Page images
PDF
EPUB

A member of the Houfe of Commons muft have ufually refided in the county in which he is elected, one year immediately preceding his election, and for fix months fhall have poffed, and continue to poffefs, in the county which he reprefents, not lefs than 100 acres of land in fee, or for the term of his own life.

A freeman of 21 years of age, who has been an inhabitant in the ftate twelve months immediately preceding the day of any election, and who had poflefled a freehold of fifty acres of land within the county for fix months next before, and at the day of election, is entitled to vote for a member of the fenate.

All freemen, of 21 years of age, who have been inhabitants of the ftate the year next before the election, and have paid public taxes, may vote for members of the Houfe of Commons.

The Senate and Houfe of Commons, when convened, choofe each their own speaker, and are judges of the qualifications and elections of their members. They jointly, by ballot at their first meeting after each annual election, choose a governor for one year, who is not eligible to that office longer than three years in fix fucceffive years; and who muft poffcfs a freehold of more than 1000, and have been an inhabitant of the ftate above five years. They, in the fame manner and at the fame time, elect feven perfons to be a council of ftate for one year, to advise the governor in the execution of his office. They appoint a treafurer or treafurers for the flate. They triennially choofe a flate-fecretary. They jointly appoint judges of the fupreme courts of law and equity-judges of admiralty, and the attorney-general, who are commiffioned by the governor, and hold their offices during good behaviour. They prepare bills-which must be read three times in each houfe, and be figned by the fpeaker of Loth houfes, before they pafs into laws.

Judges of the fupreme court-members of council-judges of admiralty -treafurers-fecretaries-attorney-generals for the flate-clerks of record-clergymen-perfons denying the Being of a God-the truth of the proteftant religion, or the divine authority of the Old or New Testament -receivers of public monies, whofe accounts are unfettled-military officers in actual fervice are all ineligible to a feat cither in the Senate or Houfe of Commons. Juftices of the peace, being recommended by the reprefentatives, are commiffioned by the governor, and hold their offices during good behaviour. The conftitution allows of no religious eftablith ment. The legiflature are authorized to regulate entails fo as to prevent perpetuities--a majority of both houfes is neceflary to do bufinefs.

New Settlements, Roads, &c.] Davidfon county, in this ftate, is one of the most weiern fettlements in the United States. This county was eftablished by the name of Davidfon, in honour of Brigadier-general William Davidfon, who fell oppofing the army under Lord Cornwallis, across the Yadkin river, in the year 1781, and begins where the river Tenneffee or Cherokee interfects the north boundary of the state; thence due eaft with the faid boundary to the fecond interfection of the faid boundary, by the Cumberland or Shawanee river, being 140 miles; thence fouth 55 geographical miles; thence weft to the Tenneffee; thence down the meanders thereof to the beginning. The Tenneffee croffes the north boundary of the state 58 miles, and the fouth boundary thereof about 80 miles eaft

