Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-05-19
DEFENSE OF SEWER.
John s. Mathcs in Knoxville Joumal--Rcply
to Writings of Theodore Roosevelt


to Writings of Theodore Roosevelt.
JoNEsBoRo, TENN, May 6.-Aneut
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt's criticisms
OF John Sewer, in b;s book called "The
Winning of the Vests" it is not the de-
sire OF the writer to stir up strife nor to
deny any of the facts of history. but
rather to show from extracts taken from
the book itself, that in writing of Ten.
nessee's first Governor Mr.. Roosevelt
has not shown that spirit of justness
and fairness that ST oud ever charac.
terize a great and Impartial hi ,torian
The people living in this upper East
Tennessee section, many of whom are
the direct descendants of John Sewer,
while others are thu dire ct descendants
OF some Of the men that were most in
timately associated sith him are per.
fectly willing to ccncede the fact that
S ""' "o'h'oS hioio tudu u man, Dut
they do insist, looking back at the gen.
eral trend of his life, and at the great
and heroic deeds that he performed,
that he was no ordinary man, but one
who measured up to the full size of all
that that word implies-a great states.
man, u brave soldier, an unselfish pa
triot-one who devoted himself and
his means to the good of his people and
his State, rather than to self.
The extracts given in this article are
taken from Vol. . of Mr.. Roosevelt's :
book, Chapt. B, which treats principally
of the rise and downfall of the State of
Franklin, running from 1884 to 1888.
In his opening sentence he says: 1.-The
separalist spirit was strong throughout
the West, which he gives as the prin.
cipal reason for founding the new
State, but after wandering through a
few pages he blunders on the actual
truth, which he tells as follows: "All
these counties (meaning Davidson,
Washington, Sullivan and Greene-the
three latter including what is now
Eastern Tennessee) sent representatives
to the North Carolina Legislature, at
Hillsborough; but they found that
body little disposed to consider the
needs of the remote western colonists.
The State was very poor and regarded
the western settlements as mere bur.
densome sources of expense. Iu the in.
Vulnerable Indian wars debts were con.
tracted by the little pioneer communi.
ties with the faith that the State would
pay them; but the payment was made
or not at all, and no meas
ures were taken to provide for the pro-
lection of the frontier in the future.
No provisions were made for the extern
sion of the jurisdiction of the State
courts in the westeI I counties and thew
became refuge for outlaws, who
could be dealt with only as the Indians
were-that is, by the settlers acting on
their own iniative, without the sane
tion OF the law. In short the settlers
we're left to themselves, to work out
their own salvation as best they might
In peace or war, and as they bore most
OF the burdens of independence they
began to long for the privileges.
In June, 1884, the State Legislature
passed an act cedng to the Continen.
tal Congress all the western lands, that
is, all of what is now Tennessee.
The above extract needs no comment:
1T shows clearly the necessity for the
new State-a State that would give the
people the benefits of law and order,
hence it was "de jurc" State.
"Mr. Roosevelt further says: 1.-THE
State of Franklin had now been in exis.
tence over a year and during this period
the officers holding under it had exer.
cised compile control in the three in.
surrectionary counties. They had pass.
ed laws, made treaties, levied taxes, re.
corded deeds and solemnized marriages.
In short, they had performed all the
functions of civil government, and
Franklin had assumed in all respects
the position of an Independent com.
monwealth. " The above extract shows
that Franklin was also defacto State.
But read what Mr.. Roosevelt saws
about the heroes of Kings Mountain:
"1n fact the attitude of the Franklin
people toward the Cherokees was one
OF mere piracy.
I'm it's essence and viewed from the
standpoint Of abstract morality, their
attitude was that of the freebooter.
The backwoodsmen lusted for the
possessions of the Indian, as the buc.
cancers of the Spanish main had once
lusted for the possessions of the Span.
lard. There was but little more heed
paid 10 the rights Of the assailed in one
case than in the other" But in the
very next sentence he faces about and
says:
Yet in it's results. and viewed from
the standpoint of applied ethics, the
conquest and settlement by the whites
Of the Indian land was necessary to
the greatness of the race and to the
well being of civilized mankind. 1t
was as ultimately beneficial as it was
In the treaties made by the State of
Franklin with the Indians the lines