Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-01-19
SOME LOST STATES.
A Record OF Curious and 1lI-Fatcd
Nchemes.

A Record OF Curious and sli-Fatcd
schemes.
Some of the obscure facts of our his
tory relating to the formation, the speedy
rise and as speedy fall of the organiza-
tions that promised to become prosper
ous and permanent States, are full OF in
terest. They have in general, no place
in the current histories of the country ;
and only the deliver in original records
and out-of-the-way documents is likely
to find them.
New Connecticut included number of
towns on both sides of the Connecticut
River, which, i'll June, 1873. attempted to
form separate government, but the effort
was short-lived. New Albion was grant
made i'll 1884 by the Earl of Straiford,
lord lieutenant of Ireland (the onl y Amer
lean grant under the great seal of the
Emerald lsle), to Edward Plowden, of
the present tract of New Jersey, with all
the adjacent islands. 1t was not utilized
by Plowden, probably on account OF the
Dutch claims. New Amstel was grant
to the city of Amsterdam, in 1886, by the
Dutch West India Company, of that part
of the same territory between the Chris
tiankill and the Delaware, i'll considera-
ton of a large payment. 1t was named
from suburb of Amsterdam. III was
successfully colonized, but so many diff
ficulties were experienced i'll the admins
tration of its affairs that after eight years
the India company was asked to take 1t
back again.
The beginnings of government i'll Ken
tucky were made by party of nine North
Carolinians, headed by Colonel Richard
Henderson. In defiance of the ancient
| al t,t, ,,f VIII
ruled the loud, they assumed to purchase
from the Cherokees seventeen million
acres, between the Cumberland and Ken
tucky rivers, upon which they tried TO
found "the colony of Transylvania. \
legislature of seventeen members met
under all elm at Fort Boone, or Booncs-
borough, May %, 1775, the first Anglo
American Government west OF the Allie
ghanies. Sundry measures were passed
during the five days session, when the
Assembly adjourned, never to meet
again, as the movement was squclchud
by the Virginia Legislature and the rc-
fusal of the continental Congress to re-
ceive the delegates sent to that body.
The post t-Revolutionary era was prolific
in schemes for extending the American
empire. Congress looked wisely to the
early settlement of the Western country
and to its subdivision and erection into
States. In l7Si-indeed, before the ces-
sion by Virginia of her vast tracts i'll the
Northwest to the United States-an ordi-
nance Of that body, reported by com
mittee of which Jefferson was chairman,
provided for the subdivision of all terri
tory acquired or TO be acquired i'll the
then West, from the frontier of Florida
to the north line of the Union. With the
growth of population in each prescribed
division of twenty thousand or more, sew
enteen States III all were to be successiv @
ly created-eight between the Mississippi
and a north and south line drawn through
the falls OF the Ohio, eight between this
line and meridian through the moutl
of the great Kenawha. and the seventcetl
between the latter and the western bound
ary of Pennsylvania and Virginia. Eacl
State in general was to have breadti
of just two degrees OF latitude, withou
regard to natural boundaries. A provis
ion, doubtless introduced by Jefferson
, but which did not pass with the bill, an
ticipated the ordinance of 1877 in declar
,, ing that there should be no slavery or III
! voluntary servitude in the States formed
: (in this case after the year 1900 excep
> as punishment ior crime. The propose,
division was found impracticable, an,
was superseded three years afterward b.
the ordinance Just named, for the govern
ment of the territory northwest OF tin
river Ohio.
In Jefierson's original draft of the ac
OF 1884 he provided definite bounds an,
titles for such Of the States as might b
formed north Of Ohio. That betwce
!. the 45th parallel and the north limit {
e the United States was to be Syivania
4 next south of this, Michigania, east G
n which, in the present lower peninsula o
q Michigan, would come Choronesus; til
n two States south of these, Assinispia o
a the west and Metropotamia to the east
~ below these, Illinoia and Saratoga b'
N tween the latter and Pennsylvania, Wasl
n ington and between the Ohio and I'll
10th parallel, Polypotamia from til
many rivers within lt), and Pelipsia Grol
an old name of the Beautiful River
But when the bill was sent back to Il
committee, the elaborate provisions f,
H. thesa were stricken out.
nj In the same year 17SD North Carolir
ceded her Western lands to the Gcucr
Government. Among them were ccrtal
counties OF east Tennessee, whose peop
=, revolted ut the cessior, met at Jonesbu
OuRn Ill DtcelllDtT nui lorlltit Stpall
le organization called Frankland. Seyie
he brigadier general oil the military distriC
An was made governor i'll March, l7SJ. NJ
lis ruled after fashion for year or tw
ON until an armed collision occurred betwe
ed his militia and II force under Colonel Ii
IN. ton, leader Of party favoring allegi"n
to North Carolina. The governor W
defeated and taken to prison i'll iron
and with his incarceration expired the e
bryo States In 1888 North Carroll
passed mn act Of oblivion in regard to
'ys persons concerned IN the movement.
er- The Republic of the Rio Grande W
70 attempted by General Caaales, revo
nj tionary Mexican, in 1889 1t was Great
from parts of Tamaulipas, Coahuila Il
Durango, and included Il strip OF
,ed present State Of Texas. Canales v
made president, and n party of Te,
'ca- troops assisted him in the captur7
fol- Laredo, on the right bank of the
: Grande, where he established his capt.
The next April, however, he was dri'
+, into Texas by General Arista, and 30 m
' an end of his short-lived republic.
stories OfBlshOp WiibcrIorcc.
-. fr,G.