The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 217 



side of the Appalachian Mountains will open their 

 eyes to their real interests." At the same time Se- 

 vier was writing to Gardoqui, offering to put his 

 insurrectionary State of Franklin, then at its last 

 gasp, under the protection of Spain. 32 



Robertson spoke with indifference as to whether 

 the nation with which the Southerners allied them 

 selves should happen to be Spain or Britain. As a 

 matter of fact, most of the intrigues carried on were 

 with or against Spain; but in the fall of 1788 an 

 abortive effort was made by a British agent to arouse 

 the Kentuckians against both the Spaniards and the 

 National Government, in the interest of Great Bri 

 tain. This agent was Conolly, the unsavory hero of 

 Lord Dunmore's war. He went to Louisville, vis 

 ited two or three prominent men, and laid bare to 

 them his plans. As he met with no encouragement 

 whatever, he speedily abandoned his efforts, and 

 when the people got wind of his design they threat 

 ened to mob him, while the officers of the Continen 

 tal troops made ready to arrest him if his plans bore 

 fruit, so that he was glad to leave the country. 33 



These movements all aimed at a complete inde 

 pendence, but there were others which aimed merely 

 at separation from the parent States. The efforts 

 of Kentucky and Franklin in this direction must be 



84 Gardoqui MSS., Sevier to Gardoqui, Sept. 12, 1788. 



u Do., Gardoqui to Florida Blanca, Jan. 12, 1789, inclosing 

 a letter from Col. George Moreau. See Green, p. 300. Also 

 State Dept. MSS., No. 150, Vol. Ill, St. Clair to John Jay, 

 Dec. 15, 1788. This letter and many others of St. Clair 

 are given in W. H.^Smith's "St. Clair Papers." 

 VOL. VII. 10 



