The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 257 



ential political leaders; and they were, on the whole, 

 the men of most mark in the communities. A nar 

 row, uneducated, honest countryman, especially in 

 the backwoods, then looked upon a lawyer usually 

 with smothered envy and admiration, but always 

 with jealousy, suspicion, and dislike; much as his 

 successors to this day look upon bankers and rail 

 road men. It seemed to him a praiseworthy thing 

 to prevent any man whose business it was to study 

 the law from having a share in making the law. 



The proposed constitution showed the extreme 

 suspicion felt by the common people for even their 

 own elected lawmakers. It made various futile pro 

 visions to restrain them, such as providing that "ex 

 cept on occasions of sudden necessity," laws should 

 only become such after being enacted by two suc 

 cessive Legislatures, and that a Council of Safety 

 should be elected to look after the conduct of all 

 the other public officials. Universal suffrage for 

 all freemen was provided; the Legislature was to 

 consist of but one body ; and almost all offices were 

 made elective. Taxes were laid to provide a State 

 university. The constitution was tediously elabo 

 rate and minute in its provisions. 



However, its only interest is its showing the 

 spirit of the local "reformers" of the day and place 

 in the matters of constitution-making and legisla 

 tion. After a hot debate and some tumultuous 

 scenes, it was rejected by the majority of the con 

 vention, and in its stead, on Sevier's motion, the 

 North Carolina constitution was adopted as the 



