YAZOO FRAUD. 49 



well known, another company was speedily formed. Some of 

 this company were of the former " Combined Society ;" others 

 were men whose characters had not been before impeached. 

 They employed active and wily agents ; and several members 

 of the Legislature were persuaded to become interested, but 

 in no manner of corruption, compared with that of the Legis- 

 lature of 1794 and 5. An act was passed — a sale was made 

 — the people demanded a repeal, and another Legislature de- 

 clared the sale a nullity. 



The fire of speculation seemed to be extinct, but the em- 

 bers remained only smothered for a while. In 1794 it kindled 

 into a blaze. Federal and State Judges, members of the Unit- 

 ed States Congress, generals and other high officers of the 

 militia took the lead. The people were stunned by the violence 

 of the praises pronounced in support of the contemplated sale, 

 and blinded by the greatness of the names who favoured it. 

 No attempt was left untried, no artifice not used, to enlist all 

 the leading and influential characters of the State. General 

 James Jackson, then a senator in Congress, was told by a citi- 

 zen high in judicial rank, that he might have any number of 

 acres he pleased to half a million, without paying a dollar, if 

 he would embark his reputation against the honour and inter- 

 ests of Georgia. He replied, " that he had fought for her — for 

 the people — the land was theirs, and the property of future 

 generations ; and that if the conspirators did succeed, he for 

 one would hold the sale void." Every expedient was employ- 

 ed — epistolary intercourse was quadrupled — arguments of 

 every character were used to keep honest men at home — the 

 newspapers were enlisted, and teemed with editorial and com- 

 municated articles in favour of the intended purchase, and eulo- 

 gizing the patriotism of those who projected it — the people 

 were inactive, and, to the great gratification of the traitors 

 who were gulling them, a Legislature was returned which they 

 felt they could play upon. The monsters of corruption pre- 

 vailed. Alas ! it is too true that the escutcheon of Georgia 

 was dishonoured. The people have no adequate idea of 

 the scenes represented at Augusta, where the Legislature 

 sat, or of the principal persons who managed the drama, 