Ee a

of

of the Miffifippi.-In the year 1782, the legislature of North-Carolina appointed commiffioners to explore the western part of the ftate, (by which is meant, as well the lands at prefent included in Davidfon county, as those between the fouth boundary of the ftate and the fouth boundary of this county, and thofe between the rivers Miffifippi and Tenneffee) and report to the fucceeding legiflature, which part was beft for the payment of the bounty promifed to the officers and foldiers of the Continental Line of that ftate; and they accordingly did explore the before defcribed tract of country, and reported to the legislature in the fpring of the year 1783.— Although this county was not eftablished by law before the laft-mentioned period, yet a few families had fettled in the year 1780, principally under the guidance and direction of James Robertfon (at prefent colonel of that county) on Cumberland river, and called the place Nashville, in honour of Brigadier-general Francis Nash, who fell at German-town in the year 1777; but he had but few followers until the year 1783, after the peace had taken place, and after an act had paffed directing the military or bounty warrants of the officers and foldiers to be located in this county. These circumftances induced many officers and foldiers to repair immediately thither, to fecure and fettle their lands; and fuch as did not choose to go fold their warrants to citizens who did go. Many people from almoft every ftate in the Union became purchafers of these military warrants, and are fince become refidents of this county; and many valuable and opulent families have removed to it from the Natches.-Colonel Robertfon, when he fettled at Nashville, was upwards of 200 miles diftant (to the weftward) from any other fettlement in his own state, and was equally diftant from the then fettled parts of Kentucky. Hence it will readily be fuppofed that himself and party were in danger every hour of being cut off by the Indians, against whom his principal fecurity was, that he was nearly as diftant from them as from the white people; and flender as this fecurity may appear, his party never fuftained any damage from the Indians, but what was done by parties of hunters who happened to find out his fettlements. The face of this country is in general level, and the foil very rich, equal to any other part of America, and produces in abundance every thing that can be expected from fo temperate a climate and fo rich a foil. It is common for the planter to gather from his fields, upon an average, 60 bushels of Indian corn per acre. This county is well watered by the rivers Tenneffee and Cumberland, and their branches. Both of these rivers empty into the Ohio fhortly after they pafs the north boundary of the ftate. As the waters of the Cumberland from Nashville, and of the Tennefice from the Mufcle Shoals to the Ohio, are equally deep as the waters of the Ohio and Miffifippi, the people, of courfe, who live in this county, or the adjacent country, have the fame advantages of water conveyance for trade, as those who live on the Ohio or Millisippi, to NewOrleans, or elsewhere.

Befides, there is another probable avenue through which trade will be carried on with this county and the adjacent country, which is from Mobille, up the waters of the Mobille river as far as navigable, thence by a land carriage of about 50 miles (at most) to Ocochappo creek, which empties into the Tenneffee at the lower end of the Mufcle Shoals.-The

mouth

mouth of this creek is the center of a piece of ground, the diameter of which is 5 miles, ceded by the fouthern Indians at the treaty at Hopwell, on Kecowee, to the United States for the establishment of trading pofts.

At Nashville, the inferior and fuperior courts of the county are held, in . which good order is obferved, and juftice fpeedily and fatisfactorily adminiftered. Two houfes in this town are fet apart for divine worship, in which divine service is regularly performed on the fabbath.

The legislature of North-Carolina, at their feffion in the year 1786, paffed a law for the establishment of an academy in this town, with liberal endowments.

It is to be obferved that this county, though it lies upwards of 200 miles west of what is commonly called the ftate of Franklin, never departed from her allegiance to the ftate of North-Carolina, but continued to fend her members to the legislature, although they had to pafs through the ftate of Franklin.

The following are the diftances on the new road from Nashville, in Davidfon county, to Fort Campbell, near the junction of Holstein river with the Tennessee,

[blocks in formation]

By this new road, a pleasant paffage may be had to the western country with carriages, as there will be only the Cumberland mountain to pafs; and that is eafy of afcent-and beyond it, the road is generally level and firm; abounding with fine fprings of water.

Hiftory.] The hiftory of North Carolina is lefs known than that of any of the other states. From the best accounts that hiftory affords, the first permanent fettlement in North-Carolina was made about the year 1710, by a number of Palatines from Germany, who had been reduced to circumftances of great indigence, by a calamitous war. The proprietors of Carolina, knowing that the value of their lands depended on the ftrength

Ee 3

of

of their fettlements, determined to give every poffible encouragement to fuch emigrants. Ships were accordingly provided for their transportation --and inftructions were given to governor Tynte to allow an hundred acres of land for every man, woman and child, free of quit rents for the first ten years; but at the expiration of that term, to pay one penny per acre, annual rent for ever, according to the ufages and cuftoms of the province. Upon their arrival, Governer Tynte granted them a tract of land in North-Carolina, fince called Albemarle and Bath precincts, where they fettled, and flattered themfelves with having found, in the hideous wildernefs, a happy retreat from the defolations of a war which then raged in Europe.

