The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1771-06-27
June ~.

20 reduce them 10 reaion, or TO their private
ftation, and faai5 them for betraying the
tuh repcled in them.
The ilicklers for The right divine of
Kings to govern wrong" may cenfure this,
but the friends 10 the houie OF Hanover NUT
be perfectly aoquieicent with this doctrine /;
it is doctrine according to godline(s.
Whenever tyran, fets up his soia for law,
it is Immediately called pryqga:ivs. if pre-
rogative be 70 extcniive as lome men ((och
as luft after power elpecially) would have it.,
the law cannot relfrain magiitrate, and it
he pleafes to govern wholly by what he may
pleafe to call tyregativf, the people are TO
ali ia:ents and pupofes llayes. P,srqga''te
works miracles in this province, and yer the
Indignation Of this people feePs The Ge-
neral Court is removed from its legal feat,
againH plain law, ahtnted to by the King,
and by that means become a part OF ne Ia
cred compact between the King and this
people, here ALTO the pretence IS p:eEogatiye /;
but of this in fome future pspeTM
Whether Governor TTyon v pesd pre-
ropative for numbering the noMrouAy ag-
g,ieved and oppreiied people under his GO
vernmeat, time muf determine, | think it
is plain he leaps all bounds of law in puriulng
them fword in hand, and deferves that pu-
nifhment which murderers Of lower c!ais
would not efcape. Suppoie the regulators
were an uoawful and dangerously riotous
aiIemb!y, has not the law made fuficient
/, provliion to queI them, and reduce them TO
obedience If not, they have right to run
riot, for where no law is, there is no trani-
greHion. But it there are laws Efficient 70
queIl the croft OUTRAGEOUS riots, then the LAW
and not the SWORD fhoud refrain them.
The law is great, and if rightly executed,
will alqcayt prevail. If the regulators were
really the bad and dangerous men they are
reprefented, by fome men to be, yet then the
Polc CsmntatRy is more than fuficient TO
bring them to juaice. The method is plain
and eaiy; there is no Englifh province
without an Auorney-G General, there are no
counties without courts of jultice, Grand
Jurors and Sheriffs, or other executive Of
hcers, there is therefore no place North
Carolina is not excepted) where rioters may
not be puniihed. The Attorney-General
does, or lhould keep a watchful eye on the
people, Grand Jurors india, courts iflue
warrants, Sheriffs and other officers are to
execute them and to make them omnipOtent,
they have right to raiie the whole power
of the county to ania them in the execution
of their Office; if the regulators had been
purified in this manner, and had relilted the
LazU they might have been lawfully killed,
their blood would have been upon their own
heads, and thofe that killed them wouo have
been OUTLETS. 1t perhaps will be replied
that the power of the county could not be
RATED in this manner, and therefore the chief
magifrate took upon himGelf the talk Of re-
claiming them. If this was really the cafe,
the fault mutt be in the rulers, and whoe-er
is acquainted with the hihory of the regu-
lators, 70 called, mutt know that their grie-
vances are iniurmountable, juiice is fub-
verted, and their Liberties are trsmped upon,
they have not the benefit of the laws, their
grievances are unredrefed, and they GcofFed at
the queflion then is, &c Whether fuch people
fhould bend their necks with non reliance
and tamely receive their bondage, or refiH
their troubles, and by oppoGng end them ?
the anfwer is eaiy.
MUCOUS SCEVOLA.