them; and the Masters of Ships would most readily have gone where they could have had the most authentick Clearances. But the Colonel's Spleen to Mr. Johnson outweigh'd his Duty to his Masters; and the new Government was so sensible of the Service he did them in refusing this, (that, contrary to their own Vote, That no one should bear an Office in the Province, who own'd the Authority of the Proprietors,) they made him Overseer of the Repairs of the Fortifications. in Charles Town, by which he got considerably; and he, at the same time also, accepted of a Commission from the new Governor Moor, of Lieutenant-General of the Militia. This might be deem'd a Salvo for their Vote, for it was tacitly disowning the Proprietors Authority, and owning theirs: But it is wonderful he could still keep his Credit with the Lords Proprietors, to whom he wrote on this Occasion, to assure them, That he accepted of that Commission from Mr. Moor to promote their Service, because it might give him an Opportunity of bringing the People again over to their Interest: And (as I am inform'd) they readily believ'd him, and sent him a Letter of Thanks, and a Confirmation of his Commission.

Soon after this, the New Government sent Home Col. Barnwell, their Agent, to lay their Grievances before His Majesty, to beg his Protection, and that he woul'd be pleas'd to take them under His own immediate Government. Much about the same time, Mr. Trott went also to England, and offer'd Governor Johnson so to represent Affairs, that he might have his Government restor❜d him, if he would contribute to his Expences. Which he refusing, from thence may very reasonably be attributed the Proprietors Neglect of him; for they never so much as wrote him one line, to Approve or Disapprove of his Proceedings; which shew'd their utmost Neglect of him. No equal Return for the Expence and Fatigue he had been at for their Service.

Much about this Time, there came certain Advice, That the Spaniards were actually fitting out a Fleet at the Humana, to attack Providence and South-Carolina, and that it was uncertain which of the two Places they would begin with. The new Government proclaim'd Martial Law, and order'd all the People to be in Arms at Charles Town. Governor Johnson took this Opportunity again, to try to bring the People to Reason, by Representing to them the ill Consequences that might attend their acting under an unlawful Authority; on which Occasion he writ the following Letter to the Convention, who had then voted themselves an Assembly.

Gentlemen,

I

Flatter my self, That the Invasion which at present threatens the Province, has awaken'd a Thought in you, of the Necessity there is of the Forces acting under a "lawful Authority and Commission. The Inconveniencies and "Confusion of not admitting it, are so obvious, I need not men❝tion them. I have hitherto born the Indignities put upon me, " and the Loss I sustain by being put out of my Government, "with as much Temper as the Nature of the Thing will allow "of, 'til such time as His Majesty's Pleasure shall be known; "but to have another assume my Authority, when Danger "threatens the Province, and Action is expected, and to be depriv'd of the Opportunity of Serving the Publick in my "Station, as I am indispensably bound to do upon such Occa"sions, I being answerable to the King for any Neglect regarding the Welfare of the Province, is what I cannot sit "down patiently with.

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Gentlemen,

"I am willing, with my Council, to consult and advise with you for the Good and Safety of the Province in this Time of "imminent Danger as a Convention of the People, as you first "call'd your selves. Nor do I see, in this present Juncture of "Affairs, any Occasion of Formalities in our Proceedings, or "that I explain by whose Authority I Act in Grants of Com"missions, or other Publick Orders (a) Mr. Moor's Commis❝sion you have given him, does not pretend to say it is deriv'd "from the King. You have already confess'd, I am invested "with some Authority you do approve of, and that's enough.

"What I insist upon, is, To be allow'd to act as Governor, "because I am approv'd of by the King; I do not apprehend, "at present, there is a Necessity of Acting any Thing but what "relates to Military Affairs; and I do believe People will "be better satisfy'd, and more ready to advance Necessaries, to "trust the Publick, and to obey my Commands, (by Virtue of "the King's Authority, which I have) if left to their Liberty, "than any other Person in the Province, and in a short Time "we may expect His Majesty's Pleasure will be known.

"If my Reasons have not the Weight with you I expect they should, you ought at least to put it to a Vote; that if a Majority be against it, I may have that to justify my self to

(a) This Convention gave Mr. Moor a Commission to Govern them.