The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 253 



join the new State, as some of them had proposed ; 

 and he added, what he evidently felt to be a needed 

 explanation, "we hope to convince every one that 

 we are not a banditti, but a people who mean to 

 do right, as far as our knowledge will lead us." 4 

 At the outset of its stormy career the new State 

 had been named Franklin, in honor of Benjamin 

 Franklin; but a large minority had wished to call 

 it Frankland instead, and outsiders knew it as often 

 by one title as the other. Benjamin Franklin him 

 self did not know that it was named after him until 

 it had been in existence eighteen months. 5 The 

 State was then in straits, and Cocke wrote Frank 

 lin, in the hope of some advice or assistance. The 

 prudent philosopher replied in conveniently vague 

 and guarded terms. He remarked that this was the 

 first time he had been informed that the new State 

 was named after him, he having always supposed 

 that it was called Frankland. He then expressed 

 his high appreciation of the honor conferred upon 

 him, and his regret that he could not show his ap 

 preciation by anything more substantial than good 

 wishes. He declined to commit himself as to the 

 quarrel between Franklin and North Carolina, ex 

 plaining that he could know nothing of its merits, 

 as he had but just come home from abroad ; but he 

 warmly commended the proposition to submit the 



4 Va. State Papers, IV, 42, Sevier to Henry, July 19, 1785. 



6 State Dept. MSS., Franklin Papers, Miscellaneous, Vol. 

 VII, Benj. Franklin to William Cocke, Philadelphia, Aug. 12, 

 1786. 



