arrival, and require them to take the following oath: "We the undersigned do swear, on the Holy Evangelists, entire fealty, vassalage and lealty to His Catholic Majesty, wishing voluntarily to live under his laws, promising not to act either directly or indirectly against his real interest, and to give immediate information to our commandants of all that may come to our knowledge of whatever nature it may be, if prejudicial to the welfare of Spain in general and to that of this province in particular, in defence of which we hold ourselves ready to take up arms on the first summons of our chiefs, and particularly in the defence of this district against whatever forces may come from the upper part of the river Mississippi, or from the interior of the continent."

"Whilst presenting to them these considerations," writes Miro, "you will carefully observe the manner in which they shall receive them, and the expression of their faces. Of this you will give me precise information, every time that you send me the original oaths taken."

In furtherance of his enterprise, Wilkinson spent several months in the Atlantic States after leaving New Orleans. He wrote to Miro in cipher, on his return to the West, that all his predictions were verifying themselves. "Not a measure," he says, "is taken on both sides of the mountains which does not conspire to favor ours." About the same time he wrote to Gardoquoi in order to allay his suspicions. Receiving from Miro no immediate reply to his letter, he sent a cargo of produce down the river in charge of Major Isaac Dunn, whom he accredited to Miro as a fit auxiliary in the execution of their political designs. Dunn assured the Spanish governor that Kentucky would separate entirely from the Federal Union the next year.

While these schemes were in progress, the settlers in the district of Cumberland, reduced to extremities by the frequent and bloody invasions of the Indians south of them, sent delegates to Alexander McGillivray, head chief of the tribes, to declare their willingness to throw themselves into the arms of His Catholic Majesty, as subjects. They said that Congress could neither protect their persons nor property, nor favor their commerce, and that they were desirous to free themselves from all allegiance to a power incapable of affording the smallest benefit in return.

SPANISH INQUISITION.

One of the difficult questions for the Spanish authorities to settle with the people they expected to lure to their embrace was that of religion. Spain was not only Catholic, but she had not abandoned the Inquisition, as a means of torturing the rest of the world into a confession of that faith. Gardoquoi had promised all immigrants into Louisiana freedom of religious opinion. Miro, willing to make some concessions, would not concede entire freedom. Just at the time that a

promise had been made of a large emigration from the western settlements, Miro received a letter from the Reverend Capuchin Antonio de Sedella, informing him that he had been appointed commissary of the Inquisition, and that, in order to carry his instructions into perfect execution, he might soon, at some late hour of the night, deem it necessary to require some guards to assist him in his operations. A few hours afterwards while this inquisitor was reposing, he was roused by an alarm. Starting up he met an officer and a file of grenadiers, who, he supposed, had come to obey his orders. "My friends," said he, "I thank you and his excellency for the readiness of this compliance with my request. But I have no use for your services, and you shall be warned in time when you are wanted. Retire, then, with the blessing of God." The surprise of the Holy Father may be conceived when told that he was under arrest. "What!" he exclaimed, "will you dare lay hands on a commissary of the Holy Inquisition?"

"I dare obey orders," was the stern reply,-and Father de Sedella was immediately conducted on board a vessel which sailed the next day for Cadiz.

Miro, writing to one of the members of the cabinet of Madrid concerning this unceremonious removal, says: "The mere name of the Inquisition, uttered in New Orleans, would be sufficient, not only to check immigration, which is successfully progressing, but would also be capable of driving away those who have recently come, and I even fear that in spite of my having sent out of the country Father de Sedella, the most fatal consequences may ensue from the mere suspicion of the cause of his dismissal." This was the first and last attempt of the Spaniards to plant the Inquisition in North America.

In the midst of these intrigues and schemes, Navarro, the talented intendant, was recalled by his Government and returned to Spain. The two offices of governor and intendant thus became united in Miro. In his last official dispatch, Navarro expressed his views of the province with considerable detail. He depicted the dangers which Spain had to fear from the United States,-predicting that the "newborn giant would not be satisfied until he extended his domains across the continent and bathed his vigorous young limbs in the placid waters of the Pacific." A severance of the Union was, in his opinion, the only way this could be prevented. This was not difficult if the present circumstances were turned to advantage. "Grant," said he, "every sort of commercial privilege to the masses in the Western region, and shower pensions and honors on the leaders."

While actively engaged in the prosecution of his intrigue with Miro, we learn from a letter written to that official in February, 1789, that in October of the previous year Wilkinson met with Col. Connelly, a British officer, who, he says, "had travelled through the woods to the mouth of the river Big Miami, from which he came down the Ohio in a boat." He claimed to be an emissary of Lord Dorchester, the governorgeneral of Canada. Ignorant of Wilkinson's secret negotiations with Miro, he met him by invitation at his house, and upon Wilkinson's assurance of regard for the interests of His Britannic Majesty, Connelly unfolded to him the object of his mission. He informed Wilkinson that Great Britain was desirous of assisting the Western settlers in their efforts to open the navigation of the Mississippi. She would join them to dispossess Spain of Louisiana, and as the forces in Canada were too small to supply detachments for the purpose, Lord Dorchester would, in place thereof, supply our men with all the implements of war, and with money, clothing, etc., to equip an army of ten thousand men.

Wilkinson, in his letter to Miro, says: "After having pumped but of him all that I wished to know, I began to weaken his hopes by observing that the feelings of animosity engendered by the late Revolution were so recent in the hearts of the Americans that I considered it impossible to entice them into an alliance with Great Britain; that in this district, par

ticularly in that part of it where the inhabitants had suffered so much from the barbarous hostilities of the Indians, which were attributed to British influence, the resentment of every individual was much more intense and implacable. In order to justify this opinion of mine, I employed a hunter who feigned attempting his life. The pretext assumed by the hunter was the avenging the death of his son, murdered by the Indians at the supposed instigation of the English. As I hold the commission of a civil judge, it was of course to be my duty to protect him against the pretended murderer, whom I caused to be arrested and held in custody. I availed myself of this circumstance to communicate to Connelly my fear of not being able to answer for the security of his person, and I expressed my doubts whether he could escape with his life. It alarmed him so much that he begged me to give him an escort to conduct him out of the territory, which I readily assented to, and on the 20th of November he recrossed the Ohio on his way back to Detroit."

Such was the influence of Wilkinson with the people of the districts of Kentucky and Cumberland, that between the years 1786 and 1792 he thwarted them four times in their designs to invade Louisiana, after preparations had been made for that purpose. His object was to unite the Western settlements with Spain, not to maintain the integrity of the Federal Union.

STATE OF FRANKLAND.

Circumstances which had occurred several years before this time gave birth to another intrigue of remarkable character, which culminated in the fall of 1788. The western portion of North Carolina, known as the Washington District, in 1784 declared itself independent and organized a government under the name of the State of Frankland. The name was afterward changed to Franklin.

At that time North Carolina was a turbulent state, and there was little cohesion between the eastern and western portions. The desire of the western portion to form a separate state government was aimed at the parent state rather than the United States. The parent state did not oppose the secession, for the reason that it had been severely taxed to pay

the Indian war debts incurred in protecting the western frontier. On the other hand, the inhabitants of the western portion complained that the jurisdiction of the courts was not extended over them, so as to protect them from the incursions of the outlaws from adjoining states.

In the year 1784 the legislature of North Carolina ceded what is now the State of Tennessee to the United States, coupled with the condition that within two years it should formally accept the gift; and further, that until the expiration of that period, North Carolina should exercise sovereignty over it. On August 23, 1784, a constitutional convention was called at Jonesboro, of which John Sevier was president. A difference of opinion arose among the members as to whether their declaration of independence should go into effect at once, or at a future day;-but a vote being taken, two-thirds of the members declared for immediate secession. The same question divided the members when they met in November to frame a constitution, and the convention dissolved in utter confusion. In the meantime the State of North Carolina became alarmed at the attitude of the secessionists, and repealed its act of cession, which had not at that time been accepted by the United States, and Governor Sevier advised his followers to abandon the scheme for the organization of the new state. But his adherents would not recede. They met on December 14, 1784, at Jonesboro and adopted a constitution, subject to its ratification by a future convention, which was to meet at Greenville in November, 1785. In March, 1785, the two houses of the Legislature met and elected John Sevier Governor of the new state, and organized courts, and passed general laws. Among these acts of the Legislature was one authorizing the payment of taxes and of salaries to be made in various articles of merchandise. Among the articles in which taxes were payable were the following: Beaver, otter and deer skins, which were rated at six shillings each; raccoon and fox skins, rated at one shilling three pence each; beeswax, at one shilling per pound; rye whiskey, at three shillings six pence per gallon; peach brandy, at three shillings per gallon. The salaries of all officers were to be paid wholly in skins. The following is a copy of one of the acts of the Legislature:

"Be it enacted by the general assembly of the State of Franklin, and it is hereby enacted by authority of the same,