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242
Jfor tljc Columbian fflufrum.
Meflrs. Powers IF Seymour,
Gentlemen ,
AN anonymous author in your last
Friday's paper, signed a Freeman,
has attacked the Governor in language
too indecent to have any other efteft,
than to rouse the indignation of eve
ry friend of Georgia, against himfelf.
There surely is fome refpedt due to the
Chief Magistrate, however a writer
may personally be displeased with him,
or disagree with his public sentiments.
And although I am far from wishing a
lloppage of investigation, through the
channel of the press, of his, or any other
officers public conduct—such investiga
tion, 1 think, (hould be made in at ieaft
decent terms. Any other language can
only tend to injure the state, and the
writer ; but cannot wound the reputa
tion of the accused.
I feel too great contempt for this au
thor, to comment on his disty ailufion
of the Ass, and his guide—w hich latter
term, this beajlly ‘writer might havft in
tended for myfeU ; but 1 am in justice
to the public and the commiftion I hold,
obliged against my inclination, to notice
him, as he has attacked division orders,
lent to Camden county, which mull be
mine. It is a pity, gentlemen, that
this Freeman had not a guide—l mean
truth. He has aflerted tnat “ accompa
nying the about mentioned dedimus , there
fame divtjian orders dire lied to a certain
Hugh Brown, as Captain Commandant of
this county, commanding him to organiser:
the militia of the taunty, and further or
ders to tall on certain mag jf rates to hold
tlefliotis for that purpose, not to ary two
magijlrates as the law dtreds .’’ The
- orders and the only orders, Lever iflued
on this head,, are herewith publiftied,
?nd will serve to prove, how lar a num
ber ot other base reports, spreading far
and wide, at this moment, ought to be
credited.
‘Phis Freeman will permit me to in
form him, that in this cale cfpecialiy, if
the Governor, whose honesty of heart,
whose zeal for the American came, and
whose exertions during the revolutiona
ry war, were well known in Georgia,
before this Freeman ever saw it, had act
ed otherwise than he has done, he would
have been justly ccnfurable. Captain
Brown’s letter to me, together with eve
ry word I wrote the Governor, arid eve
ry word he wrote me on the 1 fubjedt, are
subjoined. AstoCapt. Brown’s /landing
a tory confjftd, it is not material to the
qucltion—it is enough that I found him
in commiftion, and contrary to the pre
sent order of things on that unhappy
fpor, which will further appear by the
iubjoined extract, and which perhaps,
would juftify a Freeman’s changing his
Signature into u A ■ Drfpot l refpede. 1
the commiftion of my country, without
enquiring whether it were signed by a
Matthews, or an Irwin. It was not
my duty, as perhaps the Freeman has
done, to a flume legislative powers, ro
enquire, into the validity of the commif
lion, to impeach, and tr / the executive
authority—but to obey it firft of all,
and if I had-complaints, to lay them be
fore the legislature afterwards.
It is however, not as well known to
the world, as it is an etlabliihed fact,
that the unhappy inhabitants of Camden
county, for years pall, have been citi
zens, and no citizens, itejl at they would,
•r would not vote, with the ruling fac
tion ot the county—and this under the
pretence ot their having been tories, fif
teen or twenty years since. Those peo
ple are mostly poor illiterate persons.
Do they deserve this vengeance ? Can
not we look arouad us, and difcovsrmcn
ot this description, whose abilities aided,
and whose arms and monies supported
the Britifli c tufe, not only pardoned and
reltored to the. rights of citizenihip, but
voting for, and voted into, the molt em
inent polls, even vhe Legislature and
Corporations. Merciful ‘God ! what
mercy is this—to fix indelible resent
ment in our minds, against those. poor
illiterate wretches, whilit others who
had the power to injure us, are not only
carefled, but triumph in their misdo
ings. Let me be charged as a tories
friend on such an occasion, and I- Ilia 11
glory in it. I believe lam not general
ly accused of this crime.
