Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-13
SESOUI-CENTENNIAL.
Ccon nu.l rom First Page.)


5r rchalf of the poor and against imprisOn-
.aar- for debt. He possessed many of the
hl-l1-t virtues, both of the masculine and
nine character, cOnjOining TOFtiter IN re
with sEGrifef ~ At0dO in harm OUiOus union.
lu eDeTgencies requiring the exercise Of the
ngr.e clement IN man, his courage, refined by
U..E.-.ry, saw no peril and knew no fear.
IT vas Just IS he was generous. ana while
Fe lever herishcd resentments. yet he never
t--11k friend or forgot a favor. No tcmpta
f.H-. no lust of power. place or favor or for
frue- could allure him from what he deemed
ta. path Of duty and OF rcctitude. -epsEf -
THIS was the man who undertook the estab-
l.-hmcnt Of a colony for the benefit of the poor
anal destitute of his own country. As well a
those suffering for conscience sake in other
isr is- The charter he had obtained, as has
been seen. was granted in June, 1872 1t is
singular fact that DR.. SmOllett, in his History
uf England, vol. ?, chapter ;, and page ia,
which begins with the year ll32, makes the
GLOWING announcement: '''Ihe most remark
able incident that distinguished This year in
England was very uncommon instance OF
suicide, an act Of despair so frequent
among the English that in other coun-
tries % j. objected to them as a national re-
nr0a1h.n The incident related in full stated
jle suicide Of one Richard Smith and his wife.
who. after Staying their infant child. had hung
themselves IN prison. Smith was himself an
intelligent man, but was confined in Jail for
aeH,- without any prospect Of ever being
heFti, ana, IN their despair, they had both, as
appears from papers addressed to their friends.
determined thus to put an end to their OWE
existence. rs well as that of their infant child
tAlE NADAANaA4Nn OF lulS luFlUenI produced
great impression in England as TO the coudi-
non Of prisons. and especially to imprisonment
L'r debt OglethOrpe had already been di-
reeilnS all the energies of his mind to these
objects.
These shocking suicides doubtless con-
rrlh lied much in aid of his humane enter
prise. All England become awakened 10 the
injustice o. the wrongs done to the poor in
tLelr prisons. After his arrival on this bluff.
a- We have seen. with his little colony Of one
hundred and sixteen of the poor aud desti-
Igtc. over whose welfare he watched with
almost parental care, he, in all his acts. dis
PLAYED the highest order Of intellectual power
ard administrative qualities. With the red
man lis intercourse was based upon the strict
f-t l-tice.
ToIaOchichi. who was himself an extraor,li-
mars man Of the aboriginal tribes, become his
frier1 on their first acquaintance. In the set
tler-Cut Of the Salzburghers, under the direc-
tI1l u Rev Martin BOlZiOns, and the estab-
I.-hr-eut Of their little colony at EbeneZer. he
showed the prOfoundest philanthrOphy, pietv
,ref1 wonderful. His establishment Of settle
Heut- at Darien, FREDERICK and Augusta shows
Die chest elements Of forecast. His treaty
u 1895. when the Spanish war was anticipated
with IN the tribes except the CherOkees east
-rau# 80 achievements in British diplomacy.
Ills -Juduct Of the campaign against the
span ards. Of that year, and his conduct the
battle ot Bloody Marsh, when we view it in
aI length aud breadth. and is bear
iu- ed effects upon the future history of the
Er- 81 colonies. may justly be ranked amongst
raa -Ecat decisive battles OF the world. In
t1 displayed a military skill never sur
passed by Alexander, Caesar or Napoleon.
Follow him after firmly establishing and saw
ing colony, and after saving the CarOlinas
ar. Georgia to the British crown, on his re-
iarl 20 England, and resuming his duties in
Par -mcut- as well as maintain his position
Tr r1c army. see him at the time the Lord
NHrt Ministry rendered him the chief com
uaui ~ an the British forces in this country
SO --e outbreak Of the American revolution
boz --j. and hear his reply: Il know the
Americans WELL They never can be sub
d-Hi by arms, but their obedience can be
secured 10y doing them justice" lie
was willing to assume command on the
cons. ,iOu that he should have the complete
control Of grievances and reconciliation.
Whoever made greater display OF the high
est sri nohlest qualities OF man than did
o-le.horpe on that OCCASION This did not
suit -lc ministrylOf Lord North. and sir VIII
liam Howe was appointed in his stead. But
see 1 after the end of the struggle of the
colonies with the mother country. which
struggle was the source of great pain to him.
aut fitness his noble conduct ON that Occa-
-lon- 10 was his good fortune 10 live to see
his 1rn colony. planted in poverty and absO-
lUtc .ependence. rising from infancy under
h- qr1vident care to the position of -four
l--ilr-- independent and sovereign state.
