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TO THE PUBLIC.
I rorn my hte connection with the Bank of
* jicon as President, I understand that a portion
ot the community are disposed to indulge in re
jections unfavorable to my character as an up-
ngnt man, and to attach to me some blame for
the unfortunate, and to me unexpected failure of
that institution—The charges against me so far
as I have heard them, are
1st. That I have spoken favourably of the. sol
vency ot the Bank and have thereby given a cur
rency to its paper which it might not otherwise
have obtained.
2d. That l resigned my appointment of Presi
dent secretly, thereby continuing to the Bank the
influence of my name after I had withdrawn from
it.
I will take up these charges in their order, and
meet them in a manner which will satisfv every
candid, and unprejudiced mind of the purity of
my motives, and honesty of my conduct. In the
the first place, before I consented to become an
officer of the institution, when applied to for that
purpose, I was assured that several of the most
responsible merchants of Macon, bad contracted
for the purchase of one thousand shares of the
stock of the Bank, and that tlie balance was own
ed by Or. Robert Collins, Robert Coleman. John
M.iriin, and J. Stone & Co. of Savannah—Kerr
Boyce, Henry W. Conner & Co. and Patterson
and Magood of Charleston. Having a personal
knowledge of the pecuniary circumstances of
most of the Gentlemen represented as the pro
prietors of the stock, nnd-haring been informed
by two of the Gentlemen who had agreed to be
come purchasers of the stock in Macon, that from
some examination into the affairs of the Bank,
they lound it so far as that examination went, in
a sound condition, I did not hesitate to accept
the appointment of President. A short time af
ter 1 entered upon the duties of the office, the
Cashier made an exhibit to me of the state of the
Bank, which proved it to he solvent and amply
able to meet all on pet in Virculation. In addi
tion to this the favourable report of the Legisla
ture upon thestate of the institution, always made
out as 1 supposed upon oath by the officers—
completely satisfied me that the Bank of Macon
stood upon a solid basis—In the month of Feb
ruary Dr. Collins informed me he had sold his
interest in the stock to Mr. Ellis and his friends in
New-York. I at once supposed that Mr. Ellis’s
friends in New-York would prefer his presiding
over the Bank and spoke of resigning—but as l
very soon learned that Mr. Ellis did not wish me
to resign, 1 continued to serve as I had previous
ly done, without having any change produced in
my mind as to the solvency of the Bank. Dur
ing the whole of the lime I served the Institution
as President, every demand made upon it was
promptly met, and the Bank continued to meet
so far as I know every demand after mv resigna
tion up to the time, I left this place for New-York.
From these circumstances I had no right to speak
otherwise than well of the condition of the bank.
-\fter my resignation, and after setting out for
New-York, i told my pr.rtnei that I thought eve-
ry confidence might be placed in the credit of
the Bank, and that it wa* sale to hold it bilU—
• ■ ... >:>!(.i ’>• ; ■' . t • • t>:u ot i•
era in business in this place, ami :■> am. .' .
Eatonton—these persons might he presumed to
be the last that l would deceive, if I could bn c np-
posed to lie governed by r - m ihcst mg- -
sinns of the human heart, self-interest ant] the tics
of natural affection—as additional evidence of
my implicit faith in the soundness of the institu
tion, I will remark, that since the 1st day of De
cember 1831, and the 24th July 1832 (eight
months,) my Bank Book shows that I deposited
in the Bank of Macon for the concern of which
I am a member, in cash and good paper for col
lection, the sum of three hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars, and that it was not unfrequently the
case that from ten to twenty thousand dollars,
were to the credit of our House In the Bank, from
six days to two and ihiee weeks at a time.—
These deposites were not only continued after
my resignation, but I requested Mr. Laird II.
Wiley in whose charge our business was left be
fore I started to New-York, to continue to make
all our deposites there—Mr, Wiley’s certificate
will prove this. These facts will I hope satisfy
an impartial public that if I spoke favourably of
the solvency of the Bank, I spoke nothing but
my honest opinion, and if I have misled otiicis, I
was myself deceived.