I shall make no further comments on
the iubjoined papers—the vast field for
them will readily befeen by the enligh
tened publick. **
I am Gentlemen,
Your obedient fervent,
Jas. JACKSON.
Major General \ji Dtvtfou,
Georg,a Militia.
September 25, i 79 6*
v^ tC 7I° h t n Kin S’ Richard Carnes,
• Muufray, Thomas King, jolui
Columbian JHufeum, &c.
Burrows, James Seagrove, Wm. John
ston, and R. Gafcoignc, all live in the
town or vicinity of St. Mary’s, a corner
ol the county. —E. Hilbardor Hubbard,
is accounted for by Captam Brown’s
letter—Atkini'on, as I was informed,
never qualified.—T. F. Randolph, lives
at Coleraine, (the garrifon)—E. Wam
berfie, is in Holland, St is a resident, when
here, of Savannah—and Hugh Brown,
who may be called the only country
magistrate, has been refufed qualification,
and has had his dedimus pocketed, by
John King, Esq. although appointed by
the Legislature. Those are the mag
iitrates pointed out by the Freeman , for
the administration of justice in Camden
county. From one corner of the county
to the other, is near co, if not 60 miles.
Number I.
Capt. Brown’s Letter , to Gen. Jackson.
SATILLA, Bth June, 1796.
S 1 R,,
THE present deranged state of the
Militia ol this county, is such, as must
be alarming to the citizens, being on a
ironticr, as this is, and will moil cer
tainly leave us in a dangerous situation,
fhouid matters at the present Treaty,
not he fettled in a more amicable man
ner, between the State and c,reck Na
tion, than have hitherto been : from those
reasons I think it my duty as an officer
of this-county, to make our situation
known to you, in order that fome mea
iures may be taken for the organiza
tion ot the Militia.
There is at present, no field officer in
the county, nor is there at this time a
Captain, except myfeif,.and only three
Lieutenants and one Ensign, for the four
company diftri&s of this county ; and
it will he difficult to have an election of
officers in the different diftri&s, for the
want of justices to superintend them,
there are two of the diftriebs that have
no J uftices of the Peace redding in them.
- There are two vacancies of J uftices in
the county. —Alexander Young, who
has removed out of the county, and
Elihu Hebard, who has been near eigh- j
teen months out of the county, and in
the service of a foreign nation. If those
two vacancies were filled, by appoint
ments from the Governor, we might
then have it in ouf pAwer to proceed to
the election of Militia Officers. And
l think myfelf (and am convinced it
would grie fatistadion to molt of the
citizens of the county) fur those two
vacancies to oe filled, by the appoint
ment oi Wiiiiam Nibiaick, and Samuel
Smith.
_ “Tis my wish fyom this communica
tion, to acquaint you of the llate of the
Militia of the county, and I hope you
will take such meatures as you will
judge moft proper, for the organization
of them.
I’ am with refped, fir,-
Your molt obedient Ten ant,
HUGH BROWN. Capt.-
Major Gen. Jtukfon. •
I do certify the above to be a- true
•copy of a letter, from Capt. Hugh
Brown, to Gen. Jackson.
Z. LAMAR,,Sec. E. D.
Number 11.
General Jackson’s Letter to the Governor,
. 20 th June, 1 796.
Camden County, Coleraine aSth June,
179&
S I R,
INCLOSED is a letter from Hugh
Brown, Esq. the eldcft. officer in this
county, refpeding the state of its Mili
tia, by which you will perceive the bad
situation it Hands in, fhouid hostilities
fake place,-in confcquence of the failure
of the Treaty, which your Excellency
is already advised to prepare for. Some
steps fhouid be taken, and magistrates be
appointed in the room of those now va
cant, that elections may be held,
I am, Sir,
Your Excellency’s
Obedient servant,
JAMES JACKSON.
Number 111.
From the Governor, 6th Juh, 1796.
State-House, Louifville,6th July, 1796.
