tween 1850 and 1860 the Methodists decided to have a female college, as they had organized a male school at Wofford. The school was opened in 1859, but was closed on the surrender of the city, in February, 1865, and remained closed till 1873. It is under the control of the Conference, and is now succeeding very well.

THE DUE WEST FEMALE COLLEGE

(Associate Reformed Presbyterian) was founded in 1860 by a company of citizens with a purely public spirit. Its first president, Rev. J. I. Bonner, was a very capable, efficient man, and thoroughly organized the school.

The above three schools were founded just before the War, and could hardly have gotten into good working order before the upheaval came. In the utter prostration of enterprises and the general poverty conse quent on the War, nothing was done for several years, although there were a few feeble efforts to maintain such institutions as were already in operation.

REVIVAL OF EFFORTS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR.

But when time had changed these hard conditions, men vigorously turned their attention to the subject that had so greatly interested them in the preceding years. The results were seen in the new colleges. It might have been better if they had contented themselves with an earnest support of existing institutions; but local pride was strong, and the schools were needed in their immediate localities for the poor children. The public school system, it must be remembered, was not yet in good working order. The thorough training schools of the former period had all been swept away, and the newly established colleges in large part took their place. The highest praise is due to the men who tried to reconstruct the school system, but their efforts would probably have done more good if they had called their new-founded institutions academies instead of colleges.

During the decade from 1870 to 1880 three of these institutions were opened, the Walhalla Female College at Walhalla; the Williamston Female College, at Williamston, both in 1872; and the Anderson Female Seminary in 1879. All of these are non-sectarian. They were all founded by the earnest efforts of men in their respective localities subscribing their money for that purpose. Determined to educate their daughters, they thought it much cheaper in the long run to bring the schools to their doors; but they could not sacrifice the honor and pres tige of a college course, so they called them colleges. These schools offer a curriculum as full as that of the older ones, and the training is substantially the same.

In addition, there are good academies for girls in different parts of the State, especially in Charleston. In that city from the close of the

Revolutionary War to the present time, in addition to the schools where the elementary and higher branches of English have been taught, there have always been schools under the charge of accomplished teachers, at which young ladies were taught belles lettres, French, music, and painting, and were afforded all the advantages of a fashionable education. These schools were equal to any in the Union, and were largely patronized.

Notable among these is Miss Kelly's school, which not only has a local patronage, but draws pupils from other sections of the State, and from beyond the limits of the State. At the present time nearly every county town where the advantages of health are good has its female school or college, where the girls of the vicinity are educated. At these schools, in addition to the elementary branches, music, painting, and French are generally taught, and the advantages of a good education are within the reach of all.

THE WILLIAMSTON FEMALE COLLEGE.

The Williamston Female College offers some features worthy of special notice. It is largely the work of one man, Rev. S. Lander, of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. He follows the one-study plan, and has found it to be attended with the greatest success. Although he has no regular fixed scholarships, yet he offers to the students inducements that work more effectively than any other system of scholarships could work. He makes deductions from the tuition fees according to the standing of the pupil. For an average standing of 80 to 85, a discount of ten per cent. is made; of 85 to 90, twenty per cent.; of 90 to 94, thirty per cent.; 94 to 97, forty per cent.; 97 to 100, fifty per cent. It certainly makes the students apply themselves as closely as they could under any plan.

CHAPTER VI.

FREE SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION OF THE NEGRO.

Although South Carolina was settled in the last quarter of the seventeenth century, there was no systematic effort of the people as a whole toward providing popular education until 1811. But it is not to be inferred from this that there were no educational advantages at all. Most of the people were able to educate their own children without aid, but the middle class needed assistance, although it was not large enough to warrant the maintenance of schools throughout the country for its especial benefit. The country was sparsely settled, as there had been from the earliest foundation of the colony a tendency toward the formation of large plantations. Owing to this condition of affairs the hand of charity was stretched forth to aid the poor white people at an early period.

EARLY FREE SCHOOLS.1

The first free school successfully established in South Carolina was founded in Charleston in 1710. Previous to that time the people of the State had conceived the idea of establishing free schools, but it was not until 1710 that legislative action was taken in that direction. In 1712 another act was passed, incorporating certain persons under the desig nation of commissioners, for founding, erecting, governing, and visiting a free school for the use of the inhabitants of South Carolina, with full authority to receive all gifts and legacies formerly given to the use of the free school, and to purchase as much land as might be deemed nec essary for the use of the school, and to erect thereon suitable buildings. The gentlemen named in this act constituted the first Board of Free School Commissioners in the State.

