When the South Carolina delegates to the First Continental Congress
returned to their homes, bearing with them copies of the Declaration of
Colonial Rights, the Liberty Boys of Georgia renewed their movement with
great zeal. Copies of the Declaration were distributed throughout the
Province. The result was, that the Liberty Boys grew steadily stronger
in numbers, and more defiant in action. An idea of the situation at this
time may be gathered from a letter written by Governor Wright to the
Earl of Dartmouth on the 13th of December, 1774. He declared that the
spirit of independence, or, as he called it, the spirit of enthusiasm,
which many were possessed of before, "is raised to such a height of
frenzy, that God knows what the consequences may be, or what man or
whose property may escape their resentment."
No doubt the amiable governor misunderstood the situation. What he
regarded as "frenzy" was merely the eager desire and the determination
of the Liberty Boys of Georgia to redeem themselves in the eyes of their
brethren in the other Colonies. They were humiliated by their failure to
send representatives to the Continental Congress, and they endeavored to
redeem themselves by increased zeal and enthusiasm.
They arranged to hold a provincial congress in Savannah on the 18th
of January, 1775. Governor Wright, on hearing of this, determined to
convene the Provincial General Assembly on the same day, hoping and
believing that this would prevent a meeting of the Provincial Congress,
or greatly hamper its action. But the governor was mistaken. The
General Assembly met in response to the call, and so did the Provincial
Congress. Governor Wright addressed the members, declaring to them the
danger of the situation, and imploring them to be prudent and loyal.
The upper house of the General Assembly made a response agreeable to the
governor's expectations, but the lower house gave to its address a tone
of independence that was not at all pleasing to the King's officer. He
showed his displeasure, and placed a serious obstacle in the way of the
Liberty Boys by adjourning the General Assembly until the 9th of the
following May. The Assembly had met on the 18th of January, and was
adjourned on the 10th of February; so that the Liberty Boys, who made up
a majority of the lower house, had no time to appoint delegates to the
Philadelphia congress soon to be held, nor to take any official action
in behalf of the independence of Georgia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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