USA > Georgia > The bench and bar of Georgia: memoirs and sketches. With an appendix, containing a court roll from 1790-1857, etc., volume I > Part 57
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DAVID BLACKSHEAR.
FOR JOHN QUINCY ADAMS .- Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, Maryland, Ohio, Ken- tucky, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana.
FOR ANDREW JACKSON .- New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana.
FOR WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD .- Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia.
CXXXII .- RICHARD HI. WILDE TO GEN. BLACKSHEAR.
WASHINGTON CITY, February 20, 1825.
DEAR SIR :- From what you have already heard, you may well imagine we have fallen on evil times. There is no hope for the Republic during the next four years : if it outlives that time, and has strength enough remaining to shake off its doctors and its diseases, its constitution may be restored. But I have my doubts. So insensible to every thing but the promotion of their own selfish views of interest or ambition are many of our publie men of the present time, so open and unblushing the traffic in influence which we have seen established, that either they must be signally punished, or the people will lose-nay, must have already lost-all belief in political honesty, and consider all difference of party as a mere pretext to cover the struggle for office between outs and ins.
The coalition-ministry is not yet certainly announced. Clay will be Secretary of State, Mr. Cheves of the Treasury, if he will accept. Mr. Wirt and Mr. Southard, it is thought, will be retained. Mr. Webster must be in some way provided for,-but how, is the difficulty. The holy politi- cal alliance are afraid of bringing so decided a Federalist into office. He would like to be Speaker of the House, into which Mr. Adams's friends cannot put him. Forsyth, or McLane of Delaware, will be in his way. This much is certain : let the materials be compounded as they may, we have nothing to hope from the General Government. Our claims for militia-services and for the removal of the Indians are not treated with common decency. A refusal to do us justice is accompanied with a careless contempt of our rights, and of the obligations of the Union to us, such as no man would use who had the least regard for the reputation of this Government.
Rely upon it, we are not far from questions which must rouse Southern feeling, if it is not dead. We shall have before long proposals for eman- cipation. A committee of the House of Representatives have already made a report justifying the treaty of Mr. Adams yielding the right of search ; and the House, in spite of all opposition, has ordered three thou- sand copies to be printed.
The Southern States are already the Ireland of the Union. I pray God that ere long we may not realize all the bitter consequences of the policy which has made us so.
Farewell, my dear sir : remember me to our friends in Laurens, and believe me, sincerely, yours, R. H. WILDE.
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MEMOIR OF GENERAL
CXXXIII .- M. B. LAMAR* TO GEN. BLACKSHEAR.
HEAD-QUARTERS, MILLEDGEVILLE, March 4, 1825.
(Circular.)
The commander-in-chief presents his compliments to the major-generals and brigadier-generals commanding the militia of the State, and invites them to pay their respects to Gen. Lafayette, either at Savannah, Augusta, or Milledgeville, as may best suit their convenience. He will probably be present at either place, and will take pleasure in presenting them to the general.
By the commander-in-chief : MIRABEAU B. LAMAR, Secretary.
CXXXIV .- HENRY KING TO GEN. BLACKSIIEAR.
ALLENTOWN, LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNA., October 16, 1825.
DEAR SIR :- My brother, David R. King, who will hand you this, is about to go to Milledgeville to attend to the claimt which I, last winter, brought before the Legislature of Georgia. You are so well known for your love of justice that I am led to hope you will still look upon the claim with a favorable eye.
I cannot go on to attend to it this winter myself; and, indeed, I have already suffered severely in my attempts to recover it. Georgia feels how hard it is to have justice refused her; and I am sure she would not willingly refuse justice to an individual whose rights are entirely in her power.
Believe me, with sentiments of the greatest regard, yours, &c., HENRY KING.
CXXXV .- C. B. STRONG TO GEN. BLACKSHEAR.
IRWINTON, October 19, 1825.
DEAR SIR :- We have fought the good fight and kept the faith, and, thank God, we obtain a good reward. The honor and rights of Georgia are sustained.
It having fallen to my humble lot to take the bulls by the horns, [Gaines and -,] I cannot tell you how much I am gratified. They boast of a legislative majority ; but, with prudent management, we can disappoint the certificate-and-affidavit faction in that respect also. I am unencum- bered with office, or the desire or expectation of office, and will meet you
* He espoused the cause of Texas in 1835, commanded the cavalry at the bat- tle of San Jacinto, April 21, 1836, and by his impetuous charge decided the con- test in a few minutes. He advised the execution of Santa Anna when the latter was taken prisoner by the Texians. Gen. Lamar was the first Vice-President and the second President of the Republic. His courage and genius have fully established his fame as the hero-poet.
