The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 317 



first trading voyage to New Orleans, and the dis 

 trict was freed from his very undesirable presence. 

 He was the mainspring of the movement in favor 

 of lawless separation; for the furtive, restless, un 

 scrupulous man had a talent for intrigue which 

 rendered him dangerous at a crisis of such a kind. 

 In his absence the feeling cooled. The convention 

 met in September, 1787, and acted with order and 

 propriety, passing an act which provided for State 

 hood upon the terms and conditions laid down by 

 Virginia. The act went through by a nearly unani 

 mous vote, only two members dissenting, while 

 three or four refused to vote either way. Both Vir 

 ginia and the Continental Congress were notified 

 of the action taken. 



The only adverse comment that could be made 

 on the proceedings was that in the address to Con 

 gress there was expressed a doubt, which was almost 

 equivalent to a threat, as to what the district would 

 do if it was not given full life as a State. But this 

 fear as to the possible consequences was real, and 

 many persons who did not wish for even a con 

 stitutional separation, nevertheless favored it be 

 cause they dreaded lest the turbulent and disorderly 

 elements might break out in open violence if they 

 saw themselves chained indefinitely to those whose 

 interests were, as they believed, hostile to theirs. 

 The lawless and shiftless folk, and the extreme sep 

 aratists, as a whole, wished for complete and abso 

 lute independence of both State and Nation, because 

 it would enable them to escape paying their share 



