Letters to the editor were a staple for the South Carolina Gazette and appeared in nearly every issue of the weekly paper. These letters came from a variety of sources including the editor himself. The first letter in this collection is just such a piece; Lewis Timothy writes to the Gazetteer–himself–with a fake proposition. The satirical piece describes plans for a new newspaper in Charles Town. The piece mentions the great diversity of topics, which typically appeared in newspapers, everything from troops in Italy to local wedding announcements. The letter brings to light multiple factors that the printer had to deal with in his publication. He seems to be responding to a desire from the people to have “fresh” news, but gaining news quickly was simply not feasible. The artificial printer plans to have the fastest news, but his sources provide faulty information. Timothy points out that good news must take time so that the whole story is known and so that the information can be confirmed. Additionally, the issue of frequency comes up as Timothy uses his satire to show that a daily paper is simply unreasonable. The editorial shows how connected to the talk of the community the newspaper was.
The most common forms of letters to the editor were those written on a particular topic of interest. Such articles varied from the topic of religious debates to local pastimes. These pieces also varied in length and longer essays often spanned multiple consecutive issues. The second and third letters in this collection pertain to the topic of the best places for the well-to-do to spend their leisure time in Charles Town.
The first of these letters is written from a local club called the Meddlers. Social clubs were particularly popular throughout South Carolina during the eighteenth century. Their membership could be based on any number of things such as a particular interest or profession. The Meddlers club was based on a club in England as were many of the societies in Charles Town. Based on the letter, their club was organized around the topic of local affairs and even gossip. In the letter, they discuss the places where aristocrats gather in the evenings and propose that the Greens is a much better place for the high society ladies to walk than the Bay, where they currently walk. Although the topic is fairly petty, the article does hint at the goings on in the city. The letter mentions the production of tar, which was a major source of income for South Carolina in the eighteenth century. The writer also demonstrates a desire to mimic the practices of the English, a sentiment that was quite widespread. The bit about Cupid including a poem is seemingly off topic, but the piece is actually representative of a common practice of referencing Latin sources in the newspaper. Many would even use Latin names as pseudonyms in the gazette.
The final editorial is a response to the letter written by the man from the Meddlers club. This responding author uses a pseudo-Latin pseudonym Diccenes Rustieus. He directly opposes the position of the Meddlers saying that the Bay is a perfectly fine place for people to gather. Rustieus argues that the Meddlers club is petty and that they are pompous. The piece is emotionally charged, but this style was not uncommon for the gazette. Notably, the letter begins with a scripture reference that is meant to chide the Meddlers club. The pattern of responding to a previous week’s publication is the norm for the South Carolina Gazette.
Note: spelling has not been changed or regularized.
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From SC Gazette August 23, 1735:
Ill Customs by Degrees to the Habits rise,
Ill Hubris soon become exalted Vice.
Dryden.
SIR,
In the two last we have sufficiently shown our Design of Meddling, in this you have more of the Proceedings of our Club, and we intend to let no Vice escape our censure, whether ‘tis heeded or not. – The Vice that was debated on this Evening, altho’ ‘tis plain to the whole Town, yet ‘tis so little minded, or else so customary that ‘tis unobserved to be one, is the Vice of the Bay.
— Says Dick Murphey, I can’t help taking Motice of the great Concourse of People of both Sexes that assembles on the Bay almost every evening: And I think as we are Meddlers that that is a Topic worthy our Observation; for in my Opinion, it is a Custom that will never resound to the Honour of Carolina, and tends to promote Vice and Irreligion in many Degrees. And tho’ it may be objected that the Heat of the Climate will not permit them to walk in the Day, and it can’t but conduce to their Health to walk and take the air; yet I think there are many more fitting places to walk on than the Bay; For have we not many fine Greens near the Town much better accommodated for Air, that a Place which continually has all the nauseous Smells of Tarr, Pitch, Brimstone &c. and what not, and where every Jack Tarr has the Liberty to view & remark the most celebrated Beauties of the Charles Town, and where besides (if any Air is) there’s such a continual Dust, that I should think it were enough to deter any Lady from appearing, least her Organs of perspiration should be stopt, and she be suffocated.
