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264 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS
in touch with the masses, was inclined to be radical; and Governor
"Wright, like old King Charles, spent more than one sleepless night in
grieving over the stubbornness of the Commons. To show the strong
feeling of discontent which prevailed in Georgia in consequence of the
colonial policy of Great Britain, the Legislature was not in session when
the Massachusetts circular addressed to the Provincial Assemblies of
America, advising union against the oppressive acts of Parliament, was
received; but ex-Speaker Alexander Wylly, who afterwards became an
avowed Tory on the issue of separation, undertook to answer the letter
in sympathetic terms.
However, under the speakership of Dr. Noble W. Jones, the Lower
House took an aggressive stand, which greatly angered Governor Wright,
Certain communications from other colonies were spread upon the min
utes and strong resolutions of endorsement were adopted. Governor
Wright was anxious to conciliate the Liberty Boys because he knew
that republican sentiment was growing in the colony, but one issue
succeeded another until finally, in sheer desperation, he was compelled
to exercise the royal prerogative of dissolution.
Nothing of special interest now occurred until developments at last
brought to the front an intrepid old patriot who was marked to become
the first victim of political persecution in Georgia: Jonathan Bryan.
It did not occur to the royal governor when he dissolved the Lower
House that trouble might be brewing in the King's Council. He took
it for granted that the sober-minded old men who sat in the upper cham
ber were too well inoculated with the royal virus to become infected by
the heretical epidemic. But he was destined to be regaled with an unex
pected dish.
In repealing the iniquitous Stamp Act the British Parliament had
not relinquished the right to tax the colonies; and in 1768 various arti
cles of merchandise were subjected to burdensome duties. The people
of Savannah, in mass meeting assembled, agreed to use none of the arti
cles upon which the tax was levied. Jonathan Bryan presided over the
gathering; and the spectacle which he presented was somewhat anoma
lous. He was an old man whose locks were snowy white; and, at this
time, the fires of liberty burned chiefly in the veins of the ardent youth
of the province. Besides possessing large means, he also belonged to
the King's Council; and, if most of the graybeards were disposed to be
conservative by reason of the frosty touch of age, this proneness to sub
mit to the oppressive yoke was doubly true of the grave elders whose
enjoyment of the royal dispensations made them lean unconsciously
toward the golden circlet.
But there was no unction in the speech and no charm of magic in
the gift of sovereigns to natter this old patriarch of liberty. Bent
though he was with age, he was yet ablaze with zeal in the sacred cause
of freedom. He dared, to protest against the British exactions. Con
sequently, orders soon came from London commanding the old man's
suspension; and Jonathan Bryan quit the King's Council. Time went
on. Eventually he was restored to favor; but again he incurred the
royal displeasure. He was present at the meeting held in Savannah
to protest against the passage of the Boston Port Bill and to raise funds
for the sufferers. It put the offender beyond the pale of forgiveness, in