Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-07-07
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& uIV By MISS ISNNYI%YF4
~ LIZZIE O THOMAS Msag1

prospect of this farm seeing things done
on the fourth as usual Independence
day, like so many historical dates, 1t
time disputed by many people. North
Carolina claims an earlier date than the
one now observed. and 1 wish some 10y
al son or daughter of that great state
would give us a list Of her early
achievements. 1 had such a LIST once but
misplaced it. We should know the MS
tory of our own country.
Doubtless, many readers of these lines
knows of historic LAGRANGE, Ala The
famous school that sent out so many
cultured graduates in ante-bellum times.
This farm is not very far from that
spot and as soon as crops permit we
are going to picnic there. 1 want to take
my kodak, and 1 hope to be able
to- get some good pictures of the build
| ings. There is much talk of selling
the old Methodist property up there anu
| this may be the last opportunity to get
picture. If 1 succeed in getting pho
tos 1 will be pleased to send one to any
graduate of old LAGRANGE that may de-
sire it. This famous school. like old
Mt. Zion, in Hancock county, Georgia,
served the south in a time of need. Rail-
roads and modern facilities of travel
have made schools more numerous but
! there will never be more thorough train
| ing than was done by the pioneer sects
| of higher education and it's pity tho
buildings and grounds could not still be
devoted to the cause.
| Young Harris college. in Georgia, and
the famous Berry school are examples
Of good that it would be Well for some
one possessing a sufficiency of this
worlds goods to initiate and restore La
Grange to the people who need just
that sort of an education.
| But when I began this chat there
were one or two historic items I wanted
to tell you, and I must not let the &C.
casion Slip for one relates to American
independence.
Fully fifteen years before the climax
came there was an Advocate General
named James Otis and as an officer for
England he was called upon 1851 70
defend law of the English government
called "writs Of assistance" which gave
an officer the right to enter and ransack
any mans house. The writs were at
tackled in the courts and James Otis
was called upon to defend them. Believ-
| ing the law an injustice to the colonies
judge Otis resigned his lucrative post
ton and took the other side without paw.
The case came to trial February, 1851,
and the new lawyer for the crown made
an elaborate plea Tor the VIRUS. JUS
fellow lawyer made a strong argument
against them. but Otis made most won
derful speech. He took up the whole
matter of constitutional relations be-
tween colonies and a mother country and
met the question as to whether Ameri-
cans were bound to obey laws that they
had no part in making, and he flatly
denied that they had. For five hours he
held his hearers, and as John Adams
said "Otis was a flame of fire. Every
man of an immense audience appeared to
me to go away as 1 did, ready to take up
arms against writs of assistance. Then
and there the child Independence was
born. In fifteen years he grew to man.
hood and declared himself free"
Here is a piece of history that l lately
lcame across: What is now known as
East Tennessee was once a state called
Franklin. 1t existed just four years
| from 1884 to 1888. The territory be-
longed to North Carolina and as that
state could not give it proper attention
owing to financial and other troubles
she coded ii to the general government.
The inhabitants were indignant at this