Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1913-04-24
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It is not generally known that
once there wac q state called
Frankland. named In honor Of
Benjamin Franklin, the phitoso.
pher and patriot; bat neyertbe-
less 1t had its rise, made some
little progress and then its fall.
At the close OF the Revelation.
ary War it was found that the
United States was heavily IN.
volyed in responsibilities. Credi.
tors desired their money aud ow.
ing to the ravages Of war. mon
ey was scarce and Congress de.
vised many plans; one was to
solicit the States, owning va
cant and unappropriated lands,
to throw them into the common
stock to pay off and discharge
this common debt of honor, jus.
tice and gratitude. ,-:.~ 81
This appeal was needed By the
State of North Carolina and she
at once set apart to pay her just
proportion ol this huge debt. So
in April, 1884, at Hillsboro. am
ong other acts for the general
relief of the government, the Gen.
eral Assembly ceded her western
lands, and authorised her dele.
cation in Congress to exscuts q
deed; provided, Congress. would
accept this Offer withi1 It v o
years, but for some reason this
offer was not accepted 'At that
time, and the failure to do 90
was the source Of great cammo.
tion and conflict between the dif.
ferent factions Of the civil au.
thorities in the then Western part
of the State.
The pioneers Of the west had
suffered great hardships, not on
ly BY the ravages oi long sieges
in war, but by many conflicts
with the hostile Indians. Many
were murdered by the savagesi
some had their wives and chill
dren massacred, and all suffered
in priyation and poverty.
Those who had started out IN
life in their new homes in t b
west, after suffering many losses
of members Of their families, and
otherwise suffered great hard
ships were not pleased with sucf
q change OF conditions, viewing
the act OF 1784 with grave sus
picion; on the 23rd day OF Au
gust, 1884, q convention met a
Jonesboro, (now in the State o
Tennessee) and in this conven
ton John Sewer was chosen pres
ident and Langdon Carter clerk
: They resolved that q person b
dispatched to Congress to pres
the acceptance Of North Carroll
ua, and adjourned to meet II
Washington county on the 18t|
Of September, 1884.
The General Assembly OF Nortl
Carolina met at Newbern on th
22ud day Of October, 1854, ant
repealed the act Of the forme
session, thus undoing what ha
been done, and in consequences q
which the convention broke q
IN confusion and dissatisfaction
but the spirit Of revolution ha
f started, and the people had b
|, come aroused to q cOnsiderabl
extent. + :
On the 14th Of December, 1784
when the people had assemble
at Jonesboro, John Sewer moul
ted the steps apd read . lette
from Joseph Martin, who ha
just returned from the Legisll
= ture OF North Carolina, which II
formed them that the Gener,
Assembly had granted the PEI
Il pie of Western North Carolina
general court, formed their mil
tia into q brigade, appointe
: him q brigadier general, and r
pealed the cecsssion act OF la
session, advising them that thei