The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-09-15
MORNING, SEPTEMBER IS, 1904.


teitimony has been received rs concufye bv
the great body OF the people of one of our mott
Respectable ftates.
1t has not been my Object in making this en-
quiry, TO learn in what arch iharper's brain the
icheme was iirf cngendered which of the az
ioclates food mott prominent in the develope-
ment and execution of it how the price paid
for this fragrant treafon againit pofterity was
apportioned or how the fpoil obtained by fuch
fupendous larceny committed upon the in
heritance of the unborn, was divided. / have
not deiired to know, and it could not be impor-
tant to the houfe to be informed, which of the
aiiocates had no moral fenie at all, whole con-
fcience was fubdued by his avarice, or who un-
thinkingly gave the controul oft into the hands
of his friend. l with not to fee any name con-
figned to infamy of thoie which have come to
my knowledge, a few | vet refpeGt the re-
mainder have not more diitin6t images appro-
priated to them in my mind, than thofe of the
men who conceived and executed the South Tea
cheat in England, or the Mifiifippi fraud in
France.
But from the invefigation have made, have
learnedas certainly as the actions of men can be
known to others than the actual behoIdsrs of
them, that the Legislature of Georgia, which
commenced its FELTON, in the autumn 1894, was
aiiailed by every poiiible artihce of ltdu6tion,
to procure from it the act OF 9TH January 1905,
which contributed what has been fince called
the Yazoo contract: That it yielded to thofe
articles, and 4 comfortable majority oft MEM
bers became treacherOus to their conftituents
and deaf to the voice ofther own honor: That
brides were daringly offered and unbluIhingly
received for votes in favor of the law that the
landed property of the fate of Georgia, to the
value of forty millions of dollars, when eitima-
ted only at one half of the price for which the
fame property is now fold by the United States,
was fold by thofe truitees of the people of Geor-
gia, for one half million, and purchafed by
themieves in combination with certain abjeet
worlhippers of gold, who had artfuy. in
fufed into them their blind fanaticifim That
another offer Of four fifths of million Of dollars
made by other men at the fame time was reje9
ed, no doubt becaufe the majority of the LegilIa-
ture iticlf was concerned in the fri That the
chief magitrate of the fate after one feeble eff
fort OF rchitance, and declaration which ought
to have bound him to an obgtinate oppoftion,
with a conduct which to my mind manifets a
thorough knowledge of the corrupt views OF the
Legislature, and want of energy TO defeat them,
yielded TO the lmpulfe and ratified the fraudu-
lent fale That the moment his irrefolute hand
gave the illufve fanction to the vain and inelfec
tual deed, this ravenous pack OF fpeculators,
keen with the hunger of avarice, unkenneled,
aud fcoured the whole peopled territory of the
union inqueit of theirappropriate game, TIE finn
pie, the credu,ous, and thofe who are hood
, nisiAcd 5y the exacfs u their o=7a capisiity.
The mott voracious of them fought the great CT
ties, where numbers of the thirty fons of gain
became their prey, while numbers more joined
in the promiiing chace, led the way to the vic
tins, and fattened on their fpoil. Many, more
fell in their nature though leis infatiate in rapa-
city, traverfed the tranquil country of New
England, fcentirg the homely purfes which hung
in the lInoky corners of peaceful cottages, into
which the foitary dollar had been dropped with
religious punStuaiity every week, perhaps every
month only, by the hand of the provident father
from the time the firG birth under his roof had
gladdened his heart. Great numbers of thefe
receptacles of hard-earned gain, with all their
rufty treature, the fruit Of long continued fruga
lily and toll, defined to enfure 10 numbers of
the rifing race the innocent joys of life OF in
dutry in their own fields, were devoured by
them, and that happy deftiny perhaps in a mo-
ment changed for ihort periods of certain pain,
and too probable vice in moving prifons on
the ocean.
The PRONUNCIATION OF this law produced one
general murmur Of indignation throughout the
fate of Georgia. The crime committed by the
representatives of the people was ftrongly de-
uounced by the grand iurieS of all the fucceed-
ing courts. An afiembly of fpecial reprefenta-
tives which had been fummoned for conftituti-
Olldi the luCCeS01ng 1pf1ng,
was addrefIed from all the counties of the ftate
with memorials, petitions, remonfrances, ac-
cordngto the different degrees of excitement,
ietting forth in the ftrongeit terms the nefarious
sd, complaining with bitterness of the perfidy
of the legislature, requiring, urging, imploring
the convention to proclaim the fa6t and annu
the fraudulent fale.
No ic5orious invettigation into the huge and
naked fcheme of peculation was alked no trou-
bletome fearch after teitimony 70 expoie the fra
rners of it was neccTarv nothing was recuiite
but to receive, condenfe and record the plain
evidence voluntarily offered from all quarters.
But this eafy and legitimate talk, that convent
or thought fl tc decline; naturally enough too,
las many Of its members were thenfcves openly
concerned, and many more fecretly interefcd in
the purchaie. The Spectators and their agents
were then iii full pu-ltiit the game was falling
abundantly into their Jaws it could fcarcely be
expected that thofe who bad fet on foot this
chace, who expected TO flare 70 largely in its
profits, ihould found The horn of alarm TO the
objects Of it. II quickly, however, occurred
to a majority Of that body, that reference Of
thofe addrefes to the legislature of the next year
would not only give time for the profecution OF
the fcheme, but might be productive of fJme-
thing IKE fafety in TIE after-pohefIion of the
fpol obtained, while il afforded them ALTO fJfne
heid againf the difcontent and indignation of
tie people, which total neglect 70 defirable to
thenfclves would inevitably have brought upou