bitterness of the two factions in the State, but now it was rekindled.  There were very many young men, who had been too young to take any part in these factions, but who were now the active and ambitious element in the State.  Many persons, too, had immigrated into the new-settled parts of the State, who were strangers to the feuds which had once divided her people, and which now began to do so anew.  Each party sought to win and secure this element.  Every newspaper in the State, every judge upon the bench, every member of Congress was in the interest of Crawford; and yet there was a majority of the people of the State attached to the Clarke faction.  He and his friends had long been proscribed, and they pleaded persecution.  The natural sympathies of the heart were touched by these appeals, and it was feared the State would be lost to Crawford in the coming Presidential election.  Every effort was now to be made to defeat this faction against him, headed by Clarke.  The election of Governor at this time was by the Legislature; and it was not anticipated that there would be any difficulty in the re-election of Rabun, and, consequently, there had been no agitation of the question before the people at the recent election of members of the Legislature.  Scarcely a tithe of the people had even heard of the candidacy of Clarke when his election was announced; and, at the time, so little interest was felt on the subject, that very few objected to his election.  Clarke was a man of violent passions, and had been, to some extent, irregular and dissipated in his habits.  When excited by any means, he was fierce; but when with drink, he was boisterous, abusive, and destructive.  Many stories were related of terrible acts of his commission—­riding into houses, smashing furniture, glass, and crockery—­of persecutions of his family and weak persons he disliked.  This had aroused in the pious and orderly members of society strong opposition to him, and at this time all his sins and irregularities were widely and loudly heralded to the public.  The preachers, with few exceptions, denounced him, and those who did not were very soon with him denounced.  Very soon after his inauguration, the celebrated Jesse Mercer—­the great gun of the Baptist denomination in Georgia—­was invited to preach the funeral sermon of Governor Rabun.  Mercer was an especial friend of Mr. Crawford, and a more especial enemy of Clarke.  In many respects he was a remarkable man—­a zealous and intolerant sectarian, and quite as uncompromising and bitter in his political feelings.  His zeal knew no bounds in propagating his religious faith, and it was quite as ardent in persecuting his political opponents.  It was doubtful which he most hated—­the Devil or John Clarke.  Rabun had been his neighbor, his friend, and, above all, a member and elder in his church.  It was quite fitting under the circumstances that he should be selected to officiate in the funeral services in honor of the late Governor.  From respect,