S 1 r’,
YOUR letter of the 28th of June,
by Captain Johnston, has been received,
and acted on,, lo- far as the filling up
the vacancies in the magistracy of Cam
deft County ; the dedimus to qualify the
persons appointed I transmit to your
care, and 1 could wish that elections
may he held as soon as possible, to fill
the vacancies in the Militia of that
county.
I am fir,
Your moft obedient servant.
%/r . JARED IRWIN.
Mujoy Gea, jackfon,
IV.
Division Orders, July 24, 1796.
Capt. Brown, as Commanding Offi
cer of Camden County, is directed to
cause the Militia of the find county, to
be immediately organized, agreeably to
general orders of the‘6th instant—and
for that purpose to call on the magif
trates to hold dediions for all vacancies,
and make report thereof, as early as
possible, that commissions may illue.
JAMES JACKSON,
Major General ift Division,
Georgia Militia.
Ex trail of a letter from Abner Hammond,
Esquire, of Camden County—dated St.
Mary's, wth September, I 79/3.
u There sometime since, came into
my hands, a dedimus from the Govern
or, directed to any two justices of this
county, to qualify W ill jam N iblach, and
• Samuel Smith, as justices of this coun
ty, in the room of Alexander Young,
and Elihu Hubbard. There was aiio
neie, previous to that, a dedimus, for
the qualifying Hugh Brown, and oth
ers, who were appointed by the Legisla
ture.—Mr. Brown, and Mr. Niblach,
requested me to wait on fome oft ! e
j uftices, with them, for the purpose oi
qualifying. I did so, and on applying
to John King, Richard. Carnes, and
William Johnston, Esquires, they re
fufed to qualify them, and Mr. King
detained both the dedimus’s in-his pos
session.
Captain Brown, wrote you fome
tiine fince,* the manner in which yoor
orders to him, as commandant of the
Militia of this county, as well as his or
ders iff bed, in confequunce of yours, has
been treated, and the refufal to qualify
the Justices appointed, has made it im
poffihie to do any thing refpeding the
organization of the Militia.”
* This letter has never been received,
and General Jackson,. supposes has met
the fate of many others addrsjjed to him.
of (Sccrgta,
SEPTEMBER TERM, 1796.
Charge ot Judge Stephens, to the Gr and
Juries of Clyn and Cam Ac n Counties.
Gentlemen of the Grand jury,
IT affords me an honor to meet the Grand
Inquest of this county, and I trust, it will be
very fatisfaftory to you to find th- Superior
C ourt convened. A failure in the due admini
stration of justice, is much to be lamented,
and if heretofore defefh, or omissions have
happened, it is to be expe&ed, that the business
before the Superior Court, in future, will not
be retarded.
■f'he Constitution, contemplating inferior
iurifdiftions. the legislature since the vear 1789,
created courts of nearly concurrent jurifdidtion,
with the Superior Court, in each county under
the justices thereof; and of leftcr cases, before a
single Magistrate, and attached to such inferior
courts, other important County duties, in
. which they have exclusive iurifaiclion. By
. these laws, then, it is actually requisite, for j
those to whom the trust is delegated, to fulfill *
, ffie duties of their appointment. A negleft
. of iliefe duties, will not only be severely felt
.by the inhabitants of-the county, but by the
. people at large, and especially those who have
demands, or claims against the residents of such
, county, and where the cause must be tried in
moft. civil cases—as justice then may, or ought
.to be adrakiiftered almost literaliv, at. every
man’s door, the regular meeting of such courts,
is of the utmofl importance to the community ,
and an omiftion, or negleft to render justice,
may lhake the political consequence of, the
county. The great advantage, that citizens of
other States, and aliens have by reporting to
the federal courts for recovery of their debts,
■ which is eflc6frd generally in two terms, ought
particularly toflin.ulate those whole duty it is,
to he watchful that our citizens, have at least
ait equal chance of security, by keeping open
the courts, and rendering judice, at the periods
dir-fted..
