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SATURDAY, July 28, 1787:
GEORGIA STATE GAZETTE
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INDEPENDENT REGISTER.
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FREEDOM of the PRESS, and TRIAL by JURY, to remain inviolate forever. Ccnjlitutioto of Georgia .
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STATE OF FRANKLIN.
JBxtratl from the Proceedings in a C (invention held at
Greenville, in the State of Franklin, in May tajl .
(Continued from No. XLII.)
TH E Honorable General in the manner
he exp relied the word odium , seemed to
intimate, that an ungenerous expreflion had been
made use of; but he wiflied the Gentleman to
ltnow, that he was too well acquainted with those
matchless charafters of the other lex, who had
filled their thrones of empires and of kingdoms,
with a justice that had acquired them equal admi
ration and fear of their conquered enemies; and
likewise with the merits and ability of several of
bis female acquaintance in different periods of
life, ever to have presumed to utter the expres
sion alluded to, sentimentally, and that it could
not generally concern this House; for if the cap
fitted any, it would be but few, and he was confi
dent that the Honorable General, a gentleman of
the law, who knew how statutes were interpret
ed, must even confefs it ungenerous to judge of
sayings in any other light, than in which they
were commonly understood ; and he hoped, that
if an apology was requisite, it would be futficieut
t® confefs, that the expreflion arofc from a warmth
eccafioned by a surprise and the nature of the de
bate. He was as much disposed for peace as any
gentleman present, and only differed about a mode
to procure it: That this Aflembly was entruled
with the welfare and rights of about thirty
thousand fouls, placed in a garden of' Colum
bia, protested with upwards of 9,000 free able
bodied citizens, and that it was the duty of every
Member, to watch each other’s conduft with vi
gilence and a republican spirit, as guardians at
this time for their conflituents and a free born
offspring.
The Honorable General Kennedey, advised the
gentleman to Withdraw his motion, for he might
easily perceive it would not be carried; for it
eould not be surmised, that a plan of that nature
could be conduced to any advantage whatsoever
to the people of Franklin, and a ferutiny must
condemn it. He noticed, that a few leading
persons, of the finall inconsiderable faftion of de
luded citizens, on this fide of the Appalachian
mountains, had joined with North-Carolina,
for to endeavour to effeft a confufioq snd anarchy
in this state, were at our firft convention friends
to our new republic; and that it was well known
that they changed their conduft merely through a
disappointed ambition, by which means they be
came indefatigable political tools for our enemies
in North-Carolina: That those leaders, in the
violation of the laws of that hate, got themselves
secretly eleded, under a ftiam fanftion of the laid
laws last year, and that the Aflembly of that state
allowed them a feat, pretentioually believing those
men to be due representatives of what they stiled
their reverted weflern citizens, and Ihewed them
selves totally callous to every conviction, and deal
to every reason, displayed by the Commiflioners
sent by the General Aflembly of Franklin ; and
notwithstanding, that those illegal Members open
ly confefled, that the opposition of only three
hundred Franks, commanded by General
Cocke, had obliged them to hold their election se
cretly; yet North-Carolina received those persons
as Members and protected them as if
they had been representatives of the general voice
of the weftern citizens. This being premised,
to suppose then that this fcherae now debated iq
the House, could prevent that party from fencing
Members to North-Carolina, would be truly rs
- diculous; and besides, they are aovv aflifted by 3
\
late aft, in favour of secret eleftiqns. Should
we now, as a convention of the state of Franklin,
through folly pass a resolve for our citizens to
hold a (ham eleftion, under the (anftion of the
laws of North-Carolina, in order to choose our
friends on the day appointed to eleft members
for that state ? It would certainly give the ene
mies to the confirmation of reparation, draws
enough (to life the Gentleman’s own phrase)
to fire the Government of Franklin with,
and as they have not convinced us as yet, that
they will not be as ready in their next Aflembly
to catch at draws, as they were in their last, it
would be a crime to believe *t would nor leave us
on its vestiges objefts for laughter to the world.
I will admit (said he) that we by that means might
carry friends to the confirmation of our repara
tion aft; but the pppofire party secretly at ano
ther place, would surely do the fame. What
then would be tbe consequence ? North-Carolina
would receive the Members of that party,
an ounce us reverted rebels, and have a plea to
use us accordingly. If North-Carolina will not
receive Commiflioners from Franklin, it will con
vince us that that state will not, negociate a con
fii mation, and in such case to rely on, that justice
will not let the state of Franklin differ, because
North-Carolina picqued up a difference with
Congress, and refufed to. give her deed for the
weftern land. Our steady and uniform proceed
ings, since the adjournment of North-Carolina
Aflembly, mull bayp convinced that state, that
the citizens of Franklin are determined to live in?
dependent of North-Carolina : Therefore, said he,
Members from this quarter could only alk what
our conduft had claimed and confirmed, when
Commiflioners on the other hand, can demand
out privileges, and negociate peace to the honor
of our state But laying aside all those objeftions,
the measures proposed could never be excusably
executed, but when to save a nation on the verge
of deftruftioii; but as this is not our (ituation at
present, then as a citizen of a brave people, who
ever scorned duplicity, he utterly conde .ned the
motion, and agreed fully with the gentlemen who
would not enter into a negociation with North-
Carolina, on any other terms than with other After
states in the Union.
