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The proposed Federal Constitution
was submitted to North Carolina for
adoption, and on December 5, 1787, the
two houses of the Assembly met in joint
conference to take into consideration
the mode of action thereon. A state
convention was called for July, 1788, to
be composed of delegates from each
county.
Undoubtedly the discussion of the
Constitution and the election of
delegates had some effect in bringing
back to allegiance to the old State many
men of the West who otherwise would have
been without voice and influence in the
solution of the great problems involved
in the proposed national fundamental
law.
All the western counties of Carolina
sent delegates; Greene county: Ashael
Rawlings, James Wilson, and James Roddy;
Hawkins county: Stockley Donelson,
Thomas King, and William Marshall;
Sullivan county: Joseph Martin, John
Scott, John Dunkin, David Looney, and
John Sharpe; Washington county: Robert
Allison, James Stuart, John Tipton, John
Blair, and Joseph Tipton.
Sevier and his partisans indulged a
faint hope that this convention might in
some way cede the western territory, or
otherwise provide for a separation; but
the body adjourned without doing
anything in furtherance of their desire;
and, indeed, without taking any step
favorable to the ratification of the
Federal Constitution. Tipton and his
friends voted against favorable action.
Sevier and his friends had been
advocates of the Constitution, and now
sought to make capital of the
convention's failure to ratify.
Roosevelt incorrectly states that Sevier
suddenly became a Federalist; and,
"doubtless, not because of Federalism,
but to show his hostility to North
Carolina."1
As early as December, 1787, the Sevier
element had spoken out in favor of the
new system of government in the petition
presented to the Assembly of Carolina,
praying for separation,2 and
the same sentiment was reflected in the
vote taken in the Assembly upon the call
for a second convention to consider
ratification.3
In the Carolina Assembly of 1788
(November) a majority of the delegates
from the trans-Alleghany country were
friends of Franklin and in favor of
separation. In the senate from Greene
county was James Roddy; from Hawkins
county, Thomas Amis; from Washington
county, John Tipton. James Robertson
represented the counties on the
Cumberland river. In the house of
commons, Greene county was represented
by Joseph Hawkins and Alexander Outlaw;
Washington county by James Stuart and
John Blair; Sullivan county by George
Maxwell and John Scott; Hawkins county
by Thomas King and Wm. Cocke. The last
named, it seems, delayed attending until
near the end of the session (ten days).
Davidson county sent Elijah Robertson
and Thomas Hardiman, and Sumner county
sent William Walton and James
Clendenning.
In the senate, on the second day of the
session, a committee was appointed to
take under consideration the situation
of "the inhabitants on the Western
Waters," Amis and Tipton of the number.
Fortunately, Richard Caswell and Wm.
Blount were also members.
Willie Jones, another friend of the
western people, promptly presented a
bill in the senate providing for once
more pardoning and consigning to
oblivion the offenses of certain persons
in the counties of Greene, Hawkins,
Sullivan, and Washington. On a motion to
amend so as to except John Sevier and to
exclude him from the benefits of the
act, Tipton alone of all the members
from the West, gave the amendment
support. During the debate on this
measure4 Amis warmly opposed
the amendment which would except Sevier,
and in doing so gave offense to the
irascible Tipton. A personal encounter
on the floor of the senate was with
difficulty prevented. Further discussion
was postponed until the following day.
Roddy, senator from Greene, during the
evening, made an effort to mollify the
enraged disputants. He reproached Amis
for having used language calculated to
exasperate Tipton and urged him
thereafter to pursue a course that would
"soothe his feelings." It was agreed
that on the next day Roddy should
conduct the debate from the standpoint
of Sevier's western friends, as less
likely to give further offense to
Tipton. When next morning, the
discussion was resumed, Roddy took the
floor but he had not proceeded far when
Tipton became enraged, sprang from his
seat and seized Roddy by the throat.
Amis now called out to Roddy, "Soothe
him, Colonel, soothe him!" The
combatants were separated, but a
challenge for a duel was issued. Mutual
friends interfered and composed the
controversy.
The vote in the senate following the
debate was 24 to 19 against Tipton's
contention.
In the house of commons an effort was
made to defeat outright the pardon bill,
but it was passed by a vote of 52 to 33,
the friends of Tipton voting in the
negative, and the friends of separation,
joined by the delegates from Davidson
and Sumner counties, voting aye.5
Willie Jones also introduced in the
senate a bill to cede to Congress the
Western Country.6 Tipton
seconded an amendment by which the words
"west of the Alleghany Mountains" should
be deleted and "west of the Cumberland
Mountains" should be inserted.7
Tipton would have thus severed and held
for all time the Franklin counties and
all of what is now East Tennessee under
the jurisdiction of North Carolina. His
motive was apparent. The amendment met a
decisive defeat, 15 to 30. All the
western senators voted in the negative
save Tipton.
The isolation of Tipton was further
emphasized when the senate acted on the
bill providing for a second convention
to consider the ratification by North
Carolina of the Federal Constitution. He
alone of the western senators voted
against it;8 and his bill "to
prevent vexatious lawsuits" in the four
Franklin counties was rejected on the
first reading.9
A majority of the eastern members shared
the view of the majority of those who
represented the West, that Tipton was
not blameless in respect of the
disorders across the Alleghanies. He and
his followers were rebuked when the
Assembly came to elect officers for the
western territory, and in a way that
caused them to wince. William Cocke was
elected State's attorney; Thomas King,
colonel; Landon Carter, first major, and
Francis Alexander Ramsey, second major
of cavalry, for Washington District—all
Sevierites.
The Assembly passed an act providing for
the establishment of a military station
at a proper place on the north side of
Tennessee river for the protection of
the frontiers, to be garrisoned by a
company of thirty-six officers and men.
The expenses, however, were to be
payable from taxes in Washington
District, and "out of no other fund
whatsoever." Regulation from eastern
Carolina was imposed; but financial
support withheld.
The cession bill was laid over till the
next session; and the act of oblivion as
finally passed censured Sevier's course
by declaring him barred of the enjoyment
of any office of profit or trust in the
State.10
On the whole, the western people were
pleased; they were led to believe that
separation, now urged by the Cumberland
people as well as by those of Franklin,
was not far off.
__________
1 Winning of the West, IV, ch.
IV.
2 Appendix.
3 N. C. St. Rec., XXII, 48,
and post, p. 250.
4 Ramsey erred in following
the statement of Isaac Lane which
related the debate to the 1789 Assembly.
Tipton, Roddy, and Amis were members of
the 1788 Assembly, while only Amis, of
the three, was in that of 1789. So the
incident could not have occurred at the
time stated in Ramsey's Annals, 432.
5 N. C. St. Rec., XXI, 77.
6 Ib., XX, 513.
7 Ib., 535.
8 Ib., 514. The Tiptonites in
the house of commons also opposed a
further consideration of the Federal
Constitution, while the friends of
Sevier favored it. N. C.
St. Rec., XXI, 130.
9 Ib., 577.
10 N.C. Act 1788, chapter 4.
Sevier stood pardoned and no longer an
outlaw, under this act; though his
biographer says he continued to be an
outlaw. Turner, Life of Sevier, 183. |
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