The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-08
South OF the

stage OF teTTllOIidl
passed through; the State of Iennes-
| see was Dorm and admitted TO tue
Union. and General Sewer was CHOSEN
her first GOVERNOR. In all the peIlou
from the beginning of the 1ndepeHu
ent government in lll2, to the - =
Of the State Of Tennessee, Goselio,
John Sewer was necessarily enSdSeu
in the defense Of the settlements, anu
| xposed to the d~epredations OF the IN
| dams. He was governor of tennessee
for twelve years and later served two
terms as a member of nSr from
Tennessee.
General Sewer descended from an
ancient family in France whose name
was Xavier; and his own uniform,
bold and unique signature IS something
like that chirog1aphy. The chlro'
graphy of Governor Sewer is a specl-
men, beautiful and curious Ills
father, Valentine Xavier, was Dorm IN
London, and e~migrated to America IN
the early part of the seventeenth cen
tury-settied on the Shenandoah IN
Virginia, where John Sewer was BORN
in 1740.
History has been strangely neglect
full Of the of this, one Of the
most distinguished pioneers OF the
mountain principality, the State OF
Franklin and adjoining States, whose
early annals are adorned by the
records of his owes in arms, and his
wisdom as a civilian. His was d pusy
life.
He was one Of the most remarkable
men the State of Franklin or any
other country ever prOduced-neVer at
rest, never q retired man nor q PRIV
ate citizen. lie died While on an IN
dian mission at an enCampment on
the T~allopoosa river, near Decatur,
Tennessee, on September "a, 1919, ana
was buried nearby With military hon
orS. A monument to his emo
stands to the left of the new gate. just
inside the north enclosure of Nash
Vile cemetery, a worthy tribute OF m
dividual munificence and patriotism to
merit unrequited.'
The consists Of q beautl-
full marble shaft, upon a
plynth; the shaft is illustrated with q
very striking and appropriate design,
neatly carved out of solid marble, rep
~resenting two swords crossed, sur
mounted by q wreath, and beneath an
! Indian tOmahaWk and culver of ar
rows, emblematic of the triumph Of
our arms under the heroic auspices OF
General Sewer, and the blessings of
peace and the arts of civilization sue
ceeding the bloody and p~rotracted In
dian wars Illustrating the earthly his
tory of the State of Franklin, in which
he acted a most arduous, responsible
and distinguished part.
But when we review the deeds OF
this mans life, and ask for ~eV1denc
of due appreciation, we wonder, ana
are sad that a people so intelligent, 50
Itch. so proud. so honorable people
ever ready to make the welkin rin9
with the spirit of patriotism and in
dependence. and to glorify the deeds
of daring and TO give hearty express
SiOnS Of praise to a devoted public
scrvant-should not have raised q
proud cenotaph to teach their chill
dren and the world, to revere the
name of John Sewer. He deserves
this, and more. The state of Tennes-
see only honors his name in the
Country Of SEWER
Thus we see that the State of Frank
lin was the immediate offspring of the
Revolution OF the Regulators, culmin-
ating in the battle of A~lanlance in
1771. Their independence was a
reality before it was dreamed of else
where. In the little commonwealth.
of the "State OF Franklin" the British
flag was never unfurled, and no Brit
iSh officer ever trOd the soil. They
paid tribute to no government or
earth except their own. Here an out
ragged people, outlaVed and oppressed
by British tyranny set to the people
of the new world the dangerous ex
ample Of erecting themselves into a
State. separate and distinct from, and
Independent OF, the authority Of the
English Crown, where they en- Dyed
freedom, that twin sister of virtue
the brightest of all the spirits that
descended in the train Of religion from
the throne Of God, leading man ur
higher to the early glories Of His be
ing-the angel, from whose presence
happiness spreads like the sunrise
owe the darkness of the land, at the
moving of whose scepter knowledge
peace. fOrtitude and wisdom descend
at the voice Of whose trumpet more
han British tyranny is broken and
all men are free and equal.
t,coan3iv ga