+ The nature of this claim does not appear in the correspondence, this being the only letter found relating to it. It may, perhaps, appear in the Journals of the Legislature for 1824 and 1825 ; but, as the author of this memoir has no copy of these on hand, he can only suggest that it possibly referred to Continental money, or some special service rendered the State without the authority of law or contract.
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at Milledgeville, and exert my feeble powers to sustain our good cause and virtuous administration.
Yours, with cordial respect, &c., C. B. STRONG.
CXXXVI .- DR. JAMES PERRY TO GEN. BLACKSHEAR.
TATTNALL, November 2, 1825.
SIR :- I beg leave to introduce to your notice Mr. - , a Repre- sentative in the Legislature from this county. He is a new member, and will require such aid as you can bestow on him. He will thankfully acknowledge the favor, and, in my opinion, will support the present ad- ministration and the officers of Government who served the present year with fidelity. And, from party prejudice, he will not (unless led away) advance any others.
I have the honor to be your most obedient, JAS. PERRY.
CXXXVII .- CHARLES HARRIS* TO GEN. BLACKSHEAR.
SAVANNAH, October 21, 1826.
MY DEAR SIR :- I address you as an old friend, and that on a subject I never expected to write about. I am a candidate for the appointment of Judge of the Court of Oyer and Terminer located in this city. Judge Nicoll, who has held the office for the last three or four years, will again offer at the election to take place at the ensuing meeting of the Legis- lature. He is a gentleman of respectability and integrity, and I make no personal opposition to him. But he is young, and at the bar, and I am old, and going out of it, and the judgeship would benefit me, not being rich.
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I have served in several offices and performed many public duties in Savannah without fee or reward, for twenty-five years past, and therefore hope that my claims at this election will not be viewed as frivolous or intrusive. I am not acquainted with the members of the Legislature of the West ; and, if you feel inclined to serve me, I shall be grateful for your aid among your friends, such as Gen. Wimberly, Mr. Lawson, f and others. I am, my dear sir, respectfully, your old friend, C. HARRIS.
CXXXVIII .- COL. RICHARD A. BLOUNT TO GEN. BLACKSHEAR.
MILLEDGEVILLE, October 30, 1826.
DEAR SIR :- Since my return from the Chattahoochee River, I have re- peatedly thought of writing to you. The time draws near when the
* Mr. Harris was a native of England, educated in France, and removed to Georgia in 1788, residing at Savannah until his death, March 17, 1827. He was a profound jurist and estimable man.
t Col. Roger Lawson, for many years a Representative from Twiggs county. He served as a major in the army with Gen. Blackshear, and his name appears in the official despatches. His social and benevolent nature betrayed him into acts of familiarity with the private soldiers of his command in the intervals of duty, for which offence (forbidden by military discipline) he was arrested and tried by a court-martial under the orders of Col. Patton. The evidence plainly established his guilt of uniform kindness of heart, attention to the sick, and an occasional glass of grog with the healthy. On his return home, these charges, so fully sustained, at once secured him an extensive popularity, which continued until his death in 1830. He was the father of the Hon. Andrew Lawson, late one of the Judges of the Cir- cuit Court of Louisiana.
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MEMOIR OF GENERAL
Board of Commissioners of the Oconce Navigation should make another report. I begin to tire in public business ; and if we could close what we have on hand, and turn it over to the Board of Internal Improvement, I am willing to resign it to them. Or, if you see any way that we can pro- mote the public interest, I am yet willing to try ; or I am very willing to decline all.
I wish you had continued one year more in the Senate, as our old friend Crawford is out. I expect to be in town the first week and absent the second week of the session. We claim the majority in the Senate, and in the House of Representatives also; but I see Bartlett claims the strength in Senate.
Old - is completely stringhalted and spavined, and, with proper management this session, I think he will never recover. Prudence and moderation in our ranks will establish the Republican party. Very few alterations will suffice this session,-some change in the penitentiary, and enough to turn the scale in the Darien Bank, in McIntosh county, &c.
I fear the internal improvement is to branch out rather too far, and in the wrong place, though I know not what the board is engaged on at this time. Write me by return-mail, if practicable, whether you will be up. I am, dear sir, sincerely yours,
R. A. BLOUNT.
P.S .- Col. E. Hamilton is in town.