There was a feeling in favor of popular education with many of the leaders. Sir Francis Nicholson, the first Royal Governor, was a great friend of learning, and did very much to encourage it, and men of wealth bequeathed large sums for establishing free schools. The Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts was active in founding schools and supplying books. It started a school at Goose Creek in 1710, and another at Dorchester in 1724, in response to a petition for aid. But as indicating the spirit of the people, it is important

For a more detailed account of some of these schools, see Appendix III.

to notice the act of February, 1722. By this it was provided that justices of the county courts be authorized to erect a free school in each county and precinct, to be supported by assessments on land and negroes. Such schools were bound to teach ten poor children free, if sent by the justices.

The private donations, also, were liberal for a small colony. Richard Beresford, in 1721, bequeathed six thousand five hundred pounds for the education of the poor; in 1732 Richard Harris bequeathed one thousand pounds for the same object; and in 1728 Rev. Richard Ludlam gave his whole estate of two thousand pounds, which with other bequests amounted to over fifteen thousand pounds by 1778. "For nearly a century four schools were maintained with the proceeds of this latter bounty," and they were flourishing up to the War, when the fund was finally swept away. There were other funds, but it is needless to refer to them, as these are sufficient to show the state of feeling. There were a number of societies organized at intervals down to 1811 that were of great assistance in this work.1 In 1798 another attempt seems to have been made by the Government, in the appointment of trustees to examine free schools in Orangeburg, but with no definite results.

GENERAL FRANCIS MARION ON POPULAR EDUCATION.

That there were prominent men who keenly felt the need of popular education by the Government is seen in a conversation that General Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," held with his biographer in 1795, The emphatic reference to the Legislature shows that some attempt had been made in that body to establish free schools. "God preserve our Legislature from such penny wit and pound foolishness. What! Keep a nation in ignorance rather than vote a little of their own money for education! * * We fought for self-government; and God hath pleased to give us one better calculated, perhaps, to protect our rights and foster our virtues and call forth our energies and advance our condition nearer to perfection and happiness, than any government that ever was framed under the sun. But what signifies this government, divine as it is, if it be not known and prized as it deserves? This is best done by free schools.

"Men will always fight for their government according to their sense of its value. To value it aright they must understand it. This they cannot do without education. And, as a large portion of the citizens are poor, and can never attain that inestimable blessing without the aid of government, it is plainly the duty of government to bestow it freely upon them. The more perfect the government, the greater the duty to make it well known. Selfish and oppressive governments must 'hate the light and fear to come to it, because their deeds are evil.' But a fair and cheap government, like our republic, 'longs for the light

1 See Davis's sketch in Hand-Book.

and rejoices to come to the light, that it may be manifested to come from God,' and well worthy of the vigilance and valor that an enlightened nation can rally for its defence. A good government can hardly ever be half anxious enough to give its citizens a thorough knowledge of its own excellences. For, as some of the most valuable truths, for lack of promulgation, have been lost, so the best government on earth, if not widely known and prized, may be subverted."

There are other evidences that there was a strong interest felt in the matter even among the great rank and file of the people. Although the daily papers of that time contained very little matter of any sort, and even less of a local nature, yet there is a complaint in the Charleston Courier of October 15, 1803, from a private correspondent, concerning the indifference to education shown by the editor of the paper. "We see great incomes made and great incomes wasted, great grandeur in equipage and household circumstances; but we do not see

the country studded up and down with those precious jewels of a state, Free Schools." He regretted that everything hinged on politics; even the discussion on the yellow fever had taken a diplomatic turn, and we might expect to see the whole matter settled by a ruling of the State Department. Mr. Barnwell, a member of the Legislature, followed this in the next meeting of the Legislature with the introduction of a bill "for establishing public schools in the several districts of the State."

FREE SCHOOL ACT OF 1811.

Matters continued thus until the act of 1811,2 when the people took hold of the question. This act was recommended by Governor Henry Middleton in his message of November 26, 1811. On the following day Senator Strother presented petitions for free schools from citizens of Fairfield, Chester, Williamsburg, Darlington, Edgefield, Barnwell, York, Saint Stephen, Saint James, Santee, Saint John's, Colleton, and Saint Peter's. Hon. Stephen Elliott, of Charleston, was chairman of the joint committee, and to him belongs most of the honor of the measure. The bill drawn by him passed the Senate without a roll-call, and was adopted in the House by a vote of seventy-two to fifteen. "The act established in each district and parish free schools equal in number to the representatives in the Lower House. Elementary instruction was to be imparted to all pupils free of charge, preference being given to poor orphans and the children of indigent parents. Three hundred dollars. per annum were voted to each school. Commissioners varying in num ber from three to eleven in each district and parish, serving without pay and without penalty, were intrusted with their management. Until a sufficient number of schools should be established, the commissioners were permitted to move the schools annually, but no school should be established until the neighborhood had built a school-house. The funds 2 Statutes, Vol. V, p. 639.

1 Charleston Courier, December 26, 1803.