[1363] Affidavit of John Thomas, Jr., Am. State Papers, Public Lands, i, 148.
[1364] Affidavit of Philip Clayton, ib. 146.
[1365] Affidavit of John Shepperd, ib.
[1366] About sixty affidavits were made to show the venality of members of the Legislature. Of these, twenty-one are printed in ib. 144-49.
[1367] Harris: Georgia from the Invasion of De Soto to Recent Times, 127-28; White: Statistics of the State of Georgia, 50; Chappell: Miscellanies of Georgia, 93-95.
These writers leave the unjust inference that Wilson was one of those who were corrupting the Legislature. This is almost certainly untrue. For a quarter of a century Wilson had been a heavy speculator in Indian lands, and it appears reasonable that he took this money to Augusta for the purpose of investment. When the deal was consummated, the Justice held shares to the amount of at least three quarters of a million of acres. (Chappell, 94.)
[1368] Ib. 95.
[1369] Gunn's reëlection was the first step in the conspiracy. Not until that was accomplished was a word said about the sale of the lands. Immediately after the Legislature had chosen Gunn for a second term in the National Senate, however, the bill was introduced and the campaign of intimidation and bribery launched, to force its passage. (Ib. 82-83.)
[1370] See Mathews's reasons, as quoted in the Rescinding Act of 1796, Am. State Papers, Public Lands, i, 156.
[1371] Chappell, 86.