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Oglethorpe returned to England, leaving Georgia in hardship

Source: A True and Historical Narrative of the Colony of Georgia in America #173

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From 1741 A True and Historical Narrative
edited by Amy

But Mr. Oglethorpe’s return to England†, greatly increased the growing Fame of the Colony, such that as it has been before observed, People in Abundance from all Parts of the World flocked to Georgia. Then they began to consider and endeavor everyone according to his Genius or Abilities, how they might best subsist themselves. Some, with great Labor and Expense tried making tar. (This, as 'tis well known to the Trustees, never covered Costs.) Others tried to make plank and saw Boards; which, by the great Price they were obliged to sell them at, by Reason of the great Expense of white Servants, was the chief Means of ruining those who thought to procure a Living by their Buildings in Town; for Boards of all kinds could always be bought in Carolina for half the Price that they were able to sell them at; but a few were able to commission boards from there, and those who were doing that were prevented from doing it upon Pretense of discouraging the Labor of white People in Georgia.
(†Before he departed, a Vessel with about twenty Families of Jews arrived, all of whom had Lots assigned them; and likewise a Vessel with forty transported Irish Convicts whom he purchased despite their being at Jamaica, and who afterwards caused constant Disturbances in the Colony.)
(* Mr. Causton, the Trustees Store keeper, mostly at their Charge, made a Tarr Kiln, which turned out to no Advantage.)

Those who had Numbers of Servants and Tracts of Land in the County started Planting Corn, Peas, Potatoes, &c. and the cost of these who succeeded the best so far exceeded the Value of the Produce that it would have saved three fourths to have bought all from the Carolina Market. The Falling of Timber was a Task very unequal to the Strength and Constitution of white Servants; and hoeing the Ground, they being exposed to the sultry Heat of the Sun, insupportable; and it is well known, that this Labor is one of the hardest upon the Negroes, even though their Constitutions are much stronger than white People, and the Heat no Way disagreeable nor hurtful to them; but in us it created inflammatory Fevers of various kinds, both continued and intermittent; wasting and tormenting Fluxes, most excruciating Colicks, and Dry-Belly-Aches; Tremors, Vertigoes, Palsies, and a long Train of painful and lingering nervous Distempers; which brought on to many a Cessation both from Work and Life; especially as Water without any Qualification was the chief Drink and Salt Meat the only Provisions that could be had or afforded: And so common were these Disorders that during the hot Season, which lasts from March to October, hardly one Half of the Servants and working People were ever able to do their Masters or themselves the least Service; and the Yearly Sickness of each Servant, generally speaking, cost his Master as much as would have maintained a Negro for four Years.

These Things were represented to the Trustees in the Summer 1735, in a Petition for the Use of Negroes, signed by about Seventeen of the better Sort of People in Savannah: In this Petition there was also set forth the great Disproportion between the Maintenance and Clothing of white Servants and Negroes. This Petition was carried to England and presented to the Trustees by Mr. Hugh Stirling, an experienced Planter in the Colony; but no Regard was had to it, or to what he could say, and great Resentment was even shown to Mr. Thompson, the Master of the Vessel in which it went.

WHILE we labored under those Difficulties in supporting ourselves, our Civil Liberties received a more terrible Shock: For, instead of such a free Government as we had Reason to expect, and of being judged by the Laws of our Mother Country, a Dictator (*Mr. Thomas Causton) under the Title of Bailiff and Store-keeper was appointed and left by Mr. Oglethorpe at his Departure in April, 1734 whose Will and Pleasure were the only Laws in Georgia:

In Regard to this Magistrate, the others were entirely nominal and in a Manner but Cyphers: Sometimes he publicly asked their Opinion simply to show his Power by contradicting them. He often threatened Juries, and especially when their Verdicts did not agree with his Inclination or Humor. And in order to more fully establish his absolute Authority, the Store and Disposal of the Provisions, Money and public Places of Trust were committed to him; by which Alteration in his State and Circumstances he became in a Manner infatuated, being before that a Person of no
Substance or Character, having come over with Mr. Oglethorpe amongst the first Forty, and left England upon account of something committed by him concerning his Majesty's Duties: However, he was fit enough for a great many Purposes, being a Person naturally proud, covetous, cunning and deceitful, and would bring his Designs about by all possible Ways and Means.

AS his Power increased, so did his Pride, Haughtiness and Cruelty; insomuch that he made eight Free-holders and an Officer guard the Door of the Court every Day it was in session, with their Guns and Bayonets, and he commanded them to Rest their Firelocks as soon as he appeared; which made People somewhat afraid to speak their Minds, or Juries to act as their Consciences directed them. He was seldom or never uncovered on the Bench, not even when an Oath was administered; and being perfectly intoxicated with Power and Pride, he threatened every Person without Distinction, Rich and Poor, Strangers and Inhabitants, who in the least opposed his arbitrary Proceedings or claimed their just Rights and Privileges, with the Stocks, Whipping-Post and Log-House, and many Times put those Threats in Execution; so that the Georgia Stocks, Whipping-Post and Logg-House, soon were famous in Carolina and everywhere else in America where the Name of the Province was known, and the very Thoughts of coming to the Colony became a Terror to People's Minds.

And now the Province of Carolina, who had in private and public Donations given us upwards of 1300 l. Sterling, seeing these Things and how the Public Money was thrown away, began to despise the Colony, and out of a Regard to the Welfare of their Fellow-Creatures, persuaded every Body they could from settling in it.