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CHAPTER 36 1858 THE year 1858 was relatively devoid of political excitement in Georgia. It was a period of reflection; and reflection brought determination. While there were differences of opinion in unimportant matters, the people generally were of only one mind on the vital issues of slavery and State rights. The sectional feeling grew very strong. The antagonism between the North and the South was partially smothered by the Compromise of 1850, but flared out afresh when the Kansas question arose, and was thereafter steadily aggravated by the course of events.1 Feeling in the North was epitomized by two men, soon destined to occupy the center of the national stage. Abraham Lincoln, having accepted the Republican nomination for senator from Illinois, said during one of his historic debates with his opponent, Stephen A. Douglas, on August 21st: "This government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free." Two months later, William H. Seward, speaking at Rochester, New York, declared: "We are engaged in an irrepressible conflict. We must become either an entirely slave holding nation or entirely a free labor nation."2 The subject of free versus slave labor bubbled to the surface publicly in Atlanta on March 5, 1858, when the following memorial, signed by some two hundred citizens, was presented to Council: "We, the undersigned, would respectfully represent to your honorable body that there exists in the city of Atlanta, a number of men who, in the opinion of your memorialists, are of no benefit to the city. We refer to negro mechanics whose masters reside in other places, and who pay nothing to the support of the city government, and whose negro mechanics can afford to underbid the regular resident citizen mechanics of your city to their great injury and without benefit to the city in any way; we most respectfully request your honorable body to take the matter in hand, and by your action in the premises afford such protection to the resident citizen mechanics of your city, as your honorable body may deem meet in the premises, and in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray."3 The neighboring county of Clayton was created from parts of Henry and Fayette counties by Act of the Legislature dated November 30, 1858, and was named for Judge Augustine Smith Clayton (1783-1839), of Athens, a noted ante-bellum jurist and statesman. Jonesboro was made the countyseat, and was incorporated by an Act of the Legislature, approved December 13, 1859. The following citizens were named commissioners: James B. Key, Sanford D. Johnson, G. L. Warren, Joshua J. Harris, W. H. Sharp, R. K. Holliday, and James Alford.4 The original name of Jonesboro was Leaksville, but the coming of the Macon and Western (C. of Ga.) Railroad in the middle 1840's, gave rise to increased civic pride, and, as a compliment to one of the builders of the line, Samuel G. Jones, the town was called Jonesboro. Mr. Jones subsequently lived in Atlanta for a short time and was one of its pioneer Episcopalians. He was the father of the late Governor Thomas G. Jones, of Alabama, afterwards a United States District Judge. One of the strongest advocates of the measure THE EIGHTEEN-FIFTIES 435 creating Clayton County was twenty-three-year-old Walton County representative George Hillyer, just entering public life. He was later to become a noted citizen of Atlanta.5 Both Fulton and DeKalb counties acquired some new talent in their respective courthouses during January, 1858. Seymour B. Love succeeded Thomas J. Perkerson as sheriff of Fulton; B. F. Bomar succeeded William R. (Courtesy Atlanta Historical Society) The Ante-bellum home of Lemuel P. Grant (1817-1893), donor of L. P. Grant Park to the city. 1 he Home was bunt aoout 1858 and is still standing, minus porches and trees, at 327 St. Paul Are., S.E. Photo made, 1938 Venable as Clerk of the Superior Court, and Columbus M. Payne bowed out as Clerk of the Inferior Court in favor of Daniel Pittman. A. R. White replaced Moses Holland as coroner and J. C. Farrar became surveyor, vice James Bartlett. The new tax receiver was Andrew J. Collier, a younger brother of John and Wash. W. F. Wingfield assumed the duties of tax collector.0 In DeKalb, John Y. Flowers, of Cross Keys District, took over the sheriff's office; Robert M. Wilson became coroner, and James M. Reeve, also of Cross Keys, succeeded John C. Ragsdale, of Diamond's District...

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