318 The Winning of the West 



of the Federal and State debts, would permit them 

 to confiscate the lands of those whom they called 

 "non-resident monopolizers," and would allow of 

 their treating with the Indians according to their 

 own desires. The honest, hardworking, forehand 

 ed, and farsighted people thought that the best way 

 to defeat these mischievous agitators was to take 

 the matter into their own hands, and provide for 

 Kentucky's being put on an exact level with the 

 older States. 17 



With Wilkinson's return to Kentucky, after his 

 successful trading trip to New Orleans, the dis 

 union agitation once more took formidable form. 

 The news of his success excited the cupidity of 

 every mercantile adventurer, and the whole district 

 became inflamed with desire to reap the benefits of 

 the rich river-trade ; and naturally the people formed 

 the most exaggerated estimate of what these bene 

 fits would be. Chafing at the way the restrictions 

 imposed by the Spanish officials hampered their 

 commerce, the people were readily led by Wilkin 

 son and his associates to consider the Federal au 

 thorities as somehow to blame because these restric 

 tions were not removed. 



The discontent was much increased by the grow 

 ing fury of the Indian ravages. There had been a 

 lull in the murderous woodland warfare during the 

 years immediately succeeding the close of the Revo 

 lution, but the storm had again gathered. The hos- 



" State Dept. MSS. Madison Papers, Wallace to Madison, 

 Nov. 12, 1787. 



