Franklin Acts as an Independent State.

The new constitution—­which was in effect simply the old constitution with unimportant alterations—­went into being, and under it the Franklin Legislature convened at Greenville, which was made the permanent capital of the new state.  The Commons met in the court-house, a clapboarded building of unhewn logs, without windows, the light coming in through the door and through the chinks between the timbers.  The Senate met in one of the rooms of the town tavern.  The backwoods legislators lodged at this tavern or at some other, at the cost of fourpence a day, the board being a shilling for the man, and sixpence for his horse, if the horse only ate hay; a half pint of liquor or a gallon of oats cost sixpence. [Footnote:  Ramsey, 334.] Life was very rude and simple; no luxuries, and only the commonest comforts, were obtainable.

The state of Franklin had now been in existence over a year, and during this period the officers holding under it had exercised complete control in the three insurrectionary counties.  They had passed laws, made treaties, levied taxes, recorded deeds, and solemnized marriages.  In short, they had performed all the functions of civil government, and Franklin had assumed in all respects the position of an independent commonwealth.

    Feuds of the Two Parties.

But in the spring of 1786 the discontent which had smouldered burst into a flame.  Tipton and his followers openly espoused the cause of North Carolina, and were joined, as time waned, by the men who for various reasons were dissatisfied with the results of the trial of independent statehood.  They held elections, at the Sycamore Shoals and elsewhere, to choose representatives to the North Carolina Legislature, John Tipton being elected Senator.  They organized the entire local government over again in the interest of the old State.

The two rival governments clashed in every way.  County courts of both were held in the same counties; the militia were called out by both sets of officers; taxes were levied by both Legislatures. [Footnote:  Haywood, 160.] The Franklin courts were held at Jonesboro, the North Carolina courts at Buffalo, ten miles distant; and each court in turn was broken up by armed bands of the opposite party.  Criminals throve in the confusion, and the people refused to pay taxes to either party.  Brawls, with their brutal accompaniments of gouging and biting, were common.  Sevier and Tipton themselves, on one occasion when they by chance met, indulged in a rough-and-tumble fight before their friends could interfere.

    Growing Confusion.