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TERRITORIAL PAPERS
I have no doubt they are considerable; I knew him well, when he lived in Carolina; He is an elegant classical scholar, and a man of unblemished reputation; He has been a land Commissioner west of Pearl River37
I am very respectfully Sir yr ob* ser*
Nath1 Macon
PETITION TO CONGRESS BY INHABITANTS OF MARION AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES
[HF:13 Cong., 3 sess.:DS]
Marion & Lawrance Counties Mississippi Territory [January 19,1815] To the Honourable The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in congress convened
The petition of the undersigned Inhabitants of the counties and Territory aforesaid humbly sheweth to your honourable body, that we Labour under great Inconvenience and disadvantages from the Present disagreable situation of our country, we wish to acquaint your honourable body, that we made great Sacrifices of property in our several places of nativity to realize money to enable us to Settle in this part of the Union and to support us and our familes on our Journeys. We became the first settlers of a wilderness and Encountered all the disadvantages which naturally accrue from such a situation?having Expended all our pecuniary funds for the common necessaries of life, a number of us were forced to make sacrafices of property to Enable us to make Payment on our Lands?The war with England was also partially Injurious to us by destroying our commerce, notwithstanding we approbate the measure, and have Evinced the same whenever called on?This disadvantage we were likely to surmount but the war with the Creek nation, the Impending danger and our Country actually Invaded have for near Three years kept us in the field?We have now Taken the field ?En masse? and left our desolated homes to meet the Common foe wherever he may dare to shew his head?under such Insurmountable dificulties we hope your honourable body will Take our situation into mature consideration, We find it Impossible from the present situation of things to make further payments on our lands, and unless favoured must inevitably lose them?Your petitioners humbly pray that the attentions of congress may be had Immediately and Measures adopted for their relief by passing a Law giving a reasonable time after the conclusion of peace for the several payments now due as well as the Interest thereon Your petitioners beg to claim the attention of your
*7 See Crawford to the Secretary of State, Dec. 15, 1816, post, p. 740.