this favoritism, however flattering, did not spoil him, as is too
frequently the case with precocious youth. His ambition had fixed a
lofty mark, and he availed himself of this universal popularity to
reach it; at the same time, he left no effort neglected to deserve it,
and maintain it, once acquired.

The State was teeming with young men of talent, scarcely a county
without at least one of great promise. Lumpkin saw and knew the rivalry
would be fierce, and success only to be obtained by superior abilities
and eminent attainments. The Legislature was the first step to fame,
and political fame then the most desired and the most sought. Party was
rancorous in its spirit, producing intense excitement, pervading every
bosom, male and female, to the extremes of the State--an excitement
which so stamped itself upon the hearts of the entire people as to
endure, and to mark their character and opinions even until to-day.

Lumpkin was very decided in his opinions, and open in their expression,
yet there was none of that empoisoned bitterness in these expressions
so characteristic of political aspirants in that day. Such was alien to
his kindly nature; and if it had not been, there were other causes to
estop him from any such indulgence. His family was large. There were
eight brothers; only one of these was younger than himself; these were
about equally divided in political sentiment, and they, at least some
of them, less amiable or less considerate than himself. He was the
favorite of all, and was continually in communication with all of them,
and was really the moderator of the family, and the healer of its
feuds. At this time, too, the deep morality of his nature was growing
into piety, and this sentiment was mellowing from his heart even the
little of unkindness that had ever found a place there.

At twenty-five years of age he was sent, by an almost unanimous vote,
to the Legislature from his county. He came with an exaggerated
reputation for talent, especially for oratorical talent, and many of
his friends feared he would not be able to sustain it in that body,
where there were many of age and experience, with characters already
long established for learning and eloquence, and also many young men
from different parts of the State, who, like himself, had already won
fame for high talent. Among these was Robert Augustus Bell, in sight of
whose grave I write these lines. He passed away in early life, but
Georgia never pro