Charleston, South Carolina (Birds-eye view in 1872)
85 Years of Sovereign Independence?
From The New-York Times January 18, 1861:
HOW VESSELS ARE CLEARED AT THE CHARLESTON CUSTOM-HOUSE.
Some curiosity exists as to the forms at present adopted at the Charleston Custom-House for clearing vessels. We have been shown the clearance papers of a vessel just arrived from Charleston, which throw some light upon this subject. The blank forms supplied by the Treasury Department to the Collectors at all ports of entry are still in use at Charleston, but the words, “in the eighty-fifth year of the independence of the United States of America” are struck out with a dash of the Collector’s pen, and in their place are interlined with a pen the ‘words “eighty-fifth year of the sovereignty and independence of the State of South Carolina!” The clearance papers are signed by W.F. COLCOCK, Collector, and JOHN LAURENS, Naval Officer.
Well, William F. Colcock was also a lawyer, so I’m sure the modification was absolutely legitimate.
