Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-01-25
Our Ancestors Hated Bride
Takers

In the early days OF Georgia. great
fraud was perpetrated on the state ana
general government CKnown as the
..Yazoo Fraud at that time, and laterJ
For the benefit of our younger readers
will state as briefly as 1 can, that me
western limits Of Georgia were INDEFINITE
and extending as far as the Yazoo ami
ATississippi rivers in that direction. A
narrel Of xpeeulafors Of whom James
cum then United States senator from
Georgia was one had a bill passed
throrrb the Georgia legislature. selling all
that outlying land TO three speculatins
land companies. of which U. 3 senator
James Gum was at the head OF the lafs-
est company. The land was SOLD lot an
snconsiderable sum-a fraction OF cent
per arre-and the bill was pending in the
legislature when James Gum was re-
elected TO the senate. AS soon as his re
election was made known in Washington
city. certain men were heard to say, the
''Yazoo lands are sold
Gen. James Jackson. the other Unitee
States senator immediately left Washing
ton. came home, and made such an up
roar against the fraud that the next leg
isIature not only repealed the Iazoo act.
but investigated and exposed the MEM
hers Of the legislature who voted for the
sale The story Is too long to be repeated
here. but TO show the temper OF the COM
mon people. viii copy from an address
delivered I'm Athens by Hon George R
GiImer. one OF GeOrgia's later governors.
He was speaking OF OglethOrpe, his ma
tive county and said. Miles Jennings was
a Misunderstanding old man who lived
when the YazOo act was passed in the
county OF Oglethorpe. at a place now
known as the Crabtree- He had been be-
fore he moved TO Georgia, an Indian
fighter on the frontiers OF Virginia and
North Carolina lie retained during life
the gun. with which he fought at the
great battle Of the Point. where the In
dians under Logan. did not yield the vic
tory until after they had fought the
whites from hand TO hand from sunrise
until dark
ION the morning Of the day of the first
general meeting of the people OF Ogle-
thorpe after the passage Of the Yazoo
act neighbOr who lived on the other
side OF Crabtree. stopped at the gate,
while Miles Jennings made ready to ac-
company him Jennings put rope in his
pocket and said nothing Of his purpose.
Upon being asked what ne intended doing
with the rope. he replied: Hang Mus
grove CAusgrove was a bribed leg
isIator).
when they arrived at the court house
from their distant part OF the county all
the people nad assembled
Miles Jennings hitched his horse. went
into the crowd. pulled the rope from his
pocket and holding il at arms length,
cried out. 'Neighbors. this rope is to hang
Musgrove, who sold the peoples land for
a brfbe.
..The Iashing of the surge upon the
shore when the ocean is driven by he
most furious storm was not louder than
the noise Of the people. excited into tu-
multi by Jennings words. and the sight
OF the elevated rope
no human power could have saved
Musgrove from hanging IL Jennings
reighbors had not given him notice to
make his escape"
Gen. James Jackson resigned his seat
in the United States senate after he re-
turned TO Georgia latter the YazOo act
Rad passed.. ran for the Legislature in
Chatham county and devoted his entire
energies to uncovering the YaZoo fraud
exposed the bribe-takers-and the brides
they received. 10 the entire satisfaction
of all the people. I have among my col
Iecfions a full history of the brides and
bribe-takers. copied from a volume in the
house of library Of congress, and the ex-
posure of the faithless legislators-the
unworthy senator. along with judge OF
the superior court. ct al, has been in
scrfbed there and by solemn act. recites
shall forever remain there as long as the
republic endures-
The unworthy Senator Gum held on TO
his place. but he avoided Georgia and
died in another part of the country, un-
honored and maybe unknown to ais
neighbors.
When the next legislature met after
the passage OF the Yazoo act, and In
vestigated the faithless representatives,
they not only repeated the Yazoo act,
but burned II, using a sun glass to
draw the fire from heaven" to ignite
the paper.
Georgia has been strangely remiss
that a statue TO Gen. James Jackson has
not been erected either in Savannah or
on the capitol grounds in Atlanta to
commemorate this valiant, deed. and IT
Is a sad commentary on public ingrat-
itude that such a tribute has not been
given TO his memory. 1t would seem
that the worthy are forgotten, to the
states everlasting discredit-
Some day 1 hope TO put those Yazoo