In pursuance of Governor Blount's instructions, he convened the Indians
at White's Fort, on the present site of Knoxville, Tenn.; and after a
conference lasting seven days, succeeded, with much difficulty and with
great reluctance on the part of the Cherokees, in concluding the treaty
of July 2, 1791.[74]
In his letter to the Secretary of War,[75] transmitting the treaty, he
asserts the greatest difficulty to have been in agreeing on a boundary,
and that the one fixed upon might seem singular. The reason for this
peculiarity of description was owing to the fact that the Indians
insisted on beginning on the part where they were most tenacious of
the land, in preference to the mouth of Duck River, where the Hopewell
treaty line began. The land to the right of the line was declared to
belong to the United States, because no given point of the compass
would describe it. In accordance with his instructions, Governor
Blount proposed to the Indians that the ridge dividing the waters of
Little River from those of the Tennessee should form a part of the
boundary. To this the Indians would not agree, but insisted on the
straight line which should cross the Holston where that ridge should
strike it. Governor Blount explains that this line is not so limited
by the treaty as to the point at which it shall leave the north line
or at which it shall strike the Clinch, but that it might be so run as
either to include or leave out the settlers south of the ridge; the
only stipulations respecting it being that it should cross the Holston
at the ridge, and should be run by commissioners appointed by the
respective parties.
He urged that the line should be run immediately after the ratification
of the treaty, as settlers were already located in the immediate
vicinity of it, and more were preparing to follow.
The President transmitted the treaty to the Senate with his message of
October 26, 1791,[76] and Senator Hawkins, from the committee to whom
it was referred, reported it back to the Senate on the 9th of November
following, recommending that the Senate advise and consent to its
ratification.[77]
On the 19th of the same month the Secretary of War advised Governor
Blount that the treaty had been ratified by the President, by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate, and inclosed him 50 printed
copies for distribution, although the United States Statutes at Large
[Vol. VII, p. 39] give the date of the proclamation of the treaty as
February 7, 1792.[78]
[Footnote 63: American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. I, p. 44.]
[Footnote 64: Protest of Col. William Blount to Treaty Commissioners
of 1785. American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. I, p. 44, and
Ramsey's Annals of Tenn., p. 549. Also Scott's Laws of Tennessee and
North Carolina, Vol. I.]
[Footnote 65: American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. I, p. 38.]
[Footnote 66: Ramsey's Annals of Tennessee, p. 345.]
[Footnote 67: American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. I, p. 53.]
[Footnote 68: Ib., p. 83.]
[Footnote 69: The assembly of North Carolina proceeded in 1789 to
mature a plan for the severance of Tennessee, and passed an act for
the purpose of ceding to the United States of America certain western
lands therein described. In conformity with one of the provisions of
the act, Samuel Johnson and Benjamin Hawkins, Senators in Congress from
North Carolina, executed a deed to the United States on the 25th of
February, 1790. Congress accepted the cession by act of April 2, 1790,
and Tennessee ceased to be a part of North Carolina.]
[Footnote 70: These instructions were issued in pursuance of the advice
and consent of the Senate, under date of August 11, 1790. See American
State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. I, p. 135.]
[Footnote 71: This act of the Georgia legislature bore date of December
21, 1789. A prior act, bearing date February 7, 1785, had been passed,
entitled "An act for laying out a district of land situated on the
river Mississippi, within the limits of this State, into a county, to
be called Bourbon." See American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. I,
p. 114.]
[Footnote 72: January 22, 1791. See American State Papers, Indian
Affairs, Vol. I, p. 112.]
[Footnote 73: Ramsey's Annals of Tennessee, pp. 549-556.]
[Footnote 74: United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 39.]
[Footnote 75: July 15, 1791. See American State Papers, Indian Affairs,
Vol. I, p. 628.]
[Footnote 76: American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. I, p. 123.]
[Footnote 77: Ib., p. 135.]
[Footnote 78: Ib., p. 629.]