Asa Grand Jury of the County, it is your
duty to inquire into, and present all offences
and offenders againd the law, to point out evils
that rxift in your county, whether they arise
locally, or hy any general measures, wherein
the rights, liberty or property of your fellow
citizens may have been-invaded. By precept
■ and example, you will I am fully convinced,
enforce a due obedience to law and good ; order.
By looking into the funds of your countyref
prfling an Academy, building of a Court-houfc
and Goal and errfcling Bridges, the Tax for sup
porting the poor of your county, and other
monies granted by government,-or levied by
thcjudices- for county purposes, and difeover
■ ing how, and in what manner, thd lands have
been applied, probably, may well demand an
hour of your lei Cure and enquiry. The opin
• ion of a ‘Grand Ihqueft, on the (übjefts spoken
of, will have great weight on the individuals,
intruded with the application of the monies,
becatife, if they have done well, they will meet,
your thanks—otherwise, merit your censure.
The obtaining Lands, by wiiat is termed
(peculation, perhaps has been carried to a great
-cr exoels in this State than any other in the un
ion ; indeed, so great was the rage, that anim
* menfe Weftein Territory, to which this State
lias always interposed her claim, has been one
.ol the greatest sources of mifehief that can be
, conceived, for we find that the public mind,
has been so agitated, at the mode the lcgida
turc in 1795 adopted, to endeavour to transfer
this rich and valuable country, from the ffatc
trom.it* citizens generally, as to draw forth peti
tions, presentments and complaints to the late
, Convention, which were referred to the Uft
legislature who on inveßigation of ,1
ceedmgs, have by law declared the P ro ~
sale, not only constitutionally nu
but corrupt and fraudulent Y and VOld
lo lay more, on this unpleasant r , . .
which has so materially injured P <,ur
ty and divided our society is needles^ 1 ”"’
’ Know how much has be*iv fw#* •’ as
publilhed, „ ,
event has proven, how dangerous this f',f **
• of gaming has bee,, amongft’our owmcjfe?
but the miserable effefl, it mav proSS 5
people of other countries who may be in, “ t 0
<ed, cannot be so readily forefeen/ terei ’
; It is all edged, amongst other mifehi-f, 1
speculations have introduced, and if m v inf"*
mation be correft, that in surveys v/hL
pahed the offices; and finally under the
. leat of this State, under the title of a ?^ at
there has been more land contained inT^’
■ surveys and grants* than the county ever UCI
. tamed* Under these kind of title! ft ; u
fa.d, that transfers have been made in the \ D °
hern States, to the people there, ami o^n ‘
the uninformed Granger, who. inftcad offiJ
’ *8 thcmfelves m poffeQion of good and v 5
. ble land, too< often find their real
. only in a fi ne decorated plat rs
’ tie great seal as an appurtenant.—ls tin's
. rue, how degradi„g.to government, how dft
trefii gto a feeling honest mind 1
By the present law tax, gentlemm of tin
Grand T.ury, you are authorized, and ft ,1
expfrefsly made part of my duty to give it
m charge, to enquire, who are defaulted £
nuking returns of taxable property tn you*
county, ail d ,f any, to present theim-fi/”
ammiiig, at the receiver of return?, tax™]”
lectors, and county furveyort offices, ycu will
be enabled to find out the quantity of ]a “ (
surveyed, and returned, and n a great meaS
revenue.
The Treaty with Creftt-Britain, about
wbic.i the public mind, was so much adta*ed“
havmg undergone, a long di(bullion in the
prciemative house of congreis, the rduh </
turir deliberations, Having terminated in ‘aver
of the Treaty, by voting money to carry it in
to effefil- ; itis the law o-’ the land, and as f uc i,
our tuny to carry it into effea, as fully as the
lieaty with the king of Spain, that was ne-iQ
tiated, with so much fatistsftion, and met the
approuation, of our representatives, with such
unanimity in its ratification.