Your Observation is right, reply’d Will Generous, for I have heard that in Great Britain the Ladies and Gentlemen choose the Parks and such like Places to walk and take the Air in, but I never heard of any Place’s making use of the Wharfs for such Purpose, except this, and in my humble Opinion I think the Greens a much better Place than the Bay.
Besides, says Ralph Hippo, Salt-Water Air does not agree with chast and virtuous Minds, for ‘tis notorious that sea-faring Men are more venereal that others, and I believe it has the same effect on —-
Hold, says Bob Carelefs, Did you never hear that the Ancients defined Venus to be Sea-born, and it plainly appears that their Definition was just, since the most of her votaries in Charles Town make their Victories in the fight of the Sea, and her mischievous son Cupid has shot more Darts on the Bay than in all Carolina; besides ‘tis there that little Elf trumphs, and ‘tis there he wounded me, and I have just reason to complain, since the Fair is inexorable and otherwise employ’d for
Cupid, I hear, has got two Darts,
With which he pierces Lovers hearts,
The one of Gold which causes Love,
The other Lead dire Hate does move.
and he has shot his Leaden on at her, and his Golden one at me —-
I shall only add, says Tom Smigger, that I have heard it said that most Women love Sea-faring Men better than Land-Men, and who knows but most that appear there do it with a design to pick up a Sea spark, since they have all unanimously agreed that the Bay must be the happy Place of their Walks, and altho’ Night has no Eyes, yet the Ladies Eyes will give Light enough to distinguish who is a Seaman, and who is not.
I being my Turn next, I tod them I concurred in all their Opinions, and would add something of my own, tho’ I though it dangerous to meddle with the Fair Sex, yet since it was the Will of the Club, I should think myself unworthy of the Honour of being a Meddler, if I did not my Endeavours well as the rest, and I think as the Text says, that an ill Custom may soon breed an ill Habit, &c. For should one of those illustrious Fair Ones happen to be singled out by one who was no better than a common Jack Tarr but should have borrowed some finer Clothes, and should pretend to be a Gentleman, and tho’ of so short an Acquaintance as two or three Evenings, after premising the Fair One Marriage, should find her pliant, desire her to walk a little further in private, and there perform what I dare not name,
The willing Fair she soon consents,
Till marks appear, she then repents.
What a Scandal is her brought upon her friends, if she has any! And a Disgrace to herself as long as she lives; and all this occasion’d by the Vice of the bay I would not have the Ladies cruel, but I would have them be cautious with whom they deal with, and not be too fond and obliging to Strangers, whilst our perhaps more deserving Carolinians lay neglected. If the foregoing have any effects upon this Vice, we have our End and Aim, if not we have done our Duty as Meddlers, and so shall rest contented on that head. — If you see fit to give this a Place in your Gazette, you will oblige.
Your Friends and humble Servants the Meddlers.
Sign’d Jack wou’d be taller.
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From SC Gazette August 30, 1735:
Every Fool is Meddling.
Proverb xx. vers 3.
To Mr. Lewis Timothy, Printer in Charles-Town.
SIR,
Observing for some time past, for want of something either foreign, or some more sprightly Genius among ourselves to fill the first part of your Papers, that you have been forced to compleat you Sheet with anything that comes to hand. I (who am you Subscriber and a Carolinian) thought I might as well for once see something from myself in your Paper, at a time whe it has been lately fill’d with so unedifying and impertinent Stuff, from a Club rightly by themselves termed Meddlers. A Name truly worthy, and defined with the utmost Accuracy from the Word Parsimonious, that from Parsimons, then with and i. e. (to let you know they would understand Latin) Meddlers. A pretty beginning and no less ending without Connexion, Sense of Harmony, saving the Name of the club agreeing with the particular Talents of the addle Clubsters. I am sorry that they think so much of their own parts, that they would make the World believe they were Carolinians, when their Performance is so void of Sense, and their Design (if I may so call it) but sprung from the spurious Issue of the boosy-bottle. We your Subscribers in this part had as life you would relate the celebrated History of the Jack the Giantkiller, or Tom Thumb’s Exploits, which would bring to remembrance the Innocency of our childish Years, when such Trifles were relished. I have not had my second Paper, and am not sorry, since I find by the third a Continuation of their first, but the third informs the learned Debate they had of the Vice of the Bay, where Tarr, and Jack Tarr is the most of the Subject, the offensiveness of the Tarr; a smell most People counts healthy, when the inoffensiveness of common sweet Powder strikes them dead, if it comes within a quarter of a Mile off their Wiggs. I think the Ladies are much obliged to the worthy Censors for cautioning them against Jack Tarrs in Gentlemens Coats; and with an Air of severity, desire they wou’d spend their evening walk on the Green, which I dare answer for them, they think much more proper for their Occasions than the Bay, the most frequented place in Town, hereby intimating their Desire to give a green Gown behind a Pine Bush, which wou’d be more pleasant than in a Cart, But not to be further tedious, as I expect to be answered by the Bob the Carelefs Secretary, who never had care in his life but this once in characterising himself in his true Colours that without studying he may be easily guest, I refer him to the above Motto which I think is a propos for both so their Principles as the name of their Club. I conclude myself.
