The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1899-06-21
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
An Old Mississippi Town.

IL was the writer's privilege 10 ViSlt
Liberty, the county seat of Amite, on
Friday, 9th, and to participate in the
closing exercises of Liberty Male and
Female College, of which Rev. N.
Smylie is president. The little chapel
was packed with a most appreciative
audience, and very many were on the
outside. The music, recitations and
essays by the three young ladies who
graduated, the presentation OF medals,
etc, made up a program that deeply
interested the audience until IL o'clock
pm.
The town is fifteen miles east of Clos
ter. 1t has an ancient look, but not so
the people, for they are as bright and
progressive as any to be found in the
State. When we quoted from Lowry
& McCardle's History that Liberty is
handsome village" the audience in
dulged in a loud smile; but when |
finished the quotation, land has always
supported and encouraged schools, y l
read fact long since admitted by all
who have kept up with the educational
progress of the State.
Among the other old and very highly
esteemed citizens it was our pleasure to
meet was Mayor George f. Webb, who
was a MEMBER of the house of repre-
the judiciary committee. He is now
upward of eighty years, but he was on
the platform and presented ten of the
medals won by the students. About
year ago we found letter of his in the
archives of the capitol, dated Decem-
Der ?, lS49, addressed to the secretary
of State, requesting duplicate of lost
or mislaid commission issued to Peter
O'Flanagan, elected lieutenant of the
Mississippi militia in the Liberty beat,
the said Flanagan having served in the
war with Mexico.
The old courthouse at Liberty was
built in 1S4l. 1t contains some of the
oldest records in the State. The ex-
penditure of about three thousand dol
lars would insure these records in case
of fire and otherwise improve the build
ing.
The Southern Herald, published by
our friend A. G.. Stratton, is one of the
best county papers in the State.
We found at Liberty the first monu-
ment to the Confederate dead erected
in the State-perhaps in the South. 1t
is tall and handsome shaft, its four
sides bearing the names of the soldiers
of Alnite county who were killed in ac-
tion or died of wounds in the civil war.
Amite county, of which Liberty is
the capitol, was established February
"a, 1so9-eight years prior to the ad-
mission of the State into the Union. 1t
was one of the fourteen counties repre-
scented in the convention that adopted
our first constitution, August -, 1917,
when it was represented by Henry
Hanna, Thomas Bachelor, John Bur-
ton, Thomas Torrenne, Angus Wilkin-
son, William baltimore. The last
named was one of three commissioners
appointed February II, 1921, by the
legislature which met in Columbia,
Marion county, to locate the seat of
government, which they did in a To-
cality then known as lie Fleur's Bluff,
but since the adoption of their report
known as jackson. The two other
commissioners were Thomas Kinds and
James Patton. 1t is from Thomas
Kinds that the capital county took its
name, and the legislature provided that
the place selected as the capital should
be named jackson.
Amite county has contributed to all
departments of the public service some
of the ablest men of the commonwealth,
in law. legislation, the judiciary and
military, Judge David w. Hurst, Judge
James NJ. Smylie, Moses Jackson, c. p.
Nelson, B. +. Johns, the lamented
William f. Love, his able successor,
Frank A. McLain, and many others
who have been efficient and faithful in
positions of honor and trust.
Judge Niles has decided that Pearl
river is not a navigable stream to such
an extent as to prevent the construc-
tion of the proposed iron bridge at
Rockport, Copiah county, or to necessi-
tate the removal Vi tue UTluReS al
Jackson and Terry. 1t may be con-
sidered navigable for the distance of
fifty miles from its mouth, or even to
Monticello, but north of that it cannot
be considered a navigable stream. The
decision is sensible and timely. This
writer has often remarked that if such
a river as Pearl coursed through SO
rich country in the North or West,
the people would make it navigable,
and congress would make all needed
A line of packets be-
tween Carthage and jackson would
give to the latter all the advantage in
railroad rates allowed to points having
rail and river competition, besides
opening up territory now practically
excluded from market. Cotton. wool,
aud all country produce would find inn
mediate sale at Jackson. and the cash
proceeds would be expended in mer-
chandise.