{"product_id":"1785-george-walton-autograph-legal-opinion-declaration-of-independence-signer-chief-justice-of-georgia","title":"1785 George Walton Autograph Legal Opinion — Declaration of Independence Signer \u0026 Chief Justice of Georgia","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExceptional 1785 Manuscript Legal Opinion in the Hand of George Walton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn exceptionally important original manuscript document written and signed by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGeorge Walton (1749\/50–1804)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, one of Georgia's three signers of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDeclaration of Independence\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, while serving as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChief Justice of Georgia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDated \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDecember 16, 1785\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, this document concerns the controversial post-Revolutionary treatment of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMalcolm Brown\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the former secretary and aide to General \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAndrew Williamson\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, who had been placed under South Carolina's Act of Banishment and Confiscation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAccording to the contemporary extract from the Georgia Council minutes, information had been received that Brown had arrived in Savannah from England aboard the ship \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoman Emperor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The Council requested the opinion of the Chief Justice and Attorney General as to whether Georgia law authorized the Executive to take cognizance of the matter.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWalton responded in his own hand with a substantive legal opinion concerning the effect of South Carolina's banishment and confiscation legislation upon persons residing in Georgia. His opinion discusses the penalties imposed upon persons covered by such acts—including \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebanishment and confiscation of property\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—and concludes that the matter was not merely cognizable by the Executive but constituted a particular duty of the Governor.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe document is signed \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Geo Walton”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e at the conclusion of the opinion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Significant Revolutionary-Era Legal Document\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGeorge Walton was one of only three Georgians to sign the Declaration of Independence. During the Revolution he served in Congress and in the Georgia militia, was wounded and captured at the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBattle of Savannah\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and later became Governor of Georgia. Following the Revolution, he served as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChief Justice of Georgia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, beginning in 1783.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis document dates from the earliest years of Georgia's post-Revolutionary judicial system and illustrates the unresolved legal problems surrounding \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLoyalists, confiscated property, banishment, and the authority of one state to act upon legislation originating in another\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe individual at the center of the controversy, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMalcolm Brown\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, was associated with General Andrew Williamson, whose Revolutionary allegiance became deeply controversial. Brown himself remained subject to South Carolina's confiscation proceedings for years after the war.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe document therefore provides a remarkable primary-source window into the continuing political and legal consequences of the American Revolution.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDocument Features\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGeorge Walton (1749\/50–1804)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e — signer of the Declaration of Independence\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eSigned in his capacity as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChief Justice of Georgia\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDecember 16, 1785\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEntire legal opinion handwritten by Walton\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eContemporary extract from the Georgia Council minutes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eConcerns \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMalcolm Brown\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Andrew Williamson's former secretary\/aide\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eConcerns South Carolina's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAct of Banishment and Confiscation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDirectly addresses interstate legal authority and Loyalist property\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal 18th-century paper\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Very Good for an original 1785 manuscript. Period paper with original folds, light foxing and staining, minor edge wear and fold creasing. The manuscript remains remarkably legible, with the Walton handwriting and signature exceptionally well preserved.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52702683693338,"sku":null,"price":6917.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2115.jpg?v=1786820113","url":"https:\/\/www.thearchiveauthority.com\/en-ca\/products\/1785-george-walton-autograph-legal-opinion-declaration-of-independence-signer-chief-justice-of-georgia","provider":"Signature Documents LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}