272 LAWSON'S HISTORY 



all, it is the mildest and best established govern- 

 ment in the world, and the place where any man 

 may peaceably enjoy his own without being 

 invaded by another ; rank and superiority ever 

 giving place to justice and equity, which is the 

 golden rule that every government ought to be 

 built upon, and regulated by. 



Besides it is worthy our notice, that this pro- 

 vince has been settled, and continued the most 

 free from the insults and barbarities of the Indians 

 of any colony that was ever yet seated in America, 

 which must be esteemed as a particular providence 

 of Grod, handed down from heaven to these people, 

 especially when we consider how irregularly they 

 settled JSTorth Carolina, and yet how undisturbed 

 they have ever remained, free from any foreign 

 danger or loss, even to this very day. And what 

 may well be looked upon for as great a miracle, 

 this is, a place where no malefactors are found 

 deserving death, or even a prison for debtors, 

 there being no more than two persons, as far as I 

 have been able to learn, ever suffered as criminals, 

 although it has been a settlement near sixty years; 

 one of whom was a Turk that committed murder, 

 the other an old woman, for witchcraft. These, 

 tis true, were on the stage and acted many years 

 before I knew the place, but as for the last, I wish 

 it had been undone to this day, although they give 

 a great many arguments to justify the deed which 

 I had rather they should have had a hand in than 

 myself; seeing I could never approve of taking 



