Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-09

| of the 9th Virginia and the Battle OF
Brandywine. l stood by Washington that
day and not one of my men hlnched.
President Adams bowed again.
Nov. SIR resumed Matthews. Il UNI
-derstand that you appointed me TO be
governor Of Mississippi territory: that you
! sent my name to the Senate and then look
| it back Sir. had you known me YOU
would not have taken it back III you
| did not know me. you should never have
| nominated me to important a posi-
| ton | have come here to say that I'M
! less YOU can satisfy me that you had
| good reasons for taking it back, ana mat
you intended no reflection upon my char-
acter your station as President OF the
| United States shall not protect you from
my vengeance.
MIR. Adams had great difficulty in per-
suading the indignant Georgian that no
reflection had been cast upon ms ehsr-
acter or abilities. and they aftefWard De-
came very good friends.
The Yazoo Land Frauds. K
Matthews was twice Governor OF
| Georgia and during his second term Of
office approved the Yazoo land grant act
of the legislature of that state, which was
attended by terrible scandal. tradition
saws that his private secretary having
failed to persuade him TO veto the Dill.
dipped his quill in oil SO that the INK
would not adhere to it, hoping that IN
| he meantime the governor would change
his mind But the latter picked up an
other goosefeather, trimmed new point
and attached his signature. This was
a very unpopular act. but II was Ior-
given because the people believed that
the rough. uneducated soldier mao oeen
| imposed upon by the land SPECTATORS ana
had done what he thought was right.
The Yazoo. land frauds, as they are
known In history. involved grant made
by the legislature of Georgia TO COM
pany of Augusta spectators and asso-
ciates Including ratrick Henry and Waue
HAMPTON grandfather of the late SEN
ator and other famous men of that tlme)
II embraced several millions of acres on
the east bank of the Mississippi river
with the YaZOO valley as the center OF
the tract The company sold these lands
to innocent investors throughout the
country and the managers pocketed the
proceeds without paying the s2oOooo due
A nj new company was afterward formed
and paid the money into lhe pubic 'r ,h.s-
ury. which was then bankrupt and thus
saved the credit of, the state. But. I'm
1896, the. legislature, repealed the grant
and Gov. Jackson. took TIE original act
out into a field and using a. lens from
SOY glass, after the manner of EnJah
prayed for fire which came down from
heaven and consumed the evidence of
the rascalty of the enemies of the 81 ate.
Notwithstanding JackSon's dramatic
performance. the Supreme Court of the
United States sustained the constitution
atty OF the grant, and the general gov
eminent was afterward compelled To set
tie the claims of innocent purchasers,
which cost a large amount of money.
Cause of Several Duels.
The YaZoo frauds were a political issue
and the cause of much dissension in
Georgia for two or three generations. and
several duels were provoked thereby.
William Harris Crawford, United States
senator minister to France. Secretary
of the Treasury under the administrations
of Madison and Monroe. and one of the
ablest men Georgia has ever produced,
fought two duels upon the grounds then
used for that purpose. which are now
visited by all the tourists that come to
Augusta. They lie at the end of a de-
ightfut drive.
a Mr.. Van Allen of New York. a cousin
of President Van Buren,. and an ances-
tor of the present Van Allen family. came
to Augusta TO prosecute "a claim against
the state of Georgia growing out Of the