Show I The S ca cad ive d State 3 of t F F A K F lets a yr Il Y r uS I r ROAN yi Z R sit v vr 1 lt YSl Sl MT i r nc r ld Sevier I BY y Y t 1 By SCOTT WATSON N ND hundred and fifty years ago agoO there came Into being an American common commonwealth that as In but not of at the United States That was the O state of Franklin or Franklan w high during Its stormy existence of four years had the equivocal ocal status of being at one and the thetla same time an Independent state a distrIct In another state and an unorganIzed federal territory and whIch finally came Into the Union as a part of ofa n a state of an entirely different name Closely associated with the history of the short lived State of 1 in fact the very storm center of Its turbulent was career cal eer as that frontier Immortal John Se Sevier Seler ler Nolichucky Jack whose record is InscrIbed upon the tan tall shaft In Knoxville Kno Tenn as follows GO Governor of the state of six 1513 terms governor ot of Tennessee Four tImes elected to congress A projector and hero of rings Kings MountaIn 35 bat bat- 35 tIes victories His Indian war cry was Here they are aret I Come on bo boys s come on ont onI I The immedIate Incentive for tor founding the State of came out of conditions which prevailed pre pre- after the dose close of the Revolution On June 2 2 1784 the legislature of the new state of North Carolina ceded to the congress of the United States its lands west est of the Alleghenies on the condItions that thIs territory should be formed Into a separate state or states and that congress should gIve due notice of Us its acceptance tance of the lands within two years ye otherwise they would res re ert to North Carolina No sooner had this s ne reached the settlements settle settle- settlements ments be beyond ond the mountains mount thin the Western era begin makIng plans for setting up a local government which should form the basis for n a anew new state There were sex se eral reasons for their baste North Carolinas s delay dehy In sending goods to the Indians promIsed under a former treaty had irritated the tribesmen men an and 1 the threat of Indian hostility hung heavy 0 over er the pIoneers If It should burst Into flame the they could not boob looh for prompt aId from the home authorities be- be because CRuse cause of the lon long ening distance and the lack of quick communIcation not to mention the tact fact that North was so occupIed with its post Revolution Re civil problems that it could give little thought to the needs ot of Its remote frontier settlements Another son reason no doubt doubt was as th that t the formation of a new state meant high to he fined filled nd ind for prefer preferment preferment ment to be 1 for the frontiersmen were just as politically minded as their Eastern breth brethren brethren ren once the was conquered and Its dangers safely past l ua 2 J 1784 a convention assembled at JOHl borough composed of dele dele- delegates delegates gates from the WL tern counties of an and who ho passed a re resolution declaring M e e Lase ha a ju just t and right to petition Congress to accept the cession made by Ol th Carolina and for that body to counter counte- countenance nance us for tur el ekes eleb eb into a separate government bO and to frame eIther a permanent or temporary constitution agreeably to a resolve of Congress In the Gos GO Ale Alexander ander Martin of forth 1 01 th had decIded that hl his state had acted too hastily In ce ceding valuable lands to the federal 60 and he used his influence to net et the state us assembly to repeal the cession act late In But the Westerners Here ele going ahead 1 with ith their pI ph inS ens and on December 17 a second conven convention Lion tion n assembled at time senti ment sw is ome hat Ide tl humors of the impending repeal repell of the cession act had reached the and some of the delegates fa sore ored IS as n I part of NOI North th C Carolina rather than 1 as a sep bep Irate state One of these was as John C Cler ler If e are to belle bellee e a later statement of his that he w as Into the Franklin measures by s 1 large number of the people of thIs country One dele atc after reading tile the Declaration of Independence declared that the same reasons which hid 1 mo d the Colonies to separate from England could be applied to their decision to desert the uncertain protection of North Caro Una llna and set up a bO of theIr 0 on n Ills His View had enough supporters so that the cons en consention tion adopted a constitution for six sla months Ith provIsion for It a conn convention to be beheld beheld held within a year ear at the end nd of which time this con constitution should 1 be altered or adopted as the permanent charter of the Hess nc state To It was as given n the name of the the Land ot of the tree rree Later for reasons of policy the name Franklin was as