CXXXIX .- PETER CRAWFORD TO GEN. BLACKSHEAR.
COLUMBIA, July 8, 1828.
MY DEAR FRIEND :- I have for a long time contemplated renewing our old acquaintance and friendship by letter, and have not been able to summon resolution enough to perform this act of friendship until to-day; and now I have nothing new or interesting to communicate. I can only say that since I saw you last I have enjoyed good health, and, like an old blockhead, suffer my name to continue before the public; but I believe, my dear general, it does not arise from vanity or ambition.
I am sick and disgusted with Milledgeville and legislating, but my friends cannot, or will not, consent to my retiring to private life; and, although it is against my interest, wishes, and inclinations, yet somehow or other I cannot muster resolution enough to say No to my friends and manifest myself firm. I sensibly begin to feel a burden.
I seldom leave home; but I am informed that both parties in this county have a full ticket. Our friends, I understand, are sanguine, and have no doubt that the whole Troup ticket will prevail. Every thing in this wise world is uncertain ; and the negro is correct when he says, " White man is very uncertain." From all appearances, we shall succeed. It is said that, by deaths, removals, and changes in the sentiments of a number of our citizens, the prospect is fair that the election will terminate in favor of the Troup ticket.
Our Judge - - is caucusing and setting up opposition to the Troupers, begging and soliciting individuals in the circuit to continue him in office. Ile has been operating in this county and Richmond. I trust you Southern people will remember his honor in November next. He cannot, I think, get a half-dozen votes in his own circuit.
It is unpleasant to see so many of our friends coming out for Congress. I cannot see how the evil can be corrected. Every week, almost, we see some new candidate announced in the public papers. If there is an in-
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DAVID BLACKSHEAR.
erference with the view to their withdrawing from the contest, it will give offence to the individual and his friends. If they go on and are dis- appointed, they will change their political friends with their defeat. I can see no other way for us than to look on and let them pursue their own course. But I fear this folly and vanity will result in the election of one or more Federalists. -, I hear, has withdrawn, but - holds on, and the Clarkites will not let so favorable an opportunity escape them. I look out every day to see half a dozen of their vagabonds announced for Congress. Old - or his son-in-law, -, I calculate, will soon be announced.
William II. Torrance, Esq., is now with me, and will take this letter to Milledgeville. He tells me that he has recently seen you, and that you enjoy fine health. Believe me, my dear friend, I am gratified to hear that your health has improved. When I saw you last, you appeared to be in a rapid decline, and I had doubts whether I should ever have the plea- sure of seeing you again. I now anticipate the pleasure in November once more to take you cordially by the hand.
I have the fullest confidence in Mr. Monroe, your Senator. He is a fine, decisive man ; but he does not carry with him into the Senate the talent, knowledge of business, and influence that you have so long exer- cised for the interest and benefit of the State. Believe me, general, this is not flattery. It is the honest conviction of a friend who, I persuade myself you have long believed, flattered no man. Your health is now ยท restored ; and, if you were not announced by your friends for Elector, I should certainly press you-and strongly, too-once more to come into the Senate, at all events. I hope and trust you will yield in 1829 to the wishes of your friends, and come into the Senate. From long experience I find I cannot emancipate myself from my country and my friends. The latter will force me upon the county until, from old age or crime, I shall be rejected. But so long as I continue in the Legislature it will afford mne much pleasure to support your wise measures and follow you as an old veteran and file-leader.
Our seasons, so far, have been favorable, and our crops are good, par- ticularly the cotton. We want rain at this time, but are not suffering. In writing I make no apology to friends. They must decipher my scraw! as they can.
I can only add that my best wishes attend you and every branch of your family, and believe me to be your friend and obedient servant,
PETER CRAWFORD.
CXL .- DANIEL CHANDLER* TO GEN. BLACKSHEAR.
WASHINGTON, October 10, 1831.
DEAR SIR :- I have been induced to become a candidate for the office of Solicitor of this circuit, and, yielding to the advice of my friends, I take this opportunity, if it be consistent with your views and feelings, to solicit any assistance that you may feel disposed to render me in my election.
Your obedient servant, DANIEL CHANDLER.
* Mr. Chandler was elected Solicitor-General of the Northern circuit, in Novem- ber, 1831. In 1835, he removed to the city of Mobile, Alabama, where he now resides,-one of the purest men living. He was a classmate of James HI. Black- shear, son of the general.
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