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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 381
setting on foot the Oconee Rebellion, as it was called—missteps, both
of which, were owing rather to accidental circumstances at the particu
lar time than to any intentional wrongdoing on his part.
'' Genet was worthy to represent such a crew as the Jacobins under
Robespierre; and he became drank with the wild unschooled spirit of
liberty. Nowhere did he meet with more encouragement than in South
Carolina, due to the Huguenot element in the south of the State. The
strong feeling of French consanguinity added force to the universally
prevalent sentiment of gratitude to France as our ally in the Revolu
tion. General Clarke's strong and bold nature sympathized with
France. Genet wanted to seize Florida and to recover Louisiana from
the Spaniards. He therefore presented the matter to General Clarke.
The latter was not a diplomat, but a frontiersman, who was more
familiar with woods than with courts, and who saw nothing whatever
in the way of international complications. He disliked Spain as much
as he loved Georgia. She was the ancient enemy of his State. He sought
to render a patriotic service—for which reason he accepted the com
mission.*
"Commissions for subordinate officers were likewise placed in his
hands. He was .given money and means also, but in too limited an
amount for so great an enterprise.. His authority was everywhere rec
ognized by French emissaries, and from the Ohio to the St. Mary's,
his orders were obeyed in the making of preparations. Men thronged
to him from South Carolina and Georgia, fired by the splendor of the
project and the renown of the leader. The points of rendezvous were
principally along the Oconee. Nor did the Indians manifest any hos
tility toward the adventurers, for they were ancient friends of the
French, with whom they were allied in the French and Indian Wars.
"But the enterprise never reached the stage where General Clarke
was to stand forth, truncheon in hand, the avowed leader. Washington's
administration was too strong and vigilant for Genet. Our obligations
of neutrality toward Spain were fully maintained. The recall of Genet
was demanded. Of course, the eonsecaiences were disastrous to General
Clarke. He was left standing, blank, resourceless, aimless, on the Indian
side of the wilderness."
It was in these untoward circumstances that General Clarke, with
his men, in May, 1794, began to bestow thought upon the Indian terri
tory, where already they saw themselves quartered in arms. Nor did
they think long before they took the overstrong resolution of seizing
upon the country and of setting up for themselves an independent gov
ernment.' No scruples or impediments deterred them. To a man, they
regarded the country as lost to Georgia by the perpetual guarantee made
to the Indians by the Treaty of New York. A written constitution was
adopted. General Clarke was chosen civil and military chief. A commit
tee of Safety was organized, with law-making functions. But whether
a name was ever bestowed on the infant state or whether it expired with
out baptism, no record or tradition remains to tell. Nor is there any
* Stevens and White both state that he was commissioned a major-general in the
E'rench. army, with a pay of $10,000, but neither of them cites the doeumeritary evi
dence on which this statement is based.