chosen In honor of the sage of Philadelphia Benjamin Back In North Carolina Martin and his assem were tal taking steps to reassert sovereIgnty over the WEstern settlements The DIstrict of Washington composed of the four Western coun counties counties ties was set up with Ith John Maywood as presiding judge and David 1 Campbell as a associate Both is a diplomatic gesture and for Cor the better reason reacon that Ws his Indian fighting record made him best fitted for or the job SH ler as made brigadier of the state militia Accompany Ing his Commission which sent In December 1751 I as an Inquiry In slew lew of the repeal Ir l the cession act he Intended to persist I t In the movement for tor a new state or to awaIt further developments Sevier replied that that- We shall pursue no further measures as to a new State to But despite this avowal Governor Martin thought it best to send a p personal representative Col Samuel Henderson brother of Judge Rich Rich- fL tf f Ll l 1 c L i rl ye s L t f tf rl L n D K pit r ril il A Aa A r t t 4 31 t DECLARATION p 1 op RIGHTS r s 54 l I I 0 T TAI II 1 S CON CONSTITUTION S TIT U T ION t ht 0 Oil w FORM i lc r or t Ee tc t 44 rl r r f tr to lad ll td tda a w she 1 1 R Tn of the Freemen e le r or of lJ ih t Y f r Ys y INy or FR IN tl an Cheko tat for afar yi i w e 4 fr l s f v fr II rn s 1 11 or 1 rho f S ef I e IJ w r ir jS j'S st r x 11 1 L J 4 J fJ 1 7 4 k kr T Ty y t f r l a Df BAILlY t nu A Dee DEC Un a JOV Goa Alexander Martin and ard Henderson founder of and employer of DanIel Boone In the settlement ot of Ken Kentucky tuck to investigate conditions In the West Vest He found that SeYler Sevier had already been elected governor of the new State of that William Cocke had been appointed as a dele delegate ate to the l Congress to ur urge e Its acceptance acceptance tance of North Carolinas Carolina's cession and that the legislature hid established est an academy named after Governor Henderson delivered to the ture then In sessIon In Jonesborough a letter from Governor MartIn deman demanding an account of the late proceedIngs of the people In the western country and In reply recessed ed t two 0 let letters letters one from the le legislature and one from Sevier which although conciliatory In tone frankly e expressed a doubt ns as to North Carolinas Carolina's willingness or ability to protect her bordel borderers ers or gh gRe e them a stable form of government and intimated their determination to persist In the movement for Independence The result ot of this was a manifesto from Martin In which he denied 1 their rIght to declare es independent of North t and nd demanded that the government should still be and pre presented To this manifesto Governor Sevier sent back bach bachun backan un an equally tIer one anti and Martin countered with the appointment of Evan Shelb Shelby In Sevier's plate place as general of the militia and of Jonathan l ipton as colonel of his count county In InJune InJune June 1755 Caswell succeeded Martin at ae governor of North Carolina and the new ex executive proceeded In i conciliatory but at the same time firm manner to assert his states state's soy sov over the disputed territory MeaD lule e eILl ILl and his legislature were continuing to function fU as state authorities The legIslature passed s acts dealing with the propel ty of the of the new ne state education curl enc militia elections tion or of new counties t saes les eta ete In connection with Ith the currency there arose i 1 problem which was as soh ed In i 1 manner ell of the genius of the Am a ican ft frontiersman for adapt lag Ing himself re Hilly to With no facilities for either currency or h erd money skins of ls were ere made tender to 10 17 J the Il met at and there a committee headed by Rev S Hou Houston ton of Washington county presented for adoption a constitution which Is an oddity In legIslature jurisprudence It presided pro Ideel for a legIs lature of a smile le house and from this were Lre to tobe tobe be excluded not only ministers of the gospel attorneys at law la laanti anti and doctors doctor of physics but also tho those e who ho were ere of Immoral character or guilty of such enormities as drunkenness gam ln tag prof me ine swearing s lewdness le Lug log and such like or who ho shill deny the l e existence of God of heaven en an and 1 of hell the inspiration of the Scriptures or the e of the Trio ity ty Although full fult religious religions liberty ss IS n teed the Strictly orthodox might hold of flee fice office but It was as barred to an anyone one who ho was as rat not rata a 1 scholar to do the business This remarkable document w provIded for many other curious Innovations In govern government government ment ment was the work ort of 01 pioneer Houston Campbell Camphell Cocke nn and 1 and de- de study as u a bizarre reflection of the spirit