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

ness' mad suffered incradih "nue.
snips, many OF whom had ~. gu
ueleo Oy the savages, some had 80
49, gu children massacred. and all
ertv Mo.eu IN privation and prop
~ naturally the mountainaar.
viewed with suspicion +bia
legislature Of North Carolina T7eA
1nu On the 23rd of Auglst fo,lowin
CAMEO a committee in Joneshoro
when Colonel John Sewer was choeen
pr.eeslueht- The resolved that an
S~rAo0s oe dispatched to Congress to
49, tne acceptance of North Caro-
i1a ceulng her western lands. and ad-
5oulheo to meet again on the 18th Of
september, proximo.~
me people again were HE'D
accoTulng to the call of Sewer .,
oonescoro on December 14th, when
Col. John Sewer mounted the court
louSe steps and read a letter from the
asneiai Assembly Of North Carolina,
containing the information that the
Legislature had repealed the act
ceulng the western lands to Congress-.
RESOLUTIONS take no steps backward,"
Inc spirit OF the people was aroused.
ana a convention OF five delegates for
eacn militia district Immediately
went into session at Jonesboro. with
Colonel John Sewer presiding. they
prepared a constitution, which was
submitted to the people and adopted.
me new government went Immediate
~ into effect. 1t provided for a
House of Representatives and General
Assembly. The General Assembly
convened and enacted, that this COM
monWealth be known as THE State OF
Franklin" VIII Legislative, judicial
and executive departments. The
constitution was ratified, Col. John
Sewer was chosen governor, Langdon
Carter was speaker Of the Senate,
William Gage speaker of the House Of
Commons, David Campbell. Joshua
the Supreme Court. The General
Assembly of the State of Franklin, by
a communication signed by both
speakers informed the governor Of
North Carolina that the people west
of the Cherokee boundary line, now
the State Of Franklin had declared
themselves sovereign and Independent
OF the State of North Carolina, IN. c.
Rev. and State Records).
The total population of the district
exclusive of the Cumberland settle
ment) at this time cannot be agreed to
with decided accuracy, but estimating
it with the force with which Sewer
sCon afterwards offered to march to
the aid OF Georgia, it could not have
; been more than $4,000. A handful
truly, to set up independent govern
ment, when surrounded by hostile
savages. opposed by the great State OF
= North Carolina which then ranked a.
? third in the union. 1t was no easy
: task that Sewer assumed, When he
! took the oath to we'll and truly ad-
minister for three years the office OF
governor Of the new estate of FRANK
, lin" He had to evolve order from
rank disorder, to erect a Stable gov
eminent from the most unstable ma
8 terials. He had to create q currency
4 when even the wealthy had not enough
9 money to pay their taxes, and tn
n North Carolina promise to pay Wer'
n not worth one cent on a dollar. ii
@ had to provide facilities for educa
I ton. When nothing above q cross roaS
A schoolhOuse existed In the COUNTRY
n He had to establish courts and en-
force law when a lawless elemen
pouring in on the heels OF the lteNo
o Iution had flooded their settlements
y or stalking unchecked upon thel
higb-vay. And he had to organlz
: and discipline a militia with when t
= meet the 10. 600 Greeks n Cherokees
4 who. armed and backed by SPal
q maintained a threatening warfare 10
wards the inhab itants of the State Q
= 10 During all this time JOIN
90 Sewer stood guard over ana pro'eI'
- "a he women and children or n
n state of franklin IN snort II
had 10 enforce law, estabilSn goo
ie order. and foil the murderous oes'Sl'
u of p great European power. Wheli y
- vas himself acting contrary 10 -
- law. and in defiance of the constitute
n authorities Of the ountry II WIS
- berculean task, but in an lncreolel
az short period and without the loss o,
ei,eIe life. Sewer II, III
~ sn"7a 5ainq he displayed a fertility o
- III q wise ~statesmanship tina
- In.9t,ad him to rank very high as a
le entltleu ra+or and we are forced t
\. conclude that If his course nao eee,
INSTRUCTED by none but OUTSIDE Zoe,
~ he would have Ions before esq si~+
stable government. Wlthln SIN
III q 60 the COMING together OF tn
Gays ay5s1 n'Dn of the state of Franklin
in intefnal a.aar The Supreme Coui
g. had been established win sam sam