258 The Winning of the West 



groundwork of the new government. This gave 

 umbrage to Tipton and his party, who for some time 

 had been discontented with the course of affairs in 

 Franklin, and had been grumbling about them. 



The new constitution which was in effect simply 

 the old constitution with unimportant alterations 

 went into being, and under it the Franklin Legisla 

 ture convened at Greeneville, which was made the 

 permanent capital of the new State. The Commons 

 met in the court-house, a clapboarded building of 

 unhewn logs, without windows, the light coming 

 in through the door and through the chinks between 

 the timbers. The Senate met in one of the rooms of 

 the town tavern. The backwoods legislators lodged 

 at this tavern or at some other, at the cost of four- 

 pence a day, the board being a shilling for the man, 

 and sixpence for his horse, if the horse only ate 

 hay; a half pint of liquor or a gallon of oats cost 

 sixpence. 8 Life was very rude and simple; no lux 

 uries, and only the commonest comforts, were ob 

 tainable. 



The State of Franklin had now been in existence 

 over a year, and during this period the officers hold 

 ing under it had exercised complete control in the 

 three insurrectionary counties. They had passed 

 laws, made treaties, levied taxes, recorded deeds, 

 and solemnized marriages. In short, they had per 

 formed all the functions of civil government, and 

 Franklin had assumed in all respects the position 

 of an independent commonwealth. 



9 Ramsey, 334. 