an and 1 genius of the western frontiersman sips Dr Archibald Jenderson Henderson In his Conquest of the Old esL ever it was rejected In or fa of the North Carolina constitution and this rejection was to have an Important effect on the liter fortunes of the State of For tor North Carolinas Carolina's quIet and persistent tent as of Its authority was to create a schism In the new erson says 8 that the con considerate policy of Governor Cas Caswell dl coupled with the defection from Sevier's cause of men of the stamp of Houston and TIpton after the blundering and caviller rejection or of their con constitution under mined undermined the foun foundations of Franklin North Carolina began sending Its om cera Into 1 to e exercise her authorIty 0 er the citi- citi citizens zens of what it considered an outlaw st rte ItE wood s History of Tennessee printed dui hi the th e early pal pact t of the last century gives a h III plc pic ture ot of the state of affairs In the early part of the year s 1 is pre pre- presented the strange spectacle of t o 0 empIres ex es at one and the same time over one and an anthe d the same people County courts s sere ere held In tho th e same countIes under both governments the th e militia Sete el e called out by officers appointed by b y both laws were passed b by both and an d taxes were ere laid by the of both states the 1 he judges commissioned by the state of o f held erne eme courts twice In each year In Jonesboro Colonel Tipton re- re refused re refused fused obedience to the new government There arose a deadly hatred bet between een him and Governor Gov Sevier an and 1 each endeavoured h by nIt nil the th e means In hIs pow PO erg ere to strengthen his Ill I'll tl a t is to Su o Ins oh e ed and desper tie hid h become till tbs aft It union that Cocke and SevIer In tUI tune n d to Ice old Ben for whom horn their state had been named for aid and ad ke In C G Cocke Coche to submit thE In I dispute dl bet betseen een North ind Its mite offspring to congress for a decisIon in III 1 to toa t o abide a by Its decision But a year his s s had chan changed ed and he a Se leI to try to t o brIng about some compromise wit h the mother state In 17 1757 7 the I r lin inklin It 11 e met fur for the last time and conditions s ie e so s o unsettled and that no itie 1111 nas wu s made e to hold another election In l I i nary 1758 8 adherents of Upton and P III Ii td an a n armed collision In which t two 0 men w it killed klile d and se elal wounded Soon Suon il I aevie evler r bent ent ward 01 1 to Tipton that on Ills us lIfe e be sp speed 11 ert he would submit to orth l t I t writes rites ndel on Oil On this no note Ie of tI II y the State tate of I I u ed qUit 1 to e ex pare It drew Its iii ii breath th the Ing s month 1 M l SS w hen e eIll Ill s CJ tu I t I I is gov governor ov ended At drat tIme he ae i 1 e In the ilL t settlements till oll h the fil lit at Gov Governor Governor of l Carolina lit he haul bee n of high lugh trL treason I icier he ss I is IrrL te d by on the ti cison 1 in Ind d tal taken en first to lane fOOl h then to 1111 i n There the w ho 1111 fought w Ith iron him at n t Kind s Mountain knot ed the Irons from his hi s wrists and d him himi on WIH he n come e of his devoted devote 1 friends he herd 1111 of the fill et of 01 f their belo beloved ed Jack they rode swift swiftly ly Iy across the mountains to Morganton and bore him 3 assay to a Alice of safety t In NO 1788 the orth l lature pissed ed an act of pardon IUd end Ion I In regard 1 to the State of Ii w hid de cle trod Ired S ler of the charge ut 01 II t t caso La n nand and removed any there hazer I bee heen I upon the of any an others l I bas hns th the State of Franklins Franklin's turbulent e existence of four fou Yeats eal s came to n a close cloce The later Inter career of Sevier Is too HII ad n Ino know n to deni IUd end more thin brIef lb to t o he w wis ts elected to the l Furth taro Paro and given his former rank o of f brIgadIer general or of the multi t NT orth h Carolina ratified 1 the an d 1 became one of the United States State of a under thit document Sesler e was elected h 11 con from fro III the North Carolina district b be- be beyond yond mountains In 1700 North Carolina cede ceded d her ber lands lande again to the federal govern overn merit ment and on April 2 of thit ye Ir er tIt Ito cessIon was as accepted On la 20 the South H t t tern tor as and Se Selu lu made general of o t Its militia SI Ste years liter this territory hecim e the Ma state te or of Tennessee and he was as her bel 1 lust t gOY gov error So John SevIer entered the roll roU of unique Americans In he be beas was as the only min who whoever wh o ever became gO governor of two states tates even thou h hone i one of them was nn an outlaw n a state whIch existed in fact If not Dot In official form C by Union |