The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-12
Georiga Patriots Anticipated
 The MecklenburS Declaration.

i,pointing his excellency captain general
 and governor in chief of this colony. as | well as his majestys commission ap-I pointing him vice admiral of the same. | be forthwith read and published at the head of the militia, now under arms be- | fore the council chamber, and both the | said commissions were accordingly read
 and published and ordered" Troublous Times in the old Colony. i These were stirring times in the early days of the colony. The revolt must have been formidable and threatening that ne- militia under arms" and that required | the beat of drum to give force and ef- feet to royal proclamation. John Rae. Esq, conservater of the
 Esq. conservator of the peace at Eben. | ezer; Andery Maxwell. conservator o3
 the peace at Midway River. and John Mcintosh. Esq, conservator of the peaco | at Derien, were ordered to promulgato | the aforesaid proclamation m the most l solemn and public manner" From later developments it appears thaG
 these conservators of the peace were not able to secure the peace for this first revolt ir Georgia spread to North Caro- | lima, became infectious there. e.--culmina.- ing in the Mecklenberg Declaration Of | Independence, fired staid old New Eng | land, prompted that little Boston tea | party. and the fire kindled in Georsia, 7 the weakest of the Colonies, burnt tnt3 | a conhagration of independence at Phfl- adelphia, July 1. 1776. and made possible the mighty place we occupy in the worlds history today. There should not be a patriot h all the land who should not Say. "HurrAn for old Georgia! the weakest, but the first to raise the standard of revolt against British oppression--and who. as the statistics at Washington show. con- tributed more men. according to the population, to the Spanish-American wac rtr <rx<n in the ,union."
 One/of the reasons for the revolt. though the record as e whole seems to have hay been kept with a view to :cresa of the council of March T. t754 when it was ordered:
 That no person should be capable of being elected 2 representative te serve Is not possessed in his own night of freehold estate of five hundred acres of land within the district or division for
 noan ao is the s esoG sossa hsa nd sss a Ssps ws
 parsons possessed of five hundred acrcs of land within several of the districts empowered to send representatives,, esps- Abercorn and Goshen and Ebenezer, aii of them, except Frederick, the most pop ulous places in the pYcvince, '' it was then determined to so serrymander, to use that the wealthy land owners might be distributed in theso unrepresented dis tricts.
 Mark the requirement-to hold "a frss- hold estate of 5,o acres of land within .he district or division for which he is chcs- en-" and note, too. the admission ''thlt there were no persons possessed of 500 acres of land within several of the dis
 tricts." especially Frederick, Vernon burgh, Acton, Abercorn and Goshen and EbeneZef," and we are fiippantIy told too. that except Frederick" they are "the most populous places in the prov
 inse;"
 Taxation without representation'--tha
 little Boston tea party fades into ins!g- nihcance Never a people were moro and no wonder they started the spirit of | revolt that spread over the country like | the resistless sweep of the prairie fire.
 Royal Governor Notices the Revolt. In Governor Reynolds first inaugural address he noted the open discontent that
 was pervading the province, which led to the open revolt of he four members of the lower house afterwards expelled for in that first address he says: Gentle men, as you are called together for no other purpose but to consult about the best methods of promoting your own well fare, I doubt not but youll take care to suffer nothing to desuade you or draw your attention from the public good.
 on my part, shall be ready to concur with you In everything that can be con-
 ducive to your true and lasting inte-- est"
 In the beginning of this article it VIII
 be noticed that the new speaker chosen
 was required to assume a very servile and abject attitude to the new royal gov- ernor. for we are told in the council pros ceedings that When the speaker re- quested of his excellency. in the narus of the house of representative, that they might have free access to his excellen- .cy's person, liberty of speech, protection for their persons and that the imperfec- dons of the speaker might not be inns
 How striking in contrast was the 5o- mand of Governor Reynolds for abjes t obedience on the part of officers of the general assembly. oyer whom he lorded 1t in such kingiy style. and the diplomacy he displayed toward the upper and lower Creek Indians, whom he dreaded as much as his subjects feared him.
 gusta that these Indians were getting uurnly and 1t might be advisable to mako tn sm presents of valuable gifts to regain their friendship. so the governor listensd upper house and sent the following letter ! or talk to the duslsy Indian chief:
 "Io Our Beloved Friend Mallotchie and the Rest of the Beloved Men and War great and beloved Hing. George. my mas ter. having appointed me governor anl general of this, his province of Georeia. i.,a | take . the nrst opportunity of acquainting shall take every means to preserve the good understanding that at present subsists between the great king, my masters subjects of this province ar,d your nation: And. as it will give me very great pleasure to have an opport,in- ity of shaking hands and of talking with you face to face. I shall acquadnf you when 1t may be proper to come here. you further testimony of my love and friendship. In the meantime, wish vou- your wives and children health and rroe. perity, assuring you that I am your loy. ing friend and brother
 "J. Reynolds,
 A similar letter was sent to the Corn Merchant, chief of the upper Creek na- tion.