O-lct-0rpe. be il remembered, was the
first Englishman Of note 10 call upon
IoLr Adams. the first Minister of the
United States To the Court of Great
Britain. See him in has last days the re
u0Wncd statesman. general. and philan-
thrOpist, passing from this stage of action
l.t'TA--'A " -tn CNA0 amt HtuuE1 at lAt dtA-
vauced age Of -, with a memory that will
ever ne cherished and revered in both hems-
uhcr1s- rs one OF the most renowned bencfac-
Tors 0- mankind. Well has it been said. ''his
-epul-hre is in England his monument is
Cc1tEia." such is a slight and brief sketch of
tie man whose memory and character. virtues
and leeds we this day honor and cOmmemOr-
ate. n history there is but one who can find
iu L-uself all those elements Of character
Wals- constitute the qualities Of real great
ness that place him above pglcthOrpc.
-trenrEe w asllugtou.
~er1n dly. Another fact which should be
note. in these proceedings Is that Georgia in
creased in wealth and population, though set
iet ~ the poor and destitute faster than any
OTHER Of the British colonies in America. At
tae ginning of the revolution OF 1855 her
Hrru alton amounted TO about 10000, when she
was not half century Old. while virginia.
NnrtG Carolina. New York and MasSachu-
SETS we're each Of them nearly century old
before they reached that number Of inhabi-
tau-. To what was this attributable Allow
nae CD say. partly to climate and soil and tine
-r.a, variety anil value Of the products of our
fields and forest, but especially To- the land
H...r- To which allu-iOn has 81 frequently
ueel made. The chief cause OF her great
or prosperity. however. lay IN the land
Hr-cv Of the colony. and grated IN the
b-le-burpe charter. The well being of all
states and communities. next to climate. soil
wafer. AMI geographical cOnformations de
uel.- gminently on it, land policy. Ii was
ru- -IIt led To the overthrow Of Rome. and is
r.r fcarfullv agItating Ireland and Eng
.-a-. Tine charter OF Georgia was peculiar.
ar. lcrtnl from the charters of an the other
.H.. .- ON this point. The trustees were pro-
mo-! only from ever holding any inter
.-. .m-elye- in any lands of which the colo
lli become possessed. as we have seen.
H.- they were prohibited from ever granting
f.ar- one person more than five hundred
public land. From the earliest set
r-. the policy OF the trustees 10 recognize
u... was known as head-rights, and to APP
ont the lands under that designation
-r snail quantities to all who would
t..-. aud cultivate them at no cost
tN...- the actual expenses Of survey
u-.rEny limits and ascertaIning boundaries.
Ta- policy was founded partly on the idea
tsa- . was really worth wild lands To ~ubduc
Them. lr To- clear the forest and render them
"- -r cultivation, bat chiefly perhaps upon
l.e..lHomic view that 1t would add more 10
t. Ibic wealth to have the forest lands
.-u--ut into cultivation. with their abundant
valuable products, even without price. than
t'~- upon the filling Of the eNchequer with
One Slow returns Of sales. when the settlers
.... --t means to invest. Labor was the only
capital they had. This subject involves ques-
Olr- which the prOfOundest statesman might
.H we'll Co study. Against mOnOpoiieS and
--H.-.lf ions in land As they existed I'm other
r0.1l.t- the door was closed and locked by the
ts1.-mcntal law in Georgia None but the
a-l-. tier- of the ground had possession of
fa' SEES. Those only who We're willing 10 pay
sweat Tor the soil could procure lands III TINS
Tho same cause continued 30 operate after
tat Independence of the state. In le60 the
taxable property Of Georgia was q little under
N..l,t10@1-the exact amount is 612,322,111-
N---H tuc population was a niue over A.uyp-uuu
H. WE-tes and blacks-thc exact figures 1906
-N
This shows that GeOrgia's aggregate wealth.
..Flcel out amongst the population. would
..f. been NJos per capita including white a1d
ltlel. ! have not access to the records and
l-Gr cs of the state. but I doubt il there Is
suo-Ier one in the obi thirteen that exceeded
ler u wealth per capita. though Georgia had
n1t come into possession Of all her territory
ultii as late is 1885.
Thirdly. Another matter that deserves note
OH this occasion Is that benevOlence alone did
rot control the colonies of Georgia. but that
deep and profound piety was mingled with
aI their actions Georgia was not only a
CHARITY but religious colony. That religion
consisted not in pharasaical demonstrations
or = sectarian creeds, but in an Observance
oi the doctrines and precepts OF thesSermOn
upon the Mount. one of the earliest pres
cnts % the trustees was a donation to build a
church. The next was a present from the
acE. samuel Wesley. of Il silver chalice to be
used upon sacramental occasions. The Rev.
Martin BOlsius, at the head Of his little band
~ salzburghers, showed himself to be an
evangelist OF the doctrine of peace on
earth and good viii 10 men"
The Rev. John Wesley and George Whitefield.
Two OF the most eminent divines in England,
were among the most distinguished emigrants
io Georgia, and had much to do IN moulding
lhe religious character Of the cOlOnists. Ii i
wen known that while they differed widely
no some matters Of faith creed. Vet they