His Exce:.ency the Governor, produced ap aft
palled in the last General Aflembly of Franklin,
which directed the Executive power of said state
to make use of hostility if nothing else would do,
to prevent eleftions within the limits of Franklin,
under the authority of the laws of North-Caro
lina ; therefore, said he, the tenor of the motion
now before this House, would bring the friends of
independency under the rigour of that aft. It
is extraordinary that the ccnduftof the citizens
who had sent the Members here, fliould uniformly
support the independency of Franklin, and that
those Members ftiould also unanimously express
themselves in favour of fupportiug the fame ; and
yet at the fame time, blindly pursue a method
which could not fail to bring about a reunion w th
North-C'aiolina. Let us lupppfe for a moment,
proceeded he, that the scheme now in agitation,
would answer the end fuppoled by some among
us, which it certainly never would; for it would
in faft only alter our ponditipu from an indepen
dency to a dependency, and curfelyes from free
men to lervants, and of course would difqualify
us from every privilege above favours. But let
US fpppofe ft would bring about a second repara
tion, apparently as favourable to our common-
Wegfllj as the eeflion aft. The quota of our debt
th e h be laid proportionally to the number
6f E&JSPS have now, which is on a ratio as
THE
four to one to what they were at the time of our
reparation; and of cOurfe, in the midst of our
frugality, we would be, to bear part of
the expence requilite to support the extravagance
and luxury of North Carolina Government, be
sides our proportion to Congress for the diftharge
of the foreign continental debt. Thus situated, we
are equally imerefled in the charter of the cession
afl wnh the Honorable Congress, and thereby
bound in honor to give it a mutual support; there
fore, were we now to revert, it would remove
us from 411 confidence due to a spirited nation for
to fallow in disgrace forever. He then proceeded
on a concise narrative of the fettling of Franklin*
which (hewed, that the firft colony in that country
was fettled by Virginians, about fifteen years ago,
and that a line afterwards run between 'Virgiaf*
and North-Carolina, left a helpless number of
industrious citizens, destitute of any more pro
tection than what their own inconsiderable ftrengtb
afforded them against the outrageous warlike tribes
of ludians. That in this situation of that settle—
ment, the Britiih fuperintendants, Cameron ancj
Stuart, offered them protection, on condition they
would traufplant themselves further down towards
Weft Florida, which their abhorence to the Bri
tish tyranny at that time, made them refufe. Soon
after, in the year 1776, they applied to a con-'
vent.on h*i<j m*. Halifax, in Nonir-Carolioa, foe
to become citizens of that state, in order to pre
* vent tliat they might not be fufpeded inimical to
the revolution, which would hayc added to their .
distress; and that their petition underwent a high
and long debate before it was favourably received
by North Carolina, and in that convention
clause was inferred in North-Carolina constitution,
which makes the cession aCf constitutionally and
just. That the people of Franklin territory, had
paid large sums of money for the greatest part of
their land, before the revolution of North Ame
rica took place ; and befidcs this, the settlers had
held it by the sword, a inode that has confirmed
the most powerful charters round the globe : That
now going op ten years, the savages laid waftc
their buildings, carried off all their stocks and
other killed and fealped seve
ral families, and obliged the rest to fiy to the fafety
of forts for the space of twelve months; and that
in their helpless condition, the Virginians bad
proved their warmest supporters, and therefore
wss fully fatisfied, that if the matter were tho
roughly difeuffed, no impartial judicious powee
would judge North-Carolina entitled to govertj
that territory which nature has formed a castle tor
a commonwealth, yvhich our enemies would find
to their sorrow, is garrisoned by brave indepen
dent pe- pie, (hould they concern unjustly with
the weftprn citizens, and we adhere to our former
virtue But (hould we this day involve an off
fpring into slavery, it would fall a heavy curse oq
our own heads. -
Colonel Daugherty begged the House to be
ware <f a danger not yet noticed. That after
the lower interest in North-Carolina bad made an
inflrumentof the requisition f the United States,
to curtail that of the frontier, and thereby ba
lanced the scale of politic? in favour of the sea
post citizens, a company of land, speculators
arose, and formed a plan to throw us in confu ,0 “»
wherewith to preyail on us to revert to North-
C'aiolina, to give them an opportunity of locating
our land and improvements over our heads; there
fore we mult, said he, countermine that danger,
or a few years will bring a deluge of those specu
lators upon our territory, who will infeft ouc
country with slavery, that will be an evil equal to
(Far the remainder , Jet page 4-J
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