The committee took cognizance of all affairs concerning the general welfare of the community.  They ordered roads to be built between the different stations, appointing overseers who had power to “call out hands to work on the same.”  Besides the embodiment of all the full-grown men as militia,—­those of each station under their own captain, lieutenant, and ensign,—­a diminutive force of paid regulars was organized; that is, six spies were “kept out to discover the motions of the enemy so long as we shall be able to pay them; each to receive seventy-five bushels of Indian corn per month.”  They were under the direction of Colonel Robertson, who was head of all the branches of the government.  One of the committee’s regulations followed an economic principle of doubtful value.  Some enterprising individuals, taking advantage of the armed escort accompanying the Carolina commissioners, brought out casks of liquors.  The settlers had drunk nothing but water for many months, and they eagerly purchased the liquor, the merchants naturally charging all that the traffic would bear.  This struck the committee as a grievance, and they forthwith passed a decree that any person bringing in liquor “from foreign ports,” before selling the same, must give bond that they would charge no more than one silver dollar, or its value in merchandise, per quart.

Some of the settlers would not enter the association, preferring a condition of absolute freedom from law.  The committee, however, after waiting a proper time, forced these men in by simply serving notice, that thereafter they would be treated as beyond the pale of the law, not entitled to its protection, but amenable to its penalties.  A petition was sent to the North Carolina Legislature, asking that the protection of government should be extended to the Cumberland people, and showing that the latter were loyal and orderly, prompt to suppress sedition and lawlessness, faithful to the United States, and hostile to its enemies. [Footnote:  This whole account is taken from Putnam, who has rendered such inestimable service by preserving these records.] To show their good feeling the committee made every member of the community, who had not already done so, take the oath of abjuration and fidelity.

    Affairs with Outside Powers.

Until full governmental protection could be secured the commonwealth was forced to act as a little sovereign state, bent on keeping the peace, and yet on protecting itself against aggression from the surrounding powers, both red and white.  It was forced to restrain its own citizens, and to enter into quasi-diplomatic relations with its neighbors.  Thus early this year fifteen men, under one Colbert, left the settlements and went down the river in boats, ostensibly to trade with the Indians, but really to plunder the Spaniards on the Mississippi.  They were joined by some Chickasaws, and at first met with some success in their piratical attacks, not only on the Spanish trading-boats,