secret emissaries to stir up in the minds of wicked and evil-disposed persons, persuasions and principles inimical to the ties of humanity, and the common rights of mankind, and thereby inducing them not only to disturb the common peace, safety, and good order of this Colony, but to take up arms, and spill the blood of their fellow-citizens, who are only acting in the defence of their lives, liberties, and properties, against the hands of a lawless and despotick power; to the intent, therefore, and in order the more effectually to preserve and secure the peace, order, and good government of this Colony, and to deter and prevent such evil-minded persons from committing such offences, and all such other offences declared in this act, to the great danger of the lives, liberties, and properties of the inhabitants of this Colony:

Be it enacted by his Excellency JOHN RUTLEDGE, Esquire, President and. Commander-in-Chief in and over the Colony of SOUTH-CAROLINA, and by the honourable the Legislative Council and General Assembly of this Colony, and by the authority of the same, That if any person or persons within this Colony do, or shall, from and immediately after the passing of this act, take up arms with a hostile intent, and by force and violence, or by words, deeds, or writing, or any other means whatsoever, cause, induce, or persuade, or attempt to cause, induce, or persuade any other person or persons, with such hostile intent, to take up arms, and by force and violence to oppose and subvert the authority of the Government of this Colony, established by the Constitution, agreed on and confirmed in Congress at Charlestoion, on the twenty-sixth day of March, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six, or to wound, maim, or kill any person or persons, or destroy any of the houses, goods, or chattels, of any such persons, who shall, under, and by virtue of any authority of the said Government, be acting in support and defence of the same, or the execution of any power, authority, or office derived therefrom,—all and every of such person or persons, and the aider and abetter, or aiders and abetters, of such person or persons so offending, in either of the offences aforesaid, shall, on being indicted and convicted of the same, by due course of law, be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony, and suffer death without benefit of clergy.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any persons within this Colony shall, immediately after the passing of this act, or at any time thereafter, by letter, writing, message, or other means of intelligence, hold any correspondence or intercourse, or conspire or concert in any manner whatever with, or aid or abet any Land or Naval Force, raised or to be raised, or which shall be sent by Great Britain, in a hostile manner, against this Colony, or any force or body of men within this Colony, who shall, in a hostile intent or manner, oppose the power and authority of the present Government of this Colony, established as aforesaid, with an intent to promote the accomplishments of any hostile plan of operation, designed by such force or forces against the lives, liberties, and properties, of all or any of the inhabitants and friends to the Constitution of this Colony, established as aforesaid,—every such person or persons, so offending in any of the said offences, shall, on being indicted and convicted thereof, by due course of law, be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony, and suffer death without benefit of clergy.

And be it farther enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons within this Colony shall, immediately after the passing of this act, or at any time thereafter, furnish or supply, or cause or procure to be furnished or supplied, with any bills of exchange, moneys, goods, provisions, liquors, or other necessary articles of subsistence, or any military or naval stores whatever, any of the Land or Naval Forces, raised or to be raised, or sent by Great Britain, or any authority derived from that Government, against this Colony, or shall, in like manner, furnish or supply, or cause to be furnished or supplied, any force or body of men who shall, in a hostile manner, oppose the Government of this Colony, established as aforesaid,—every such person or persons, so offending in either of the offences aforesaid, and the aider or abetter, or aiders and abetters of any of the said offences, shall, on being indicted or convicted thereof, by due course of law, be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony, and suffer death without benefit of clergy.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons within this Colony shall, at any time after the passing of this act, compel, induce, persuade, or attempt to compel, induce, or persuade, any white person or persons, or any free negro or negroes, mulatto or mulattoes, Indian or Indians, to desert from their habitation or habitations, or any negro, or other slave or slaves, to desert from his or their master, mistress, or owner, and to join any land or naval force, raised, or to be raised, or sent by Great Britain, or any authority derived from that Government, against the United Colonies of America, or this Colony, or to join any person or persons armed in a hostile manner, with intent to oppose or subvert the Government of this Colony, established as aforesaid, or with intent of killing any person or persons, or destroying his, her, or their goods or property, who shall be acting, or ready and willing to act, in support and defence of such Government, or any of the inhabitants of this Colony, and friends to the same,-every such person or persons, so offending in any of the above offences, and all such as shall aid and abet the said offender or offenders, in the perpetration and execution of any of the said offences, shall, on conviction thereof, by due course of law, be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony, and shall suffer death without benefit of clergy: Provided always, nevertheless, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed, or taken, to prevent the good people of this Colony from arming of slaves, or negroes, for the better defence of this Colony against all enemies whatsoever who shall invade or attack the same, or endanger the safety thereof.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person, or persons, within this Colony, shall, immediately after the passing of this act, or at any time thereafter, collect, or assemble, with any body or assembly of persons, or cause, or procure them to be so collected and assembled, with intent, in a riotous and seditious manner, to disturb the publick peace and tranquillity, and the good order of the Government, and by words, or otherwise, to create and raise traitorous seditions or discontents in the minds of the good people of this Colony against the authority of the present Government, established as aforesaid,—every such person or persons, so offending in any of the said offences, shall, on conviction thereof, by due course of law, be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the lands and tenements, goods and chattels, and other real and personal estate of all such person or persons, who shall be duly convicted, by virtue of this act, of any of the crimes and offences thereby made felony, shall, within one month after such conviction, by the Sheriff of each District, respectively, in which such real and personal estate of the person, or persons, so convicted, or any part thereof, shall be found, with three freeholders of the said District, be appraised upon oath, and the said appraisement duly returned, by the said Sheriff of such District, to the Secretary’s office in Charlestown within one month after such appraisement is made; and the said Sheriff of such District in which the appraisement is made, as aforesaid, shall, within one month thereafter, expose such estate so appraised to publick sale, first giving twenty-one days’ publick notice of the sale; and shall, within three months after such sale, deposite the amount of the same, deducting legal poundage and charges, in the office of the Colony Treasury in Charlestown; and the Commissioners of the Colony Treasury, or any one of them, on receipt of such moneys from the Sheriff, as aforesaid, shall give a receipt or voucher for the same.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any Sheriff or Sheriffs, for any of the Districts in this Colony, shall, in anywise, transgress, or disobey, or neglect, the putting in execution any of the provisions or clauses in this act respecting their duty and office,—every Sheriff so offending, disobeying, or neglecting the same, shall forfeit his office, and incur the penalty of one thousand pounds, current money, to be sued for, and recovered, by bill or plaint in any court of record in this Colony, wherein no essoign, privilege, protection, or wager of law, or more than one imparlance, shall be allowed.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the moneys arising from the sale of all such estates as shall become forfeited, by virtue of this act, shall be appropriated for a fund, and shall become a reprisal fund, for reimbursing all such losses and damages which have been, or shall be, sustained by any person or persons, who have been, are, or shall be, engaged in opposition to the oppressive