The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-12-30
The State Of franklin.

most people can repeat the names of
these states and colonies as gllbly as
their alphabet; but we venture TO say
that very few have ever heard of the
State of franklin. And yet history
recognizes the existence of such State,
and one that, In Its day, enjoyed no
small degree of celebrity.
tits we'll known that, after the Revo-
luton, most of the original thirteen
States claimed jurisdiction among them
selves over the territory stretching in
definitely to the westward. The separate
| Jurisdiction of each State was Ill defined,
and, to avoid all trouble, to give the
general government what seemed its
due, and to assist 1t in throwing Off the
debt incurred by the war of independ-
ence, the Congress of the Confederation
requested the various States to cede
their claims to the General Government.
The matter was not definitely settled
until after the adoption of the constitu-
ton but the State of North Carolina
attempted to cede, In compliance with
the request of Congress, its Western
lands, which now form the State of
Tennessee; and this attempt at cession
which brought about the complications
that shortly afterward resulted in the
brief existence of the State of Franklin.
North Carolina ceded, but Congress,
vacillating and vigorless, hesitated about
accepting the cession. Having made
the cession, North Carolina gave up all
interest in her border settlements, and
Congress refused to accept the charge
which North Carolina had thrown off.
The consequences were serious for the
fortunes and happiness of the Tennessee
settlers. Their borders were overrun
with criminals aud fugitives from jus
tice, such as always infest a pioneer
community, and yet the action of the
mother State left them without courts
to assert justice and in1llct punishment.
They had at all times to be on their
guard against marauding bands of In
dians, and yet they were without
regularly constituted militia for their
defense. They were, in fact, cast offs,
and did what one would naturally expect
them to do under the circumstances.
The three northeastern counties of the
Territory Washington, Sullivan and
Greene-lying in the northern part of
what is now Eastern Tennessee, then
the only well-settled portion of the
State, met in convention at Jonesboro,
Washington county, in August, 1874,
and after long discussion in which
the Declaration of Independence was
read and cited as ii example for them
to follow, they declared themselves
independent of North Carolina. After
variety of fortunes the little State was
organized, and, in honor of Benjamin
Franklin, was called the State of Frank
lin.
The chief interest which the State of
Franklin has for us to-day comes from
two or three striking characters which
its history brought into prominence.
The principal of these, John Sewer,
Virginian by birth, but Huguenot by
descent, is one of the noteworthy char
acters in the annals of Tennessee.
Sewer was the foremost man in all
the councils and enterprises of the man
who afterward formed the State of
Franklin. He was commander of the
Tennessee Rifleman at Kings Mountain
and was chosen as the first Governor,
and continued to be the only Governor
of the State of Franklin.
Sewer fought hard for the State, but
after the first year of its existence the
fight was losing one, for North Caro-
lima, after the first abandonment of her
offspring, suddenly turned about and
re-asserted her jurisdiction. She had all
between the States been easy, and had
she asserted her rights with vigor and
promptness, the revolt of the western
counties would have been crushed in its
incipiency; but the fact that these two
conditions were entirely wanting neces-
sarily made the policy of North Carolina
q +" waiting" one, and this policy, assist
ed by feuds and divisions in the State of
franklin, made peaceful and bloodless
settlement of the difficulty possible.
Maj. John Upton seems to have been
as unlike Sewer as it is possible for two
men to be. He had none of Sewers
suavity of manner; he was brusque and
and uncompromising-a man to whom
it was impossible to endure rival, who
aspired to leadership, and who was
jealous of all who contended for it with
him. This man had supported the
State of franklin it its early days, but
afterward, probably because he saw that