A Discourse Concerning the Design'd Establishment of a New Colony to the South of Carolina/Postscript
POSTSCRIPT.
THO' all, that I think can possibly be expected by a reasonable Reader, has been said in the short Tract foregoing, I find my self advis'd to add a Word, or two by way of Postscript, for Satisfaction of some, who may be apt to object, that tho' the Lands, which are bought, will be more than an Equivalent for the Money Subcrib'd, when when those Lands shall be settled, and planted, yet as they are of no such Value in their present Condition, and as the Subscribers should have all possible Security, that the Settlement shall really be made as propos'd, they may therefore expect, that over and above the Assignment of the Lands, the Money they subscribe, shou'd, instead of being paid into my Hands, be deposited in those of Trustees, for the Uses intended.
Tho' I cannot but hope, that such kind of Suspicions will never disturb any Person, to whom I am known, yet I thought it but reasonable to State the Objection, and Answer it, for the Sakes of such Readers, who, being equally Strangers to my Person, and Character, may justly enough, entertain the Distrusts which are common, and allowable in Matters of Money, and Bargainings.
It will be granted, that it signifies little into whose Hands the Money is paid, if it is but apply'd to the Purpose intended; and as I neither expect, nor Desire the Subscription of any, but such, who, by weighing the Design, are fully convinc'd, that it is well founded, and profitable, so it follows, as a necessary Consequence, that all such must think their Money best placed in his Hands, whose Profit, Honor, and Success must depend upon That of the Undertaking, and who may therefore be naturally suppos'd more careful, and dilligent than others wou'd be, in the Application of the Money, because always most interested in the Effect of that Application.
This Reason is so good, that it might alone be sufficient, if there was not another as considerable, which arises from the following Reflection.
Where Trustees are to act in Matters of Care, Form, or Equity, it must be confess'd, they are not only useful, but necessary; But when they are trusted, as in our Case they would be, with a Deposite of Money, and a Power to see it apply'd to a Purpose, in which they are no otherwise concern'd, than as Adventurers among others, (to say nothing of the Impossibility to chuse such, as would be equally agreeable to all) the Temptations are many, and but too well known, which may make it their Interest to find means of Cavil under plausible Pretences for delaying the Business, and Detainment of the Money, as long as the Managers shall see it convenient for their private Advantages.
A wise Man will therefore very easily discern, and approve of my Reasons for not dividing the Power of the Money, from the Power of the Management, since on this only Rock might be split a more promising Adventure, than was ever undertaken.
If I did not believe, that every Body's Experience can furnish him with Instances enough, in the daily Destructions of well laid Designs, through the idle Disputes, and Disagreements of those. who are carrying them on, it were easy to illustrate the Fact by a thousand Examples.
But, us cone, I presume, will deny a known Truth, I will in-stance but One, which is the fitter for my Purpose, because it is taken, not only from a Parallel Case, but was acted in the very next Country to that, which is the Scene of our Settlement.
The first Attempts, which were made for the settling an English Plantation in Virginia, were carried on by the private Subscriptions of Gentlemen and others, who thought it their Interest by Way of Security, to entrust the Disposal of their Money, to certain Men of the best Publick Credit among them who were chosen Trustees, and transacted all Matters at Home in the Name of the Body. Mean while, the Command of their Colonies was committed to such Great, and Brave Men, us Sir Walter Raleigh and others, who went over, and settled the Country, with all the Appearance of a promising good Fortune; but just in the Crisis, when their Houses were Built, Lands prepar'd, and nothing was wanting, but the expected Arrival of Ships with the necessary Supplies of Amuninition, and Provision, they were all Starv'd to Death, or cut off by the Indians with a shocking Barbarity. For the Gentlemen in England, while they shou'd have laid out the Money subscib'd, and sent over the Supplies abovemention'd, were quarreling with one another, who should make most Advantage, by furnishing such Goods, as where wanted, or helping others to do it: In which, and the like kind of Follies, they wasted sometimes two, three, or more Years, till their poor starving Colonies fell a Sacrifice to their Inhumanity and Avarice.
Nor was this Game play'd but once, and then mended; on the Contrary, from the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, to that of King Charles the First, they repeated the Extravagance in numberless Trials, and lost six, or seven different Colonies, not to mention the Money, they had so warily ventar'd, into the Bargain, by no other Error, or Miscarriage, than that the Disposal of their Stock did not lie in the same Hands, which had the Management of their Authority; and this was so visible a Truth, that King Charles abovemention'd, as a Punishment of their Indiscretion, depriv'd then of their Charter; and ever after that, the Purse, and the Power being join'd, as they ought, Virginia throve apace, till it grew the most flourishing, and mighty of all our Plantations in America.
This remarkable Instance ought to serve, as a Warning to all, who embark in these noble Designs, not to run into Losses by mistaken Endeavours, and ill-guided Cautions to avoid them; The Reader may apply the Advice, as he pleases, But we would have none concern'd with us, whose establish'd Opinion of the Nature of this Undertaking does not set him above all mean, and unnecessary Jealousies.R. Mountgomry.
finis.