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The general Act for granting liberty of Conscience mentioned in your P.S. so far as respects bearing Arms I repeat can only flow from Congress, all other liberty is amply secured by our Constitution.

I commend myself to your Prayers & am with the most affectionate Esteem & Regard

Reverend Sir

Your friend & Obedient Servant

Reverend Bishop Ettwein

HENRY LAURENS.

HENRY LAURENS, JR., TO ETTWEIN, JUNE 27, 1790. CHARLESTON 27th June 1790.

Reverend Sir,

I note in a Letter lately received from my friend, Mr Wm Bell of Philadelphia, the trouble which you have been so good to take in assisting him to procure for me the models of the Mills used at Bethlehem for the preparation of Hemp to a certain State; tho' unfavored by your Correspondence, I refrain not from intruding a few Lines upon you with my hearty thanks for your interference.

The article of Hemp, probably, will be a staple of considerable consequence in this Country, to encourage & promote its Cultivation, few things can tend more than the introduction of the modes of manufacture in the various Stages, and of the proper Mills for facilitating the process, under this impression I wrote to Mr Bell to procure for me models of the mills used at Bethlehem, where I had learned that Hemp was cultivated & manufactured to a considerable Extent. With your assistance, he informs me that he will be able to gratify my wishes, by sending a Model of the Conical rolling Mill, & a Model of a Mill used for the double purpose of preparing Hemp on one side and of bruising Bark or beating Rice at pleasure on the other. I shall be happy at all times to make the best returns in my power for this flattering instance of your regard & attention. Should occasions present themselves to me on which I should think my Services would be

useful they shall not be kept. Should any occur to you let me hope you will give me the means of embracing them.

With the highest Respect & Esteem I am

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I received this Day your favour of the 25th of June in answer to mine of Febr. I find by the public prints that the exemption from serving in the Militia will be for all who are conscientiously scrupulous to bear arms.

cannot say that all our B are scrupulous in that point nor in taking a public oath, yet as there are many of our Church Members who really scruple about it and think to have good reason in the Word of our Saviour for it, we think it our Duty to provide for them and not to offend such Bm by a contrary mind or action.

I hope that before the end of Oct' some of the Brn from Salem in N. Car. will take a view of the 96 District in S. Car, and fix the place for the intended Settlement.

I am heartily thankful for your good will and wishes.

ETTWEIN TO HENRY LAURENS, JR., JULY 10, 1790. H. LAURENS JUN

Dear Sir,

I was favoured with a Letter from you of June 27th which I received the 8th inst. here at Philadelphia.

A model for a Hemp & stamping Mill has been made at Bethm. I hope you will receive it by Capt Jones.

The Millwright had begun it before I received Mr Bell's second Letter. You will find that he instead of our common Hemp

Mill with a roller has made one with two Brakes.

Some Remarks or Directions of his are hereby enclosed.

I shall be happy at all times, if you give me an opportunity, to shew my willingness to serve you, particularly in such plans for the benefit of the Country.

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When your kind Letter of the 8th of July came to me I was suffering under a severe attack of Gout which held me a prisoner nearly a Month.

Whatever you might have reflected upon permission to leave your mortal Tent, your happy recovery, for which I thank God, is a public benefit to a very large Circle who would sensibly feel the ill effects of your final departure, but in all cases God's Will be done.13

Concerning the land at Ninety-Six I shall be ready to fulfill my promises whenever any of your Brethren shall appear. I hope it will be in the course of next Month. I shall rather exceed than fall short of my propositions.

My Son has received the model of the Mill for breaking Hemp. I hope he has made a proper acknowledgement of your goodness in procuring it. He is at present in Charleston.

Commending myself to your remembrance in Prayer, I remain with the most affectionate Regard,

Reverend and Dear Sir

Your friend sincerely

HENRY LAURENS.

The Revd Bishop Ettwein.

ETTWEIN TO LAURENS, SEPTEMBER 25, 1790.

HENRY LAURENS ESQ.

Honoured and Dear Sir,

If I remember right, I have already informed you that I received your very kind Letter of the 25th of

13 Bishop Ettwein suffered a long and severe attack of sickness in February and March, 1790, after which he never fully regained robust health.

June on July 8th in Philadelphia. I sent Copy of it to our dear beloved Brother Fr. Marschall at Salem, with a request to send as soon as possible some of the Brethren from Wachovia to see the Country about Ninety Six in general and your District in particular, and to resolve upon a convenient spot for establishing a Settlement. I and my Bm here wish that Mr Fr. Marschall himself would make such a Journey to 96, and from there to you in Mepkin Plantation or in Charleston to settle everything in this Affair for which I now write to him again. If upon the condition of establishing a Settlement of the United Brethren 2000 acres of your Land in 96 are granted and given by you, you will please make a Deed for them in fee simple to Frederick Marschall Esq. at Salem in N. Carolina. The U. B have entrusted him with all their landed property in Pennsylvania and Carolina. He and the Br in N. Carolina will then as soon as possible take further measures to plant a mustard seed in S. Carolina, and I have great hopes that it will grow and such a Setttlement in time become a home to our Missionaries among the Creek, Choctaw and Cherokee Indians, if any there be, as I wish and hope for.

I heard there was in Congress a Motion to send Missionaries to the Creek Indians. Our Mission near Lake Erie is, by the Grace of God, again in a flourishing condition. Some of the Headmen of the Delawares have been converted, and initiated into the Christian Church by Holy Baptism, but they are still between hawk and buzzard, on the one side wild enemies of the Gospel, on the other side white enemies of all that is called Indian, but I am sure it is the work of God and He will maintain it and fulfill His thoughts of peace also among the several Indian Nations when His hour is come.

I remain with the most affectionate esteem Honoured and Dear Sir, your Friend and Brother in Christ,

JOHN ETTWEIN.

A TRIP INTO SOUTH CAROLINA.

ACCOUNT OF AN INSPECTION OF THE LANDS INTENDED FOR A SETTLEMENT OF THE BRETHREN, BY FREDERICK VON MARSCHALL AND CHRISTIAN LEWIS BENZIEN,15

IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, 1790.

In rendering a report of our journey and of what we accomplished in this matter we acknowledge that we have never been more forcibly impressed with the comforting promises of the Lord that He will not leave His children without help and succor in whatever they may undertake in His name, and in our various experiences we have certainly had the most positive evidence that it is His hand that doeth all things for the best.

We thankfully acknowledge His fatherly protection in having enabled us to perform our mission without interruption by sickness, especially as in all the region through which we passed a virulent type of Influenza was raging; there were a great number of deaths in the upper parts of South Carolina and we frequently made our night's lodging in houses where there were cases of this epidemic and where we were privileged to give such advice and aid as was in our power.

14 Frederick William von Marschall was born near Dresden, Feb. 5, 1721. He received his education in the University of Leipzig, his parents having intended him for military service; here he formed the acquaintance of the Moravian Brethren, which ultimately so shaped his course of life that he entered the service of the Church of his adoption.

After having filled various offices in England, Holland and Germany, he received the appointment of Warden of the property of the Brethren in Pennsylvania, where he arrived in 1761, and was chiefly engaged in regulating the affairs consequent to the abrogation of the economy system in Bethlehem and Nazareth. In 1768 he was transferred to Bethabara, N. C. and was intrumental in the founding of Salem. Here he departed, Feb. II, 1802.

15 Christian Lewis Benzien was born in London, July 19, 1753. In 1786, he became Marschall's assistant at Salem, and, in 1802, his successor as Administrator and Proprietor. He died Nov. 13, 1811.

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