THE HICKMAN TIMES - July 30, 1856
Public Meeting in Madrid Bend

Submitted by: Don Livingston [mailto:donaldl@hcis.net]
Feb. 2003
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At a meeting of the citizens of Madrid Bend on the 26th day of July, 1856,
Jerome Watson, Esq., being called to the chair, and J.C.Harris, appointed
secretary, the following preamble and resolutions were read and unanimously
adopted.

Whereas, The citizens of the Kentucky part of Madrid Bend, are situated in
a Detached corner of the State, forty miles from Hickman, their county seat,
and fifteen miles of which they have to travel through Tennessee, and at high 
stages of water thirty miles of the route is inundated from three to fifteen feet, 
which renders it impossible for them to attend to such business as may call 
them there; and being so cut off from, they can have but little intercourse wit, 
the State of Kentucky, consequently are debarred the enjoyment of rights and 
privileges that are extended to citizens of every other portion of the State; And 
further, being so situated, it is impossible to execute the laws, without which we 
have no security for our persons, property, our lives, or the pursuit of happiness
guaranteed to us; Also, the citizens of Tennessee part of Madrid Bend, being 
detached off in like manner from the rest of the county of Obion and State of 
Tennessee, by Reelfoot Lake, are suffering under the same grievances; And 
we, the citizens of each, feel it to be a matter of sheer justice due us that the two 
be annexed together, formed into a new county, and all come under the jurisdiction 
of one State; and to this end, by the people of both territories above mentioned, 
in mass meeting assembled, be it:

1. Resolved, That all just and equitable citizens every where, and especially those of
Kentucky and Tennessee, be solicited to use their influence favorable to a
redress of our grievances.

2. Resolved, That the Sheriff's of Fulton County, Ky. And Obion County, Tenn, be
requested to open polls in each voting precinct of their respective counties, in next
November, for the purpose of taking the sense of the qualified voters upon annexation 
of the Kentucky and Tennessee parts of Madrid Bend.

3. Resolved, That for the purpose of devising the best ways and means for the
accomplishment of the object in view, and fairly to represent our true condition of
grievances, this meeting to appoint a committee of five, whose duty shall be to consult 
and correspond with some of the most influential men of both states asking their influence
in our behalf.

4. Resolved, That we solicit the publishers of every newspaper throughout the States of
Kentucky and Tennessee, to copy the proceedings of this meeting, assuring them that it
will be a favor conferred upon and highly appreciated by us.

5. Resolved. That the Secretary be ordered to furnish the editors of the Hickman Argus
and Times with a copy of these resolutions, with a request that they publish the same.

On motion, R.C.Nall, Thomas Merriwether, W.R.Dickinson, Jerome Watson and
J.C.Harris, were appointed a committee of correspondence.

On motion, the meeting adjourned.

Signed - July 26, 1856, J.Watson, Chairman; J.C.Harris, Secretary.