50 YAZOO FRAUD. 



nor will we now furnish the names. In the lobbies of the 

 Senate and House alternately were seen a judge of the Su- 

 preme Court of the United States, from Pennsylvania, with 

 $25,000 in his hands, it was said, as a cash payment ; a Judge 

 of the United States District Court of Georgia, passing off 

 shares of land to the members for their votes ; and a senator 

 from Georgia, who had perfidiously neglected to proceed to 

 Philadelphia to take his seat in Congress, and who was absent 

 from his post until the three last days of its session, bullying 

 with a loaded whip, and by turns cajoling the numerous under- 

 strappers in speculation. There were also seen a judge of our 

 State Courts, and other eminent Georgians, surrounding our 

 poor degraded representatives, offering shares, sub-shares, and 

 half sub-shares, striving to frighten some, and to seduce others 

 into compliance with their will. Our sister State, South Caro- 

 lina, was represented by one who was regarded as a prince of 

 speculation, plotting against the honour of Georgia. Many 

 w^eak men, whose conscience prompted resistance, were in- 

 timidated ; some who could not be persuaded to vote for the 

 sale, were paid to go home, and the virtuous minority were 

 every moment in dread of their lives. To this very minority, 

 however, did the corrupt majority in a few days owe their 

 safety. The disgraceful and nefarious transactions were made 

 known. The people arose in the vicinity of Augusta, deter- 

 mined to put to death all who had voted for the obnoxious act, 

 but were prevented by the intercessions of the same minority 

 whom they had improperly treated. The alarm, on the Gov- 

 ernor's signing the bill, became universal. It was pronounced 

 by all an unparalleled usurpation. No corruption was imputed 

 to the Governor. It is just to his memory — that of a soldier 

 who had won a thousand laurels in the war of independence — 

 to affirm, that weakness of judgment, not corruption of heart, 

 guided the pen which sanctioned the detested statute. Georgia 

 became a perilous residence for all concerned in the specula- 

 tion. A senator from Hancock, to avoid being tied to a sap- 

 ling and whipped, fled to South Carolina, whither he was fol- 

 lowed and killed by some of his constituents. Most of the 

 other perjured members, excepting in one or two counties, con- 

 cealed themselves, not daring to appear in public. The " mark 

 of Cain" was upon them. 



