The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-04
THE STATE or FRANKLIN.
An Interesting Chapter in the Early His.
tory of the Country.
(From the Chicago Post. J

part of the Union. 1T had it's executive.
legislative, and judicial departments. ex-
ercised governmental functions, main
tanned respectable militia. fiourished
apace, and then, after a varied expert
ence, completely disappeared from the
'sisterhoods of States,' From historians
the State of Franklin has received scant
attention, and to the majority of the pres
emit generation its identity with the State
of Tennessee seems almost as mythical as
that of Plato's Atlantis with the Ameri-
can continent. Yet, though Tennessee
is today at Nashville celebrating, with
great eclat, the centennial of its admis-
sion, statehood had in fact existed with
in its present limits considerably over 100
years ago.
One DESTROYS of dwelling on the TO
nance OF facts may find much to attract
in this obscure chapter of our national
history. A few thousand mountainous,
in remote wilderness, infused with the
principles which inspired the Revolution,
had banded together and formed a State
Government of their own. With John
Sewer, an ideal frontiersman, as the
hero, with local self government as the
animating motive, with a variety of plots
and counterplots to lend picturesqueness
of incident, with phases of comedy in
terspersed now and then with episodes
truly tragic, the drama was acted out
amid the mountain regions of Tennessee.
I. When the American Revolution broke
out, what is now the State of Tennessee
was an unorganized, sparsely settled ter
ritory. In 1776 it's inhabitants, under
the leadership of Capt. Sewer, petitioned
the North Carolina Legislature to be an
nexed to that State, in order to contribute
their share toward national independence.
AS the expenses of the war bore heavily
on the old North State, I" her Legisla-
ture was only too glad to divide the bur-
den. The petition was granted and
what is now Tennessee formed part of
North Carolina until the close of the
Revolution. AS it had now become a
source of expense rather than help, the
North Carolina Legislature in June, 1884,
without consulting those most affected,
ceded to the Federal Government the
whole annexed territory under the name
Of the District Of Washington, provided
the Government should, within two years,
SlSHlly IbS tbSSenU.
The settlers, naturally Directing to
such q wholesale disposition of them
selves, rosadlp in wrath. The manner
and conditions of the cession were repug
nant, and the people felt that they had
not only been trifled with but subjected
to two years of anarchy and disorder.
Calling q convention in August, 1884,
they formed the State of Franklin. The
North Carolina Legislature, realizing it's
error, fastened to undo it's mistake, and
reannexed the Washington district
The inhabitants of franklin rejected
offers for reconciliation, and Capt. Sc
vier, though at first inclined to advise a
return to allegiance to North Carolina,
yielded to an overwhelming public senti-
ment and accepted the Governorship of
the new State. He was inaugllrated at
Watauga on March 1, 1885. Some sort of
order was now established, at least for a
time. A court was created the militia
thoroughly reorganized, and peace effect
ed with Indians who had been carrying
on destructive warfare for a quarter Of
a century.
plications arose which kept the young
State of Franklin in constant turmoil.
Congress still asserted jurisdiction. A
reaction, stimulated by disappointed
office seekers, ensued among those who
had been most clamorous for the new
State. Jealousy of Sewers success ami
mated his rivals, who henceforth sought
to make his life burden. The popula-
ton was divided into the Franklin and
the North Carolina factions. Elections
We're held and appointments made under
the laws of both States. Two sets of off
GERS claimed authority, each multiplying
the acts Of the other. One faction would
steal the public records from the other,
only to be treated in like manner in turn
in oh
Wills could not be proved, titles per-
fected, or justice administered No taxes
were paid. Marriages performed by
officials of one faction were not recog-
nized by the other.
Still the determined young State fought
for it's life. 1t exercised even Federal
power and authorized the coinage of spe-
Gle, though its chief medium of excha nge
continued to be the skins of wild ami
mails. Finally emissaries were sent to
the North Carolina legislature to make
overtures of peace. The address of Frank
Inns representative was a model of elo-
quence, fervid with the rhetoric of the
era. But it fell upon unheeding ears.
No recognition would be made of the re-
bellious State, though North Carolina
had once cut her off without her consent.
The last session of the Franklin legisln-
ture was held in September 1887 That
there was then no intention of surrender
ing is evident from one of the acts of the
which has been preserved and
is interesting as an example of primitive
The law is as follows:
"Be it enacted by the General Assem-
bly, of the State Of Franklin, and it is
hereby enacted by the authority of the
same, That from the 1st day of january
1888, the salaries Of the officers Of this
Commonwealth be as follows, to wit:
"His Excellency the Governor, per an
mum, 1000 deer skins. af
q Ellis Honor the Chief Justice, 500 deer
skins.
"The secretary to his Excellency the
Governor, sou raccoon skins.
Treasurer Of the State, $50 raccoon
skins.
! ''Each County Clerk, 300 beaver skins
"Clerk House Of Commons, 200 raccoon
skins.
Member of the Assembly, per diem,
8 raccoon skins.
''Justice's fee for warrant, muskrat
skin.
CONSTABLE for serving warrant, 1
minkskin.
ENACTED into law the 18th day of Oc-
tober 1857 under the great seal of the