This brings me to the second charge, that I se
cretly resigned my appointment as President.—
On the last day of June it become indispensibly
necessary for me to go to toe country on business,
on that day I made out my resignation—on the
1st day of July previous to leaving Town for the
country, where I was detained about eight days,
1 handed the letter with my resignation to Mr.
Leroy i\I. Wiley,—told him what it contained,
and requested him to hand it to the Bank, which
he done on the 2d day of July with as much pub
licity as such things are usually done—I made
no secret of it; it is true, I did not publish it,
hut when spoken to in relation to it, I always
stated I had resigned; there was no concealment
about it. In a conversation with Doct. Clopton
nine or ten days previous to my starting to New-
York, I told him I had resigned—I met with Mr.
Washburn in the street before I left, who told me
he had heard it, and asked me if it was so; I
told him it was: The certificates of these Gen
tlemen will enable the public to judge whether
secrecy was enjoined—or not. The reason for
my resigning when I did, was not induced by any
distrust of the ability of the Bank to meet its is
sues without lossto'the holders of its bills, but in
compliance with a compact with my partners, by
which I was to attend to that Branch of the busi
ness previously attended to by Leroy M. Wiley
to wit, the purchase of goods, and the time had
arrived when it was necessary for me to start to
New-York, in order to be prepared for the busi
ness of the approaching season, I left Macon
when I did for this purpose alone. If I had be
lieved the Bank was in a failing condition, and
had resigned from a Motive of this sort, then it
would have become my duty both to myself and
the country, to have made public not only my re
signation but the causes of it, but being influenced
by no such motive and having confidence in the
credit of the institution I could not see the neces
sity of publishing my resignation. It was my
intention on my return from New-York, to have
submitted to the public a complete expose from
the Books of the Bank, and sought the earliest
opportunity to do so, but was denied the privi
lege of doing so, and the reason assigned by the
proprietor was that “ after its failure, «he Bank
was under the necessity of refusing access to its
Books from prudential motives alone, as such an
expose it was feared would throw difficulty in ils
way. and prevent the collection of its debts.” I
am prepared to anticipate all the blame that
will fail upon me when a complete development
is made, and this I do admit—it is remisness ;—
for this I shall always feel the deepest regret;—
and particularly if it shall turn out when a dis
closure is made, that a fraud has'been practiced
upon the public. Conscious myself of having
been governed by the most iqmriglit motives,
both towards the Bank, and the public, during
my connection with the institution, and desirous
of maintaining before the community, the char
acter of an honest citizen I submit tins statement,
and the certificates of Gentlemen accompanying
it. What verdict the public may award I cannot
say, but be that as it may, I am sensible that I
have incurred no moral, or equitable responsibili
ty—and I have the consolation of feeling that I
have throughout, acted with none other than the
purest of motives. So long as I live I shall be
found at my post, and ready to answer to any
tribunal of my country I am prepared to show
that tiie small property of which I am possessed,
is nothing more than the honest fruit of unceas
ing toil and labour, for the last ten years of my
fife,—I owe just debts, and should it become ne
cessary for me to dispose of any part of my prop
erty to meet them promptly, I shall do it, and my
honor is pledged never to place the balance be
yond the reach of justice and equity.
ROBT. W. FORT.
P. S. Could I see Mr. Ponce of Augusta, I
should be enabled to obtain his certificate, that
in a conversation with .him about the 10th Juiy
I told him I had resigned my appointment of
President of the Bank of Macon, and done it
without concealment, or placing him under any
obligations whatever to keep it secret.
Justice to Messrs J. Stone & Co. Kerr Boyce,
Henry W. Conner & Co. and Patterson & Ma
good, requires me to say that I have been inform
ed, they sold their interest in the Bank of Ma
con, some time before its failure.
ROBT. \V. FORT.
Macon, Sept. 12, 1832.
I certify, that to the best of my knowledge and
belief, the conduct of R. W* Fort Esq. as Presi
dent of the Bank of Macon, has been uniformly
correct; that he has in all cases acted with up
rightness of intention, and has done nothing
which should cast suspicion on his character for
integrity, during the time of my connexion with
the Bank of Macon.
THOMAS M. ELLIS.
