The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 247 



but such as it was, it was yielded to the United 

 States, and not to any one State. They wished to 

 submit their claim for independence to the judg 

 ment of Congress, not to the judgment of North 

 Carolina; and they were ready to admit into their 

 new State the western part of Virginia, on the as 

 sent, not of both Congress and Virginia, but of 

 either Congress or Virginia. 



So far the convention had been unanimous; but 

 a split came on the question whether their declara 

 tion of independence should take effect at once. The 

 majority held that it should, and so voted; while 

 a strong minority, amounting to one-third of the 

 members, followed the lead of John Tipton, and 

 voted in the negative. During the session a crowd 

 of people, partly from the straggling little frontier 

 village itself, but partly from the neighboring coun 

 try, had assembled, and were waiting in the street 

 to learn what the convention had decided. A mem 

 ber, stepping to the door of the building, announced 

 the birth of the new State. The crowd, of course, 

 believed in strong measures, and expressed its hearty 

 approval. Soon afterward the convention adjourned, 

 after providing for the calling of a new convention, 

 to consist of five delegates from each county, who 

 should give a name to the State, and prepare for it 

 a constitution. The members of this constitutional 

 convention were to be chosen by counties, and not by 

 captain's companies. 



There was much quarreling over the choice of 

 members for the constitutional convention, the par- 