In the year 1712, a dangerous confpiracy was formed by the Coree and Tufcorora tribes of Indians, to murder and expel this infant colony. The foundation for this confpiracy is not known. Probably they were of fended at the encroachments upon their hunting ground. They managed ed their confpiracy with great cunning and profound fecrecy. They farrounded their principal town with a breaft work to fecure their families. Here the warriors convened to the number of 1200. From this place of rendezvous they fent cut fmall parties, by different roads, who entered the fettlement under the mask of friendship. At the change of the full moon, all of them had agreed to begin their murderous operations the fame night. When the night came, they entered the houfes of the planters, demanding provifions, and pretending to be offended, fell to murdering men, women and children without mercy or diftinction. One hundred and thirty-feven fettlers, among whom were a Swifs baron, and almost all the poor Palatines that had lately come into the country, were flaughtered the Art night. Such was the fecrecy and difpatch of the Indians in this expedition, that none knew what had befallen his neighbour, until the barbarians had reached his own door. Some few, however, efcaped, and gave the alarm. The militia affembled in arms, and kept watch day and night, until the news of the fad difafter had reached the province of South-Carolina. Governor Craven loft no time in fending a force to their relief. -The aflembly voted £.4000 for the fervice of the war. A body of 6co militia, under the command of Colonel Barnwell, and 366 Indians of different tribes, with different commanders, marched with great expedi tion through a hideous wilderness, to their affiftance. In their firft encounter with the Indians, they killed 300, and took Ico prifoners. After this defeat, the Tufcororas retreated to their fortified town-which was fhortly after furrendered to colenel Barnwell. In this whole expedition it was computed that near a thousand Tufcororas were killed, wounded and taken. The remainder of the tribe foon after abandoned their country, and joined the Five Nations, with whom they have ever fince remained. After this the infant colony remained in peace, and continued to flourish under the general government of South-Carolina, till about the year 1729, when feven of the proprietors, for a valuable confideration, vefted their property and jurifdiction in the crown, and the colony was erected into a feparate province, by the name of North-Carolina, and its prefent limits

[blocks in formation]

eftablished by an order of George II. From this period to the revolution in 1776, the hiftory of North-Carolina is unpublished, and of courfe unknown, except to thofe who have had accefs to the records of the province. Some of the moft important events that have fince taken place, have been already mentioned in the general hiftory of the United States.

In the year 1785, the inhabitants of the counties of Sullivan, Washington and Greene, which lie directly weft of the mountains in this ftate, convened in committees--appointed and held a convention-framed a conftitution-elected their governor-and in fhort erected themselves into a feparate, independent flate, by the name of the New State of Franklin. This premature ftate, was to comprehend all that tract of country which lies between the mountains and the Suck or Whirl, in the Tennessee river. Thefe proceedings occafioned great confufions and warm difputes in North-Carolina, which continued to rage till the year 1788, when all pretenfions to independency were relinquifhed, and tranquillity was retored to the flate.

The western and frontier fettlements, for fome time paft, have been, and ftill are harraffed by the Creek and Cherokee Indians, who have done confiderable damage, and killed many of the inhabitants. The latest accounts from this ftate are, that the affembly have voted to raise an army of 1500 men, not only to prevent the incurfions of the enciny, but to carry war into their own country, and to compel them to fue for peace.

[blocks in formation]

Boundaries. ROUNDED eaft, by the Atlantic ocean; north, by

North-Carolina; fouth-weft and fouth, by Savannah river, which divides it from Georgia. The western boundary has not yet, with accuracy, been afcertaineď *,

*.

Climate.] The climate is different in different parts of the state. Along the fea-coaft, bilious diseases and fevers of all kinds are prevalent between July and October, The probability of dying is much greater between

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »