Davis County Clipper | 1934-11-23 | Page 2 | The Short-Lived State of "Franklin"

of r rt JI 7 f f ll f It r tr t r re e F t r a tera r terr o t ter h Kh F tit K L r rr r tf lS is MA 0 r J Jal al alt alL t L li n pr J e erNe erNee e 1 f Sr P Pe e I i r r evien r ti R J t Cra t 4 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON NE C hundred nd fifty years ears ngo ago there came Into I being an nn American American common commonwealth eulth that was as In but not O ot of the United States That Has as w as the state of ot Franklin or I which durin during Its stormy existence of ot four Cour years 3 cars eurs had hatI the equivocal ocal status of being at one and thew theU the w same time an nn Independent state a n U d district In another state and nn an nna a i unorganized federal territory and which finally came Into the Union as a part of oC oCa ofa ofa a state of an entirely different name Closely associated with Ith the tile history of the short lived State of Franklin In In fact the very ery storm center of oC Its turbulent was career career was tilt frontier Immortal John Se Sevier Seler ler 1 f Jack Jacb whose record Is Inscribed upon the tall shaft In Kno 1 lean enn ennI ennas I as follows Governor of the state of Frani six terms governor governor of Tennessee Pour Four times elected to congress A tor and hero of kings s Mountain 35 bat ties 85 85 victories His ills Indian war cry was lS Here they are arel I Come Como on boys s come on I 1 The Imme Immediate Incentive e for tor founding the State of tin came out of conditions which pre prevailed after the tho close of the Revolution ne On June 2 1784 1754 liS the tho legislature of the he new nee nc state of North forth Carolina ceded to the congress of the United States Its lands finds west of the Alleghenies on the conditions that this territory should be formed Into a separate state or states and that should give gl due notice of Its tance of the lands l within two t years otherwise they would revert to North forth Carolina No fo sooner had this tills news nen's reached readied the settle settle- settlements ments beyond the mountains than the Western Westerners estern ers began making plans for setting up a local government go which should form the basis for Cor a ane anew anew new ne state stale There were several reasons for or their haste North forth s delay In sending goods to the Indians promised under a former treats had Irritated the and the threat of Indian hostility hung bung heavy over the If It should burst Into lime they could not look looh for prompt aid from Crom the home authorities I be because because e cause of the long Inter Intervening distance and the lack Inck of quick communication not to mention the tint that North orth Carolina was so 0 occupied with Its post pOt He Revolution Resolution cl civil 11 problems that It could 1 give c little thought to the needs of Its remote frontier settlements Another reason renson no doubt was that the formation of ot a new state meant high to be he filled and for Cor prefer preferment preferment ment to be satisfied for the frontiersmen Here ere just as politically minded as their breth brethren ren rea once the wilderness was as conquered and Its dangers safely past on vu August 23 1784 liS-l a convention con assembled led ut at Jonesborough compose composed of ot dele dele- delegates delegates gates Gutes from the SS estern counties of SS ashington m an and Greene who pissed a resolution declaring e We e have haH a just IlO and undeniable rIght to petition Congress to accept the cession mide Ly by North forth I and for Cor that body bod to counte counte- countenance nance nince us for Cor forming ourselves es Into a separate gO government and to fran franc frane e either a n permanent or ort t constitution agreeably to a n resolve e of In the meantime Gov er Martin of f North orth Carolina had hatI decided ti th it tt his Us state had acted too hastily in ceding valuable lands to the federal gO government and he be used usell his Influence to get the state assembly to repeal the Ule cession act late In o 1 November er Cut But the till Westerners were going ahead With Ith theIr plans and on December er 17 Ii a second com conen en lion tion assembled lcd at Jonesborough This time send senti sentiment ment as some somewhat hat divided Humors of the impending repeal of ot the cession act had reached the settlements and some of the delegates fn fa favored continuing 03 ns a part of ot North forth Carolina rather than as a separate state One of ot these was ns John Sevier Se if we ire are to believe belle a n later statement of or his that he was ins ns Into the I r measures by y a largo larg number numb ot of the people of this tills country One delegate after reading the Declaration of Independence declared that t the same sume reasons which had moved mo the Colonies to separate from could be applied to their decision to desert the un uncertain protection of North forth C fro Iro tins and antI set up a iov 10 eminent of their 0 own on n Ills view had enough Sill sui porters so bO t o that lint the com conven en adopted a Il temporary constitution for six months with pro provision Islon for a contention com to be b beheld e held beld within u a year 3 ear ar nt ot the end of which time this s should be Le altered ed or adopted as ns th c sc charter of tile the new state To It was gRin gh In the name of ot I h the the Land I ind of th thI the e I re ree rec Inter I 1 titer for reasons of policy the nam e I 1 rani rail was as cho chosen en In honor of the safe of o oI ef f I rant ten Pack In North forth Carolina Martin and his assem bly were ere tl taking 11 ng steps to reas reassert ert SO y over the Western rn settlements The District or o yf f Washington composed ed of the four Western estern coup coun counties counties ties was ns set up with John lolin as g Jud e and ond David Darld Campbell n as associate Both i as 8 a n flee illi gesture and aud for the better n that his nia Indian record made him hem b s nt t fitted for the job Jol SI SIl l r was as made bri a lIer lIerl ft l general of the state militia Accompanying hIs hl s which was ns sent In December liS 1731 1 was Yo as os an nn Inquiry whether hether In view of the repeal 1 of It the lie cession act be Intended to persist In the th e movement lIlo for Cor a new state or to a await alt er r 01 Se Seler ler replied d that We SS e a sits i pursue no further measures ures as to a new V Stat State But despite this avowal O Governor Marti a thought It best bes to send a person il it Gil 01 Samuel amuel ti of Judge Jude rich 01 p r r r t 4 l lw 4 w U c o j n A kr rt L i rl F a aL t tt t 0 or L t 1 RIGHTS s axle 0 T Tat II I CONSTITUTION 1 ct ctr FrN r II I 1 t f 4 t FORM rt 1 e c v 01 T t 4 t i r 4 iL er to 10 red J r re t tl rebr br 1 I Se t R 6 l ey JAT rr of the cht Fumes f eft or 11 i z tits 3 S or LAN Ld ND rob 0 rr fir feet f it u lit m mya t h Ce ya yat e d 11 u IV I lIS QI 11 br 1 r y ee eef f J la S 1 1 4 I r i f fr r pF flueH L Lr Sevier DAnn- DAnn 11 t rr tt rent fl II air Urn Urn- JOV Gov Alexander Marten ard and founder of ot and employer er of ot Daniel Boone In the settlement ot of Kentucky to Investigate ate conditions In the West Westlie Ile He found that Sevier had already been Jeen elected governor of the new State of ot Franklin that W Cod e a hid Ind been Jeen appointed as os a n delegate to tile the Continental Congress to urge Its tince of North forth s a cession and tint that the thele le legislature had established an nn academy named after GO Governor Martin Henderson delivered ered to the Franklin tore ture then In session In Jonesborough a n letter from GO Governor emor Martin Marten demanding w w M account of the late proceedings of ot the people In the Western estern country and In reply received ed two let letters letters letters one from Crom the legislature and one from rom Sevier Se which although conciliatory In tone frankly e expressed pressed a n doubt as ns to f North orth orth Carolinas Carolina's Willingness or ability to protect her borderers or ch give ghe e them a stable form of government go and Intimated i their to persist In the mo movement ement for Independence The result of this tails was teas a n manifesto from Crom Martin In which he denied their right to declare themselves Independent of ot North orth Carolina and demanded that the government govern should still be supported and anarchy prevented I To this tills manifesto Governor Sevier Se sent hick backan I Ian an equally tier fier one and Martin countered with 1110 appointment of Lynn nn Shelby Shelb In Sevier's pla place e as brigadier general of the militia and of Jonathan TIpton as ns colonel of his county In fu InJune June JUlie liS 1783 1753 Richard Caswell succeeded Martin Martinas Martinas a as governor go el nor of North forth Carolina and the new ex proceeded In a n conciliatory but at nt the same time firm manner to assert his states state's soy sov over o the disputed territory l Ilan Meanwhile hile be Seiler beler ler and his Ills legislature were continuing to function as ns state authorities The I legislature passed various acts dealing with the i property rights of the citizens of the new state education currency militia elections organize I of new counties takes laves etc eta In connection I Ith the currency there arose nrose a problem lem which Was ns soh solved ed In a n manner characteristic of or the genius of the American frontiersman for adapt adaptIng lag Ing himself readily to circumstances W SZ no faculties for Issuing either currency or hird mone money sl Ins of animals were made legal tender Late In liS 17 the legislature e met at Greene and there a committee headed by Rev nev Samuel Houston of or Washington count county presented for Cor adoption a constitution which Is nn an oddity In legislature jurisprudence It pro provided for a legis of a single house and from this were to tobe tobe tobe be excluded not only ministers of the Gospel nt ot law low and ond doctors of physics ph but also those who were ere of Immoral character or guilty of such flagrant lagrant enormities as ns drunkenness gam Ing gamIng profane swearing S carin lewdness I Sabbath lire II In ing and such sudi like or who ho shall deny the existence of God of heaven hel en and of or hell the atlon ot of the Scriptures or the existence of ot the Its It Although full Cull liberty was as guarin teed guaranteed only the strictly orthodox might hold holtI of lice but It was as hatred to intone nu one who was as nota not nota a scholar to do the business I 1118 his rem remarkable le document which pro ld d for many other curious Inno In govern government ment was ins the work worl of or pioneer doctrinaires doctrinaires- Houston ton Campbell ell Cocke and Tipton and de deserves serves In lS study as a I bizarre refection of the spirit and genius benius of the western estern frontiersman says sa Sl 8 Dr Archibald ld In his Us Conquest of the Ol Old However H It was as rejected ted In fl favor fifer Or of ot the North forth 1 constitution and this rejection was as to hl hire have p an nn Import tnt lOt effect on the tie later fortunes of the tile State of I I lor North orth Carolina or s a quiet and persistent ns as assertion of Its authority was sins beginning to create n f schism In the new D S1 says s that dint the policy of ot Govern r Caswell coupled with the defection from Se Seler ler s 8 au cause e of or men wen t f the stamp of ot and lipton after the thA bl and r of their sir lie hr under undermined undermined mined the foundations of f Franklin North orth Carolina began bean sending Its officers Into 4 1 I lIn to eter exercise Ie her authority over o the zeta zens of ot what It considered nn an outlaw state flay lIay woods s History of ot T printed during the earl early pert part of the lust last century glues gives h es a n h vivid III pie plc picture tute ture of ot the state of affairs existing In n the early part of the scar jear ar was ns pre presented presented seated the strange spectacle of t two 0 empires ex- ex exercised ex exercised at one and the same time over o one and the same people County courts were ere held In the tho same counties under both Loth governments go the militia were called out by officers appointed d by byboth byboth byboth both h laws hs s were ere pissed passed by both assemblies and taxes tates were ere v cre In laid bi by the authorities of both states The The Judges commissioned by the state of held supreme courts twice In each year In Jonesboro oro Colonel Tipton openly ra re refused fused obedience to the new government gO 1 There here arose nrose a n deadly hatred between cen him and Gov Governor Governor Sevier Se and ond each elch endel endeavoured by nil the means In his po power er to strengthen his party So Involved and desperate had become the sit that Cod Coci Code e a and Se Seiler SeIer Ier In turn appealed to wise Ise old Ben nen I for Cor their state had been named for aid and advice In 1750 advised Cod Coci e a to submit the points In dispute between een North forth Carolina and Its mate offspring to congress for a decision and to abide b hi by Its decision lon But a year icar ear later Inter his views hall had changed and he advised Sevier to try to brIng about some satisfactory compromise sith Ith the mother state In la September 1787 1757 the I legislature met for the last time ow and conditions were Hero ere so unsettled and uncertain that no attempt was made to hold another election In rel 1783 adherents of ot lipton Tipton and Se Sevier Seler ler hid had nn an armed collision In which two tiro 0 men were ere tilled 1 and se several eral wounded Soon arten afterward ard Se Seler Seiler ler sent word ord to Tipton that on condition his life I be e spared he would submit to North forth Carolina I writes rites Henderson enderson On this note of comedy the State of ot Franklin appeared quietly to ex expire pure It drew Its final breath the following follow follo In In- In month March Maich 1788 1783 when hen s term as gov governor governor governor ended At that time he was a fugitive e In the distant settlements because through the action of Gov Governor un or Johnson of North forth Carolina he hid had been attainted of ot high treason Later he lie v w vis is arrested stell by lipton on the treason charge handcuffed and tal en first to Jonesborough then to Morganton l anton There 1 here the sheriff who ho had fou fought with him at I Kings s Mountain knocked the tile Irons from his and released him on parole When some somo of his Ills devoted dl friends heard of ot the arrest ot of their I beloved do 1 Jack Jacb they rode swift swiftly swiftly ly Iy across the mountains to Morganton l and bore bolo him away to a n pence dace of ot safety In 1 0 November er 1783 1758 the North forth Carolina legis legislature legislature lature pass passed ell nn an act of pardon and oblivion Ion In regard to the State of Franklin which automat automatIcally automatIcally cleared evler of the charge of tren treason on tad IOd removed lemo any stigma there might ml ht have ha I been e n upon the citizenship of any others Thus Ihus the State Mate of FranI s turl turbulent existence of ot four Cour years came to n a close Tile The Inter later career of Sevier r Is too well knave to demand more thin than brief mention Restored 1 to enship he was elected to the North forth Caro Carolinn Carolinn tina linn legislature le and given gl his Ills former rank of r general of the militia W hen North Carolina ratified the Federal Constitution ant l ec bec 1111 one of ot the United States of ot under that document nt Sevier Se as elected ejected congressman con gressman Jre from the North orth Carolina district be- be be soud oud the mountains In liDO 1790 North forth Carolina ceded her western C tun III lands again to the federal JO JOern goern ern and on II 2 l of ot that tint year ear car the cession wet nb accepted On May Inv 20 the Southwest South tern territory tory was organized or and C ler made