Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/225

] promise perpetual fidelity. By means of an additional parliamentary grant of £26,000, steps were taken for occupying the region lying near to Florida. Early in 1736, a body of Scotch Highlanders founded New Inverness on the Alatamaha. Oglethorpe returned to Georgia with these settlers, having in his company John and Charles Wesley, afterwards celebrated for their connection with the Methodist movement. Charles Wesley was appointed secretary to Oglethorpe, and John was chosen the parish minister of Savannah. At first he was very popular, and was listened to with great devotion by all classes in the community; but his zeal ere long involved him in difficulties, which led to his leaving Georgia. He had formed an attachment for a young lady, whose piety at first appeared unquestionable, but proving afterwards not quite equal to what Wesley and his religious associates required, he had been led by principle to break off the connection, and the lady was married to another person. Becoming now more "worldly" than before, she was refused admission to the Lord's Supper by Wesley, as unfit to partake of that solemnity, an exclusion for which her husband brought a suit, and claimed damages to the amount of £1,000. Wesley, charged beside with a number of other abuses of authority, and finding the public feeling decidedly against him, "shook off the dust of his feet," as he phrases it, and left Georgia in disgust. He never afterwards revisited America.

The Germans and Scotch were tolerably well contented with their position; industry and frugality brought their proper reward; but the class of settlers spoken of above, soon became clamorous for the privilege of having rum to use, and the keeping of slaves, both of which had been expressly forbidden from the first by the trustees. Discontent, and factious language and action, became quite prevalent among these; and by constant agitation, during ten years or so that followed, their wishes were yielded to, and slavery was introduced into Georgia.

Oglethorpe, aware of the importance of strengthening his position, took measures to fortify the colony against the neighboring Spaniards. A fort was erected on an island near the mouth of the Alatamaha River, where a town called Frederica was regularly laid out and built; and ten miles nearer the sea, on Cumberland Island, was raised a battery, commanding the entrance into Jekyl Sound, through which all ships of force must pass to reach Frederica. The Spaniards took umbrage at these proceedings on the part of the English, and sent a commissioner from Havana to demand an evacuation of all the territory south of St. Helena Sound, as belonging to the King of Spain. Oglethorpe, of course, resisted such a demand. He had acquired the veneration of all classes by his benevolent labors, "nobly devoting all his powers to serve the poor, and rescue them from their wretchedness;" and though he himself possessed no share of territory in Georgia, he determined to shelter it, if needful, with his life. "To me." he said to Charles Wesley,