Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-01-01

rives additional interest at this time from the
situation Of affairs IN South Carolina.
SHAYS' RESURRECTION.
! The Shays lnsurrection. in Massachusetts,
has been frequently alluded to, Of late, as afor-
ding parallel TO the course expected from South
Carolina But the re u.s. 10 fact, little or no par.
i,y IN the case. In Massachusetts, the insurrec.
tinn wa, qnelcd by the State Authorities; while.
in South Carolina, II is the Stale Authorities
themselves, who are leading the in, ipieht rebel
lion. Shays had neither Office t.e a.awrr to.
make his influence felt, nor talents 10 ,ielude or
guide the multitude. lie attained the rank of
captain in the army OF the revelation; but he ac-
CURED no laurels in that honorable service. and
voluntarily resigned his rank IN the army, and
retired TO private life, before the objects Of the
war were achieved.
When peace was proclaimed, the finances of
the states were in confusion, and The affairs of
individuals embarrassed. The debt of Massa-
chuse,ts alone was $4,000. 900, and taxation Of
! course heavy. The number Of debtors was so
great that IN 1882 the Legislature had been re.
huced to resort to the empirical expedient Of an
Act, requiring creditors TO receive in payment for
their debts. cattle and other SPECIFIC articles Of pro.
perty, rendered BY the debtors. This Relief
quackery only exasperated the disease. and the
law was suffered to expire in year. Discon.
tented debtors then held Conventions. aud sson
resolved to resort to Stop Lar measures; they
prescribed Sheriff., Lawyers, Judges aud Courts
The dsaffrcted succeeded in their attempts TO
exclude lawyers from their seats in the General
Court: still the Legislature Unable to redress
the fancied grievances Of the Disconnected. In the
autumn of 1856, the indictments assembled in
multtudes at the shire towns, and by force pre-.
vented the si,tings OF the courts Of justice.
Daniel Shavs appeared al the mead Of 1000
armed men at Springfield, to prevent the sitting
of the Supreme Court Gen. Wm. Shepard,
however, with 600 men, had pre-occupied the
Court House, and Shays retired. When the Lee
sislature assembled. an act passed to suspend the
privilege Of the Habeas Corpus, and the Cove
nor (Bowdoin) was authorized to arrest by
State Warrant any sedi,ious insurgent, and i'm.
prison him without bail or mainprise Shays
and the other insurgent chieflalns marched to
Worcester aud Concord. to stop the COURTS
The Governor despatched parties Of volunteer
cavalry from Boston into Worcester and Middle.
sex counties, in November, and JOB Stattuck and
several others we're arrested and confined in Bos-
ton Jail. At this time, there were strong appre.
tensions that the rebel forces would march to
Boston and make desperate Efforts to liberate
these prisoners from Boston jail, Stays ex-
claimed with an oath that he would have done it,
had 1t not been for HAT County Of Esser Es-
sex was almost the OILY county tbat was perfect.
~ loyal and uninlected. Ia old Hampshire,
Shays. ~ith 500 of his followers. took possession
Of the Court House az Springfield. ard prevent
ed the sitting Ut tn" Cour'.
The Goyelnor. hnd,ng the Posse Caniiafus
was too weak 10 resist such violence, ordered a
detachment Of 4400 rank and file of the Militia
to be raised. to be ready TO act by the 18th oi ia
nuary. 1897, under Major Benjamin Lincoln, =
A body Of the Militia reached Worcester on the
22d, and the Court was protected. Gens~She
pard, with another detachment Of the Militia. OF
100 men, Vas stationed at Springfield. to pro-
tie the arsenal The rebels. under Daniel
Shays, Luke Day, aud Eli Parsons, sosn gather
ed force in that vicinity, Of 1000 men, and on
the a5'h Of January advanced in menacing
manner towards the arsenal. Gen. Shepard
sent an aid de. eamp to Inquire the. design Of the