136 The Winning of the West 



Nevertheless, though slaves were not numerous, 

 they were far from uncommon, and the moral con- 

 science of the community was not really roused upon 

 the subject. It was hardly possible that it should 

 be roused, for no civilized people who owned Afri- 

 can slaves had as yet abolished slavery, and it was 

 too much to hope that the path toward abolition 

 would be pointed out by poor frontiersmen engaged 

 in a life and death struggle with hostile savages. 

 The slaveholders were not interfered with until they 

 gradually grew numerous enough and powerful 

 enough to set the tone of thought, and make it im- 

 possible to root out slavery save by outside action. 



Blount recommended the appointment of Sevier 

 and Robertson as brigadier-generals of militia of 

 the Eastern and Western districts of the Territory, 

 and issued a large number of commissions to the 

 justices of the peace, militia officers, sheriffs, and 

 clerks of the county courts in the different counties. 3 

 In his appointments he shrewdly and properly iden- 

 tified himself with the natural leaders of the fron- 

 tiersmen. He made Sevier and Robertson his right- 

 hand men, and strove always to act in harmony 

 with them, while for the minor military and civil 

 officers he chose the persons whom the frontiersmen 

 themselves desired. In consequence he speedily 

 became a man of great influence for good. The 

 Secretary of the Territory reported to the Federal 

 Government that the effect of Blount's character 

 on the frontiersmen was far greater than was the 



8 Blount MSS., Journal of the Proceedings, etc. 