It is amongst the unpleasant cirenmfiances
chat nave anlcn in our slate, that a failure m
negotiating with tl* Creek Indians, for the
Oconee lands, has taken place—by this. lam
, 2 baid, we (hall be involved in much trouble
wrh thele people—aur-frontier fettkrs cx-
P,°J"d, and a check given to population—per
v n?lt rac to fa y, at the fame.time, there certainly
appears fofnething.uncommon, and myfterioc's
ni the tranfaftion, and with which, *h'‘ people
of this country, in negotiating with Indians,
have not been accuftortmd to —although regtr
lations, or rules, certainly-a rr, or may here
qUifnc jn conducting bufmefs of this fort,yet
I (hould conclude Inch rules, can only be ia
stria conformity to and decidedly in unison,
with the laws, and jurifdiftional rights of a
people theie laws and ’ rights are (aid to be
i ill ringed ; on this fubjedi- however, we rnuft
. vyait, until a public enquiry takes place, and
liie conduit oi the comamfliotv'rs, and agents
come before ihe conitimtecb authorities that
appointed them.
In all your deliberation, gcntlenpen. oermit
me to call io your mind,.the ab so lute neerflity
there is, and a buiuiden duty we owe our fel
low citizens and ourselves, to support with
alacrity and good faith, the laws of die union,
and of our own-itate, to recol left, that this (late
makes part of the republic of the United
States, and that the confequcuce of the Union,
and this State, depend on a good underitand
ing, amongst the conflicted authorities tliat
e.xift, either nationally 01 as a Hate.
I o conclude, let your minds be under the
influence of your oath, which emphatically
lavs, tliai your prcfenimens, (ball be made
witiiout lear, favor or aileftion, or hope of re
ward, or tlrrough rr.vy, hatred or malice, but
in all things according to your heft judgment
and ability.
SUPERIOR COURT, Glyn County.
September Term, 1796.
IHE Grand Jury of the County of Glynn , Report
I neir fatisfadlion at the appointment of
Judge Stephens, and in the warmest manner,
exp refs their thanks to him, for the
and periinent Charge delivered them—The
tenor of which we have paid particular atten**-
tion to, and find the Charge founded upon tho
nicest lralon, both for ease in affairs of
and that of civil focirty.
The obtaining lands*’by what is termed spe
culation, this county has been as much injured
as any other, and more than the whole county
hath been laid on paper, and grants obtained,
- without a chain being stretched agreeable tO’
law ; as such we present it as a grievance to
the community at large. The warrants wrre
obtained by fraud, and executed in the fame
manner. To fay no more on this county buft
nefs, we only fay the Yazoo fpeculatron met
with ourwifhes, as to its being made null and
void ; and finally congratulate our county,
that no criminal bufmefs has required the atten
tion of this county. .And we defne that the
Judges Charge, together with this, may be
published in one of the Gazettes of this State, jjj
(Signed.)
GEORGE PURVIS, For-mar.
James M‘Leod,(u.s.)Rich. Pritchard, (l s.|
Thos. Hart, (l.s) Richard Bryan, (!■•!•
. Js. Copeland, (L.s.)Poalain Dubignen, (i..5.)
Jn.T Morgan, (L.s.)Wm. MTntofh, (i—s)
Jno. G.-Snead, (L.s.)Jon. Miller, (l.s )
Britain Bunklcy,( l.s. )Andrrw Tucker, (t.s )
William Clubb (i..s,;David Tetry, (ls)
William Grant, (L.s.Jjohn Piles, (t- t.;
Jno. Brunett, (L.s.jMartin Palmer, G.s)
Benjamin Hart, (L.s.)Hillera Parsons, (i® )
Extra! l from the Minutts ,
JOHN W. GRAVES, Clerk.
September ti, 1796.
CAMDENCOUNTY, Sent. Term, i79*v
WE the Grand Jurors present on our on ,
as a great grievance, the detention of Slat a,
the property of citizens of this (late, by ‘ e
Government of East-Florida, whereby. n>.
honeftand iaduftiious perfiaus have b-ren s. . •*
di ft veiled,
No. 61.
