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184 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS
mittees. He was the chairman of the one to draw up laws and regula
tions for the colony,'* and we shall have occasion to discuss later whether
or not the work of this committee was wisely done or not. He was ap
pointed a committee of one to see that the project was given the proper
publicity through the newspapers and also to prepare commissions and
boxes for those who should be willing to solicit funds for the enterprise, t
He seemed for the time being to have charge of the receipts and dis
bursements, for which he rendered a regular account.:!: Whether on
account of his financial relation to the undertaking or because of his
greater interest in it, he reported more names to the board of those who
were willing to solicit money for the work than any other trustee. In
addition to the activities already noted, he is thought to have written in
behalf of the new colony the pamphlet entitled, "A New and Accurate
Account of the Provinces of South Carolina and Georgia."**
When preparations for the first embarkation of colonists to Georgia
were being made, Oglethorpe decided to accompany the new settlers in
person. This determination seems to have been entirely voluntary on
his part; but, while the trustees had not urged him to the course, they
were glad to avail themselves of his generous offer. The people who were
going to Georgia were almost all of good character, but they had not
hitherto been successful as a rule in managing their private affairs; and
so it could not be reasonably expected that they would be capable of
directing a whole settlement. Some guiding hand was needful. The
normal thing to do was to appoint a governor who would be strong and
experienced enough to put into operation the various plans of the
trustees; but the latter were unwilling to appoint such a governor lest
they should lose some of their authority, since the charter provided that
a governor must be obedient to the Grown as well as the trustees. They
seemed to feel that if Oglethorpe went over to get things well started
the colony could get along without much government; and they cer
tainly acted on this theory whether they consciously held it or not.
Oglethorpe probably sympathized with his fellow trustees in desiring
to keep independent of government control, for this was ever his later
policy whenever it was possible. Another reason why he may have been
induced to undertake the journey was his love of adventure. He had
served as a gentleman volunteer on the continent before entering the
English army, and he had later joined the Austrians against the Turks,
as we have noticed; and the establishing of a buffer colony against his
old opponents, the Spanish, would doubtless appeal to him on the mili
tary and adventurous side. There is no good reason for doubting, how
ever, that he was greatly, and perhaps mainly, moved by compassion for
the poor debtors and other unfortunates who were preparing to go to a
new country, and who would need all the help and advice obtainable in
order to succeed. His action was regarded in this light at the time,- and
he was highly eulogized for leaving his home and the comforts of so
ciety and the pursuits of ambition in order to do a work from which he
could hope to receive no private advantage.! f
*0. R. I: 70.
t C. E. II: 3.
t Ibid., 9.
**Ga. Hist. Oollee. I: 42.
tt Polit. State XLV: 18.1, cited by Stevens I: 83.