Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-11-07

I Not New England itself was more
ren,1fnels religious land than was col
oniai Georgia in her earliest day.
Her patriotic men, her colonial laws,
all attest her character, but at the end
OF the revolution after the state was
formed the religious condition was
awfully bad. There was only one
Episcopal church left. The Lutherans
were scattered and their church-house
had been used as a stable and there
was no pastor for the few who were
left Mr.. Battsford, Mr.. Marshall, Mr..
Mercer. the Baptist were exiled and
had not returned to the new country
above Augusta and the Presbyterians
and Methodists had not come. The
people in the new lands were as sheep
without a shepherd, but few years az
terward things wore brighter hue.
Mr.. Marshall came back, then corps
of useful Baptist preachers were at
work. The Presbyterians came and
organized churches and a presbytery.
The Methodists had a conference ana
the Catholics organized their first con-
gregation. The frontier population was
not a tame one. They did not drink
wine as the printers made me say last
week. but they drank rum very free
" when they could get 1t. and once,
Mr. Campbell says, when congregae
ton met for worship in Burke coun-
ty, some one came to the door and
said: THE rum is, come" and the
whole congregation left the preacher
and went for the seductive beverage.
The crowds who came to the court
grounds found the rum carts there
The county fiddler was always on hand
and @Billy in the low ground drew
the crowd Then there was . quarter
race and then there was shooting Tor
a beef, and now and then gander
pulling and never q court broke up
without tbSre was a fight In the ring.
There were few churches and few
preachers, but the Methodist and Bap-
list preachers of those days were light
artillery. and they did brave work in
moving from one part Of the field to
the other. {-ff e
Among leading men their work was
apparently in vain. do not think
there was a man among all the law
yers who made the slightest preten-
sion to piety. Mr.. Telfair and Mr..
Walton and Mr.. Glascock had their
news In st. Paul's, and the Haber-
sf1ams. Milledges and Jacksons attend
ed still the church of their fathers in
Savannah. Most of them were like
DooIy ana Crawford and Clark
They drank, gambled swore and
fought daisls. The Methodists began
we'll. but in 1900 there were only one
half as many members as there had
been in 1885,. Preachers were few and
those who were experienced and had
married were forced to give up their
circuits and settle, on farms that they
might provide for their families.
5 The people came in great food and
while many Of them had been relig-
ious in the older states now on this
frontier they fell into the habits of
the froutiersmen. With French inf
deity among the upper classes, and
the habits Of wild dissipation among
the lower there was a sad state of
moral decadence. Dueling was con-
sidered indispensable. A gentleman
must not lie nor steal nor cheat nor
be mean and he must be ready to re-
sent any insult and to go on the field
OF ..onor at a moments notice. Nc
lntosh fought a duel with Gwinnett
and killed him. Jackson fought
a duel with Governor Wells and kill
ed him He fought with Gibbons, with
Watkins, with Seagrove. W. H.
Crawford fought with Van Allen and
killed him. and with Clark and was
wounded by him.
Mitchell fought duel and killed his
opponent. Dooley went on the bench
with eyes bloodshot from a nights
wild revelry and spent night after
night at the gaming table.
In augusta there were 1900 people,
a theatre and a race course and one
small church poorly attended with per-
!, haps twenty communicates OF all
: classes. Savannah was not much
better the gentlemen had a hunting