Diocenes Rustivieus.
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From SC Gazette February 12, 1732:
Mr. Gazetteer,
YOU must have observ’d, that Men, who delight in News, are pleased with every thing that is Matter of Fact, so it be what they have not heard before. A Victory, or a Defeat, are equally agreeable to them. The promotion of a French Cardinal to be a Prime Minster, pleases them que Post, and his Disgrace, another. They are glad to hear, that Sir Charles Wager has landed the 6000 Spaniards in Italy, and afterwards as much delighted to be inform’d of his Return to Great Britain. They read the Advertisements with the same Curiosity as the Articles of publick News; and are as pleas’d to hear of a dark colour’d Horse that has stray’d out of a Pasture up the Path, as of a whole Troop, that has been engaged in any foreign Adventure. In short, they have a Relish for every thing that is News, let the Matter of it be what it will; or, to speak more properly, they are Men of voracious Appetite, but no Taste.
Now, Sir, since the great Fountain of News, I mean War, is likely to remain dry and since these Gentlemen have contracted to inextinguishable a Thirst after it, I have taken taken their Café and my own into the Consideration, and have thought of a Project, that may turn to the Advantage of us Both.
I Design, you must know, to publish an Evening Paper, which shall comprehend in it all the most remarkable Occurrences, that happen within such a Distance from Charles-Town, as lies within the reach of a speedy Correspondence.
By this Means, my Readers will have their News fresh and fresh, and many honest Folk, who can’t sleep with any Satisfaction at present, for want of being informed how the World goes, may go to Bed contentedly, it being my Design to put out my Paper every Night at 9 o’Clock precisely.
I have already established Correspondencies, in several Placed, and received very good Intelligence.
By my last Advices from —- I hear that a pye-bald Horse was secure’d there as a Stray the 3d Instant, and that he was not own’d when the Letters came away.
We are inform’d from —– that a Dozen Weddings were lately celebrated in the Church of the Place, but are referr’d to their next Letters, for the Manes of the Parties concern’d.
Letters from —- advise that the Widow —– had determined the Event of a shore Courtship between a certain Gentleman and herself, by a Game at All-Fours, which afforded great Metter of modest, as well as wirty Speculation in those Parts.
They advise from —– that Things remained in the same State they were, They had Intelligence, just as the Letters came away, that a comfortable Quantity of Rum, Fruit, pickled Herring, and Turtle were lately imported there; but this considerable piece of good News wanted Confirmation.
We are inform’d by a Whisper from under the Watch-house in —– that, on Monday Night last, died Mr. S-lt-r. But Truth has since made known to us, that there was nothing more in it that a Watch-house Whisper, that is in plain English, a Falsehood.
I have here, Sir, given you a Specemen of the News, with which I intend to entertain the Town, and which, when drawn up regularly in Form of a News Paer, will, I doubt not, be very acceptable to many of those publick spirited Readers, who take more Delight in acquainting themselves with other Peoples Business than their own.
I hope you’ll not oppose this hopeful Project of
Sir, Your humble Servant, &c.
If Mr. Grubstreet intends this Epistle only for a Piece of Wit upon Us, we’ll join with him in a Laugh with all our Hearts. Or if (as we may have reason to fear) he proposes to make a Penny of us by it, let him in Person apply himself to the Gazetteers, and he shall have all suitable Encouragement to lay aside a Project of so dangerous Consequence to the Interest of our Printer.