The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-09-16
NEWPORT.

NEWPORT.
A GLAZING OUTRAGE UPON COOKE COUNTY
-DIsMEMBERMENT AND ABSORPTION.
NEWPORT, TENN. Sept. 4th, 1874.
To the ditor Of the MorristowR GAZETTE
An affair has recently been discovered,
which, if successfully carried out. will
wipe out the geographical lines of Cooke
county entirely, and no longer give her
separate existence among her sister
counties of the State. The dismember-
ment of unhappy Poland by the great
European powers Russia, Prussia and
Austria-was scarcely a grosser interna-
tional law, than this recently ilreHted af
fair relative to the county of Cooke.
Here are the particulars: 1t has been
long known throughout East Tennessee
that the citizens of this county have been
for many years waging fierce litigation
over the location of their Courthouse
Preiudices have been carried high. The
Courts have been resorted to from the
County Court to the Supreme. The
Legislature has been harrassed, annoyed
and imposed upon for years; first by the
opportunities and representations of
parties representing one side of the ques-
tion and then by the other. The Gov
ernor has been appealed to, the Presi
dent of the United States has been asked
to send troops in to settle the question.
Every department of the State, Judi
cial, and Executive have been appealed
to until we can say, as Hneas did, while
looking at the representations of the
Trojan war in the palaces of Dido, after
his escape from Troy, What lands are
not full of our -sorrows?" q forget the
latin). repeat all these things are wide
ly known, and it is well known also that
the reason that is given by these con-
tending citizens for their conduct, is
simply this, that they do not mind the
distance that they are compelled to
travel going to and returning from the
present county seat, it is because of the
inc0n0en5ence of crossing two rivers.
Now in order to obviate this great OBJ
lection, and for the purpose of settling
this Courthouse war, it has been re-
solved upon in high quarters and by
prominent men to adjust the matter in
the only way that it can be adjusted.
And here is the determination which has
leaked out. 1t has been decided first,
that that portion of Cooke county lying
adjacent to the Noli. Chucky river, COM
mencing at or near Leadvale, and run
ming up said river, to the Greene county
line, taking within its boundaries what
is known as the Knobs Beech Bot
toms, etc, is to be sliced off to the new
county of Hamblen. 80 s
Second, all that. portion of Cooke
county lying on the east side of the
French Broad, not including the portion
allotted to Hamblen county, as far up
said river as the North Carolina line, is
to be allotted to Greene county. All
that portion on the west side of the
French Broad, as high up as the Pigeon
river, and from the mouth of the Pigeon
river along the west bank of said river
to the North Carolina line, is to be al
lOted to the counties of Jefferson and
Sevier-J efferSon and Sewer to settle
the new lines between themselves after
the general partition of the county. The
remainder of the county lying between
the Pigeon and the French Broad rivers
it has been ascertained, by looking at
the original surveys under the act of
cession from North Carolina to Tennes-
sec, does not in fact belong to Tennes-
see, and hence no division of that pOr-
tion OF the county can be made, but it
reverts by operation of law to the State
of n Orth Carolina, and will form part
of the present county of Buncombe.
Such in short, is the plan now being de-
vised for the dismemberment and allot-
ment of Cooke county, by the powers
that be, as the only solution of this un-
happy Courthouse war. That such a
plan is unconstitutional needs no argu-
ment, but in these days it seems that
constitutional barriers are poor defences.
is it eXpedient Is it polite These
are the questions thought of now, and
not is it constitutional This great plan
which has so recently leaked out it
seems has been secretly maturing for
some time, and will in all probability be
accomplished in the next Legislature.
1t is argued by those who are pushing
the matter through, that as the citizens
of Cooke county only object to the
crossing of rivers and not to distance,
that the citizens living in the fork of the
French Broad and Pigeon viii be ac-
commodated inasmuch as they can go TO
in AshevilIe, n. c., without having any
rivers to cross. And similar reasons
they say will apply to these citizens who
are to be allotted to Hamblen, Jefferson,
and SEWER It having been represented
to these parties who are pushing this
matter through that by this arrangement
the citizens can all keep away from
water. The thought of having ones
county partitioned out in this way is not
a pleasant one; fellow naturally clings
to his county, and its associations. He
takes pride in her name, and he don't
like to be swallowed up so unceremoni-
ously But, at the same time, one can't
but feel that it would be relief to have
this Courthouse. war settled in some
way and by some xpedient-though this
ACKNOWLEDGMENT is d harsh remedy. IL
is like the application of war, for the
maintenance of peace Il IS simply
harrassing. If any other details Of this
absorption of Cooke county should leak
out before the meeting Of the Leglsla-
ture, we will try and give the public the
benefit of it. 1onrs,
LAURE0LUs.