The daily critic. (Washington City, D.C.) 1890-1890, 1890-11-07
4 CURIOUS LEGAGY


HOW the n nHNNlNnN OF HAahN'NN " ~ A WV
seen by q scotchman.
F.u nsg Louis Gld1s peaog0'
The State School Commissioner and
Attorney General met at Atlanta, Ca 70
consult about peculiar case growing
ont of q b,Iuest made years ago by an
old Scolchmau The story is an inter
Csting one. When Savannah was very
small city, not long after $500, Archi-
bald Mclean. o native Scotchman, lived
there end prospcred In business His
family In Scotland were strong anti
slavery sympathiIers, but this Mclean
had q LARGE plantation In Chatham AMI
owned a considerable number OF slaves.
The estate was known as Gourie John
Mclean, a brother Of Archibald Nc.
Lean. who lived In Scotland. was q
strong anti slavery man. Archibald Me
Lean died In Georgia, and his son and
heir died. leaving 90 John Mclean In
Scotland q certain interest In the estate
IN Chatham County.
Then John Mclean made his will
and deed In Glasgow In July, 1896 At
the time the will was made there was q
law suit about McLean's estate In
Georgia, and the exact amount of the
brothers interest was not known, but
the will directed that Une.half Of John
McLean's interest, whatever that might
be, should be applied 10 the education
Of the slaves upon the estate Of Gonrie
OF 10 their offsprings so soon rs the laws
Of Georgia should permit the education
Of the negro or slave population. As
trustees Of the estate the old SCOtchmau
named four prominent merchants Of
| Savannah. They each and all declined
| 10 accept the trust, under the ground
/ that, as the law Of Georgia prohibited
| the education Of slaves, the purpose Of
/ the legacy was unlawful. The coutin-
| pency, the coming Of time when the
law would allow the education Of
| the negro population In that
| Slate, was deemed the Silly
dream of an old Scotch fanatic,
so the four gentlemen of Georgia
/ washed their hands Of the whole matter
/ The amount OF the half interest thus set
apart was 3jj pounds, IA shillings. 6
| pence. Learning that the money could
/ not be applied in Georgia, the heirs
| claimed t. That was too snug a sum 70
| lie rusting In a bank, and Scotch nature
is human nature They employed
| learned counsel and claimed the money
| The decision of the highest tribunal In
/ Edinburgh was against the heirs. The
court decided that the money should be
paid to the bank Of Scotland. there 10
be held until the law Of Georgia author
/ lied the education OF the negro or slave
population. ON the back Of the bank
receipt for the deposit is this writing.
Memorandum for Mr. Lloyd CARR
son, that It may be recorded by the
| American anti slavery societies In the
/ United States Of America so that when
| circumstances change the money may
be applied agreeable to the will of the
tes,ator. There may be persons in the
| anti slavery interests who may look
after the application Of the money for
the purpose designed In the will. John
Murray, Mercury steamer, % July,
/ 1910"
II might be stated just here that after
the slaves were really freed the matter
was first brought 90 the attention OF The
Georgia authorities through n son OF
| LLOYD Garrison. His attention had
been called 20 II by "a memorandum
marked Important among his fathers
papers. So that, In q fashion, Lloyd
| Garrison became trustee 10 the fund
Now the Bank of Scotland IS anxious
90 pay over the money 10 whomcyer Is
authorized 20 accept e, a letter 10 that
effect having been received by School
| Commissioner Hook; but the negroes
formerly on the Gonrie plantation are
scattered or dead, and there Is no way
OF finding out their heirs. The money
has been bearing interest since 1886
and the School Commissioner Is anxious
TO get hold OF It 10 apply II TO the cdu-
cation of negroes generally. He and
the Attorney General are endeavoring 10
devise some plan by which this can be
/ done.