After its failure, the Bank was under the ne
cessity of lefusing access to its Books, from Pru
dential motives, alone, as such an expose, it was
feard, would throw difficulties in its way and pre
vent the collection of its debts.
Macon,, 11 th Sept. 1832
I resigned the office of Cashier of the Rank of
Macon about the 15th of February last, and R.
W. Fort Esq. had acted as President of ’bat in
stitution for sevtral months previous to that rime.
From my situation I had a good opportunity of
judging of his official acts, and I have no hesi
tancy in saying, that in all his transactions with
the Bank, he seemed to be actuated by the pur
est and most honorable motives ; and I know of
nothing that ought to render him obnoxious to
public censure. I believe him to be a correct
and upright officer and during that time, the af
fairs of the Bank were in a safe, solvent, and
good condition.
ROBT. COLLINS.
I do further state, that R. W. Fort never did
to the best ot my knowledge have a Note, draft,
or any other paper discounted at the Bank.
ROBT. COLLINS.
Macon, Sept. 14, 13S2
I hereby certify, that in a conversation held
with Roht. W. Fort, about the middle of July,
after his return from the up-countrv, he spoke,
of his resignation as President of the Bank of
Macon, without any apparent design of conceal
ment, and then gave it as his opinion that the
Ban a would go on wed with ils business, and that
there was no injunction of secrecy.
A. CLOPTON.
Macon. September 14. 1832,
I certify that I became a member of the firm of
Baxter, Fort, and Wiley, on the first day o*’Ju
ly last, and tbht Robert W. Fort did, after resign
ing his appointment as President of the Bank of
Macon, and before he left Macon for New-York,
request me to continue to make ad our deposites
botli cash and paper for collection in the Bank
ol Macon—and that our House continued to take
the Notes of the Bank of Macon until its failure.
L. H. WILEY.
I iiercby certify, that on or about the 12th
July last, and directly after bis return from the
up-country, where he had been on business, my
brother Robert W. Fort, spoke of his resignation
as President of the Bank ofMncon, without any
apparent design of concealment ;—1 then asked
his opinion of the Bank, he told me it was his
opinion the Bank was good, and it was perfectly
safe to hold the Bills. There was no secrecy
enjoined on me not to mention the resignation.
WILLIAM FORT.
Macon, Sept. 14 1832.
I do hereby certify, that when Mr. Robert W.
Fort, passed thro’ Milledgeville, on his way to
New York, I enquired of him, whether we should
continue our deposites with the Macon Bank?
His reply was “Yes, for I conceive it to be en
tirely safe.”
I also certify, that an advertisement put in the
Macon Telegraph, that “Baxter, Fort, & Wiley
would receive Macon Bills tor goods, at 25 cents
in the dollar,” was w ithout his know ledge or con
sent; he was then absent from the State, and I
had aot received a letter from him, up to that
time. TIIOS. W. BAXTER.
Macon, Sept. 14th, 1832.
I do certify, that I was appointed Book-keeper
for the Bank of Macon in the month ofFebruary
last, and held that appointment until its failure.
Mr. Fort had acted as President of the Bank, for
about four months previous to this time; it was
his habit to call at the Bank every morning, but
from the pressure of his own business, never re
mained long at the Bank—be uniformly mani
fested a deep interest in the institution, and on
all occasions, an entire belief in its solvency—a
plain and conclusive evidence to me of his sin
cerity, w’as the large deposit kept almost con
stantly in the Bank, amounting frequently to
Twenty Thousand Dollars, and remaining for
weeks untouched, to the last day of Mr. Fort’s
stay here; previous to his departure for New
York, this confidence appeared unabated; I nev
er saw any thing in his manner, nor was there
any thing in his remarks that betrayed in the
slightest degree, a doubt of the solvency of the
Bauk.—His only culpability in all that I have
observed, and all that will, on a full develope-
ment of the affairs of the Bank, fall upon him,
consists in not more fully examining its condi
tion, and keeping a register of all that was done.
Of his integrity and honor, I have no doubt, bis
whole conduct there was so eminently distinguish
ed for rectitude and exact honesty, that I think
his name should forever be above reproach so far
as relates to tiie Bank.
J. L JONES.