the western boundary-line of the colony. Part of the original grant was clouded by Spanish titles, but what were known as the Yazoo lands were perfectly clear of encumbrances. Exactly how the Yazoo lands were bounded is now uncertain; but, speaking somewhat roughly, they occupied the upper belt of territory included between the Mississippi and the Chattahoochee rivers, the name being derived from the small stream which meandered through the western portion.

Four separate companies were organized for the purpose of engineering the deal: the Georgia, the GeorgiaMississippi, the Upper Mississippi and the Tennessee. The veiled purpose of the scheme is said to have been the formation of an empire along what was then regarded as the western frontier, and the purchase of contiguous property, extending the acquisitions northward, was sought through the agency of companies organized in other States. Even so illustrious a patriot as Patrick Henry was concerned in one of the companies organized in Virginia; but like many others he may have been ensnared by the innocent aspect which the enterprise presented to the world. But to show the magnitude of the scheme, in Georgia alone the territory which the various companies sought to acquire embraced not less than thirty-five million acres, a tract almost half as large as the present area of the State. And the consideration named in the transfer which was actually made under the measure which was subsequently repealed was only five hundred thousand dollars, or less than two cents an acre!

It can not be denied that the legislative conveyance of the western lands of Georgia was accomplished by means of gross corruption. The deeding to private corporations

of the jurisdictional rights of the State to such an immense area of land at such an absurd figure can hardly be explained on the ground that Georgia, whose population was then meager, possessed more territory than she ever expected to occupy. The sheer truth lies in the fact that the most outrageous frauds were perpetrated. Some of the lawmakers may have been clean-handed in supporting the measure, but most of them were influenced by pecuniary inducements; and if they held no shares themselves, they were related in some manner to parties who did. And so the infamous swindle was railroaded through the State Legislature. It was artfully and craftily done. Perhaps there were few members who were really conscious of the deep-dyed guilt which they had actually incurred; but the whole affair well merits that word of modern coinage-graft.

But the colossal scheme was not accomplished at one fell stroke. It required several years of the most insidious and delicate strategic operations on the part of missionary agents. The idea seems to have originated in the fertile brain of an unscrupulous speculator who went by the name of Thomas Washington, but whose real name appears to have been Thomas Walsh. The name which he chose was well calculated to enlist support. And he had furthermore taken some part in the war for independence. But he was too well known in Georgia for shrewd bargains and sharp dealings to foster his own offspring; and so he conducted his campaign in this State by means of an ally whose name was Sullivan. Sullivan claimed, no doubt with the proper credentials, to represent the

Virginia Yazoo Company, to which Patrick Henry belonged; and he proved such an apt pupil of Ananias that he soon aroused the acquisitive greed of all who possessed speculative streaks. Merchants and bankers of the highest standing in the State were easily duped by the mathematical argument of handsome dividends.

The failure of the initial effort to put the deal through successfully in 1793 only multiplied the devices by which the schemers sought to accomplish ultimate triumph. General James Gunn, the colleague of Governor Jackson in the Senate, became an outspoken champion of the landgrabbers; and Governor Jackson himself was approached with substantial overtures, but he scornfully repelled all advances. Like John Randolph, of Roanoke, he seems to have fought the Yazoo iniquity from the very inception. The bond of attachment between Randolph and Jackson was more than ordinarily strong. It amounted to the most intense mutual admiration; and when Governor Jackson died it was John Randolph who wrote the epitaph which was inscribed upon his monument.

Governor Matthews, who then filled the chair of State, was at first strongly opposed to the Yazoo purchase; but even the Chief Executive was eventually won by the persuasive arts of the speculators, two of his sons in some way having accquired an interest in the proposed deal. At last another effort to consummate the fraudulent transaction was made before the State Legislature, and early in 1795, the measure having passed both houses, the famous Yazoo Act was brought to Governor Matthews for his official endorsement.

An interesting incident is narrated in connection with the signing of the Act. The story goes that the old Gov

ernor still hesitated. He was an honest man and somehow he felt instinctively that the transaction was not right. But when judges and ministers were advocates of the legislation which the representatives of the people had deliberately enacted, it could hardly be expected that an old man whose sons were financially concerned would remain inflexible. Consequently he ordered his secretary to prepare him a quill so that he could soon end the torturing suspense. But his secretary whose name was Urquhart was determined to thwart the designs of the speculators if possible; and, having made the quill, he first dipped it in oil, hoping that when the ink refused to flow the Governor might construe the behavior of the fluid as an omen. But the clever ruse failed to work. The signature was duly affixed and the measure acquired the validity of law.

But the speculators had dealt almost exclusively with the representatives of the people in high positions, rather than with the people themselves, and the action of the lawmaking power in ceding such an extensive area of land aroused the most indignant protest from the masses. Governor Jackson from his seat in the United States Senate did not hesitate to denounce the scheme in the most scathing terms, characterizing it as dark and villainous. General Gunn, his colleague, who favored the scheme, was present when the perpetrators of the fraud were thus roundly excoriated; but what he did or said does not appear.

Most of the historians state that Governor Jackson resigned his seat in the United States Senate upon the im

portunities of the people, who urged him to come home for the purpose of fighting the conveyance, but it appears that Governor Jackson in opposing the transaction had long since threatened to take this step in the event the measure was adopted, and it was largely, if not entirely, upon his own initiative that he now surrendered the toga and returned to Georgia. As Judge Dooly says, the people sorely needed some one "to contrive for them." The position which Governor Jackson took was that the transfer, having been secured by craft, was utterly null and void; and so thoroughly were the masses in sympathy with this view that the newly-elected State Legislature under the leadership of Governor Jackson, promptly rescinded the measure.

But feeling ran high. Those who had monetary interest in the scheme could hardly be expected to submit without protest, and Governor Jackson exposed himself to hazardous consequences. Not only were the most deliberate efforts made to traduce his good name, but the most blood-thirsty assaults were made upon his life. Besides, he became involved in numerous duels with aggrieved parties. He was exceedingly impetuous. Unable to suppress his scorn of what was base and contemptible, he frequently allowed his indignation to get the better of his judgment; and he was constantly harassed down to the close of his days by the unhappy issues of this courageous crusade undertaken in behalf of Georgia's honor.

Governor Gilmer narrates an occurrence which shows how bent the people were upon punishing the offenders. An indignation meeting was called in Oglethorpe county soon after the famous Yazoo Act was passed, and one of the citizens of the county on his way to the court-house