The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-06-01


resident of the Isle of Cyprus, in the Mediterranean
The reader will pardon me for this episode.
The State of Georgia is interspcrsed with numel
Gus pretty villages. The houses are invariab
adorned with piazzas and the chmnies arc built Oh
the outside. must not forget to mention the beau
tirul village of Culoden in Munroe county. Herr
e the stranger will find splendid cluster of elegan
white-washed cottages, embowered in an orange
grove. Gardens laid out with the most exquisite
taste, and filled with the choicest variety of ropca
flowers, gladden. the eye. Here too may be found
the most fascinating society in Georgia. and the Wis
itor will leave with regret this charming oasis.
camp meeting. The tents consisted of about 20C
small wooden buildings, with as many kitchens for
the blacks, arranged in circular row in large
magnolia grove. When the ground was lighted up
for evening service the preachers had assembled the
stand, and thousand voices were mingled in prayer
and praise, the toe ensemble of the picture remind
ed me of some of the fairy scenes in the Arabian
Nights
The Methodist denomination is the most numer-
Gus in Georgia. The Bapsts are divided into two
sects, the "Primitive' and Missionary" The for
mer are opposed to education, Bible, tract and mis-
sionary societies. also to salaried preachers. Their
worship consists in few cold prayers and stupid
eXhortatons from the various brethren and washing
each others feet iii the meeting house. They are
steadfas and violent opposers to temperance soce-
ties, and in fact to every benevolent scheme of the
present enlightened age. Education is in a back
ward state although the government has done much
for its Improvement There are four fouri,hng
Colleges in the State, about ninety Academies, but
not a solitary common school, Georgia has pro-
duced a few talented men. Judge Berren of the
U. S. Senate is distinguished jurst. Richard
Henry Wilde, recently deceased at New Orleans,
immortalized his name by rescung from oblivion
some of the choicest gems of Italian literature He
of the very best poets of the 10Th century,
and Georgia may well be proud Of her gifted son.
Judge Longstreet the inmtabe author of the
Georgia Scenes" is gentleman of much literary
merit and taste. believe there only three lite
rary periodicals issued from the Georgia press.
ments. Numerous railroads nterscct the country,
and the stockholders in all Of them believe realize
ample dividends
The judiciary system of the State consists of a
Supreme, Circuit and Inferior Court. The two for
mer courts have the same jurisdiction as do the
courts in Vermont of the same name. The Inferior
Court consists of four judges in each county, who
have cognizance of all crimes committed by the
blacks, and also adjudcate all business in the set
tlement Of estates Of deceased persons, &c. The
scenes in the courts and the decisions of the jury
are sometimes quite amusing. On one occasion an
ignorant jury had brought in an extraordinary and
unheard of verdict, when the eccentric Judge
Dooly, then on the Bench, remarked that, " God Al
mighty knors almost ere,y thing, but he did not know
rhat a petit jury would do"
The judges in this State are elected by the Legis-
lature for term of years. The Georgia bar has
not many distinguished members. TooMBs and
STEPHENS, members of the U. S. House of Repre-
sentatiye first rate lawyers The latter gentle
man was once a poor, holow-faced, obscure boy,
picked up bya benevolent planter, who, discovering
in him marks Of genius, gave him liberal educa-
ton. By dint of perseverance and untiring energy
he has gained the most lucrative legal practice in
his native State and his deep and varied talents arc
not unknown to fame in the councils of this great
nation.
The area of Georgia is six times larger than the
State Of Vermont and contains 3S40O,OOO acres of
land. The soil is quite diversifed-in some places
quite barren in Others very prolific. The various
islands of the coast have an exuberant SOIL and pro-
ducc "sca-island cotton" in great abundance This
kind of cotton differs from the common, by having
longer staple and much finer texture. 1t is gene
rally worth much again as the common cotton in
the market. The low grounds receding from the
ocean and watercd by fresh water rivers, produce
immense quantities of rice. Adjoining the marshy
tracts are vast pine barrens, which are not worth
cultivating. They are covered with luxuriant
growth of long wire grass, and form an excellent
pasturage for immense herds of wild cattle. Many
people living in the up-country keep negro herds
men to attend to their stock. They mark their
horses and cattle, turn them into the woods, and
when they want one for use they catch him with
the lasso. Small patches of this land, where the
pine trees produce long leaves will produce excel
lent corn, but they are generally very sterile. A
few years since planter near Augusta drew por-
ton of this land in the celebrated Georgia Land
Lottery" He visited it, and finding that it was
composed of succession of pine plains, covered
with gopher hills, he dismounted from his horse and
drawing his patent from his pocket, he placed it in
the habitaton of one of these little mischievous,
squirrel like animals, "There," says he Mr.. Co
pher, you have had possession long tme,-I now
give you the tile Deeds"
The interior Of the State is gently undulating and