The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 321 



ginia, had concurred in the action taken. Brown 

 suppressed this fact, and used language carefully 

 calculated to render the Kentuckians hostile to the 

 Union. 



Naturally all this gave an impetus to the separatist 

 movement. The district held two conventions, in 

 July and again in November, during the year 1788; 

 and in both of them the separatist leaders made de 

 termined efforts to have Kentucky forthwith erect 

 herself into an independent State. In uttering their 

 opinions and desires they used vague language as to 

 what they would do when once separated from Vir 

 ginia. It is certain that they bore in mind at the 

 time at least the possibility of separating outright 

 from the Union and entering into a close alliance 

 with Spain. The moderate men, headed by those 

 who were devoted to the national idea, strenuously 

 opposed this plan; they triumphed and Kentucky 

 merely sent a request to Virginia for an act of sep 

 aration in accordance with the recommendations of 

 Congress. 20 



It was in connection with these conventions that 

 there appeared the first newspaper ever printed in 

 this new West ; the west which lay no longer among 

 the Alleghanies, but beyond them. It was a small 

 weekly sheet called the "Kentucke Gazette," and the 

 first number appeared in August, 1787. The editor 

 and publisher was one John Bradford, who brought 

 his printing press down the river on a flat-boat ; and 

 some of the type were cut out of dogwood. In poli- 



M See Marshall and Green for this year. 



