The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-05-05
STORIES FROM The
AMERICAN HISTORY
WHAT WE OWE To JAMES OGLE-
1HORPN, THE 81 CCESSFUL
iONIIIR.

zation in the South. In early life he
was more or less a soldier OF fortune
aud was the son of British noble
man.
Oglethorpe's first ideas to become
an American colonizer were brought
about through the desires TO be
philanthropic TO certain unfortunates
in his own country. He was elected
to Parliament when but young man,
and II was as a member of that body
that the abuses in the English law
came to his attention.
In Oglethorpe's time It was within
the power of a creditor to imprison,
according to his pleasure the man
who owed him money and was not
able TO pay II. He had friend upon
whom this hard fate had fallen. His
attention was thus painfully called
TO the cruelties which we're inflicted
upon the unfortunate and helpless.
, II was through Parliament that he
obtained a partial remedy for the
abuse.
Oglethorpe devised how he could
carry these unfortunates to a new
world where, under happier auspices,
fthey might open a fresh career. With
this object in view Oglethorpe OBJ
tanned on December Z, 1881. from
King George ii. charter by which
the country between Savannah and
the Altamaha and stretching west
ward across the continent was erect
ed into the province of George. Il
was TO be a refuge for the deserving
poor and. next to them, for Protes-
tants suffering persecution.
Parliament during the winter that
followed. voted $4,000 in aid of the
humane enterprise, and many bene-
violent persons were liberal with their
gifts.
Oglethorpe completed his arrange
ments during the summer of 1892
and in November the first exodus of
the insolvents took place. Oglethorpe
sailed with 100 emigrants, mainly
selected from the prisons-penniless
but of good repute. He surveyed the
coasts of Georgia and in January
landed and chose a site for the capital
of the new State. oglethorpe and
his pilgrims pitched their tents where
Savannah now stands and at once
proceeded to mark out the lines of
streets and squares.
Next year the colony was Joined
by about a hundred German Protes-
tants. who were then under persecu-
tion for their belief. The fame OF
Oglethorpe's enterprise spread over
Europe. All struggling men, against
whom the battle of life went hard,
looked to Georgia as a land OF prom
Use.
The progress of the colony was
slow. The poor persons, of whom 1t
was originally composed, were hon
est, but ineffective, and could not in
Georgia, more than in England. find
the way TO become self-supporting.
After seeing the new colony set
tied Oglethorpe went to England,
taking with him Tomi-Chi Chi and
one or two other Indian chiefs, in
order that they might become i'm
pressed with the strength and great
ness of the English people. The in
habitants of Savannah, in common
dissatisfied during the absence of
Oglethorpe, and upon his return in
February, 1886. he experienced diff
Guilty in restoring order and harmony.
The two eminent English divines,
John and Charles Wesley, returned
with Oglethorpe upon his second
visit. On the Sunday after their ar
rival the Rev. John Wesley, after
wards the founder of Methodism.
preached his first sermon in America,
his text being from the epistle of the
day, the thirteenth chapter of First
Corinthians.
John Wesley remained two years
in America, and when he reached
England, his fellow-laborer, George
Whitefeld. sailed for Georgia. He
met with very great success. After
time the colony began to prosper
and Oglethorpe went to England in
1743 and was never able to return to
Georgia, owing largely to the fact
that he had already sacrificed his
private means for the welfare of the
colonies.
Oglethorpe's statemanship and his
prowess as a soldier had finally made
Georgia prosperous and safe from In
vasion. Being poor he went back to
his military profession and rose at
last to the rank. of commander-in-
chief of all England's armies. But
his misfortunes were not an end. Be
cause he failed in his mission OF cap
turing Bonnie Prince Charlie" he