re, and devoted
all his time and all his energy to blotting out the odious law. He
became a member of the committee appointed to investigate the means used
to pass the law, and under his leadership the whole scandalous affair
was probed to the bottom.

In electing the new Legislature, the only issue was Yazoo and
anti-Yazoo. The people were successful in electing men who favored
the repeal of the law. There was no other business before the General
Assembly until this matter was disposed of. The body was flooded with
the petitions and remonstrances that had been sent to the convention.
The Legislature had met in January, 1795. At once a day was set to
"consider the state of the Republic." On that day the petitions and
presentments were considered, and referred to a committee, of which
General Jackson was appointed chairman. On the 22d of January the
committee reported not only that the act was unconstitutional, but that
fraud had been practiced to secure its passage. On these grounds they
declared that the act was a nullity, and not binding on the people of
the State.

The bill declaring the sale void was drawn up by General Jackson. It
passed both Houses by large majorities, and was signed by Governor
Irwin. The feeling of the Legislature was so strong, that, after the
Yazoo act had been repealed, it was decided to destroy all the records
and documents relating to the corruption. By order of the two Houses a
fire was kindled in the public square of Louisville, which was then the
capital. The enrolled act that had been secured by fraud was brought out
by the secretary of state, and by him delivered to the President of the
Senate for examination. That officer delivered the act to the Speaker
of the House. The Speaker in turn passed it to the clerk, who read the
title of the act and the other records, and then, committing them to the
flames, cried out in a loud voice, "God save the State and preserve her
rights, and may every attempt to injure them perish as these wicked and
corrupt acts now do!"

The flames in which the records were burned were kindled by means of
a sun glass, so that it might be truly said that fire came down from
heaven to destroy the evidences of corruption. There is a tradition that
when the officers of the State had met to destroy the records, an old
man, a stranger to all present, rode through the multitude, and made
his way to where the officials stood. Lifting up his voice, he declared,
that,