The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1771-08-29
100
From Itc PEErsrivhrtA touRaAL.
81 ne P y BIZ.

|, "A 4 - nave IN tne p0bHC prints an ac-
Wv cnuhs Of battle FOUGHT between tie
militia Of North. Ca'ohna, commanded by
William lyon, Eiq; On one part. sud par
~ of men who Aye thenieIves Regulators.
The accounts we have Of this veiy unhappy
diaufbance. or as the ggyeinuieri, Of tn
province callsit, eF this ltbeihon, afe o. iui-
ficiently particu!a. to enable NC ct tlis diiancc
TO form juf opinion of il. We NUT fpI
pofs the GoveIhor judges it expedlent to at
the part he has taken on the one hand, evtn
to hs hrirg upon thefe people, bef3rc G,c
expiration VI the time be had allowed ttkm
for repentance nor can we mag ne any Dody
of men compoted Of individuals, vatyinefrom
each other in principles, civil and lei fious,
as well as in intcrei, could enter into x, dan
gerous an oppoiiiion 10 government, uneis
they found ,hemielves acgrieved, yid had
eaton 70 deipair Of rect from ally other
quarter. How far fuhjcas have 4 RICH, to
complain Of public opp'eGion, ard inf,ff on
having grievances IedreiIcd, is q, iris day we'll
undcrAood. The deGgn Of government 70
acknowledged TO be the good Of the people.
It's Rrcngih and happineis depends more On
the mildneis and equity Of The administration,
than on any particular tolm: Nay, sc have
many initances in which bad rulers have
availed tlienielves of fuch establishments as
ieemsd TO ipluIe happircis to the people ard
liability, TO perpetuate impoGtionS ard ciuel-
ties which would not have been borne but for
confidence in the laws, and an attachment
TO the form. AS TO the affair in Carolina, its
is underitood but by few. AS humanity in
tersls every tender heart in the diarcfs OF fell
low creatures and field of battle covered
over with the garments of fellow citizens ro-
led in blood is an mutual Gcene TO us, the
following extracts from lome of the public
papers may not be Unacceptable they may
at leaf ferve to give US Gome idea of what
thofc unhappy people felt
The disturbances appear TO have originated
in the county Of Granville; to have extended
foale time after to Halifax, SIC. and at aitto
Orange. In Granville they fay, " 1t is not
our form ofgoveTnment or body Of laws VIC
quarrel With, bat the nal. Pgaet.ces of theof-
hcers of our county courts, and the abufes We
fuffer BY thole who are Empowered to manage
our public affairs. and the notorious ard inio-
lerable sbufes that have crept into the practice
ofthe Law, &s." And with regard to their mca-
fures they proceed thus. "Let US be careful TO
keep (obcr, do nothing ralhly, but aet with deli
beration Let US do nothing againft the known
laws Of the land that we appear notin faction
endeavouring to fubvert the laws and ovef-
turn the fyfem Of government but let us
take care to appear what really we are, free
fubjetts by birth, endeavouring to recover
our loft native rights, b. reducing the mall
practices of the officers OF our courts down
to the Randard of law" Thus they fpoke.
The meafure they appear to have taken was
by petition to the Legislature. The unfor-
tunate Ggners Of the petition were (ued by the
officers for libel. The writer ofthe paper
from which the above extracts aremadc was
imprifonsd. And though the petition feems
to have been publilhed in June 1863, yet
the voracious luits remained undetermined in
1910. From Granville thsfe dfcontents oc-
csGoned BY theie nal practices, fpread into
Bfunfwick, Cumberland, and other counties
and 70 general had the sbufes and difcontents
become, that in leveral counties they refufed
to pay the taxes in 1866 1.-THE complaints
and meafures of one county being unknown