Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-12-07


It Mr.. Timmins' picture fell out of this pape
Y he looks forlorn
-
shay's Rebellion.
= Only once in the history of the Unite
States has formal and organized rebellio
= existed only once have armed men resiste
the execution of the laws for any protracte
a period, or endeavored permanently to thwal
legal officers in the prosecution of their fnnt
tions. Even then no idea of overturning til
, Government, or withdrawing from its SUI
port, was entertained. In l7s6, three year
after the close of the war of independence
there broke out in Massachusetts what i
known in history as Shay's rebellion. 1t wa
caused by the miserable condition of publ
feeling prevalent in many States immediatel,
after the war the poverty and exhaustion o
the country being only the natural conse
quences of such great and general upheaE
ing as the nation had passed through.
The rebellion was begun by convention
the members of which complained in address
es to the State population. and in petitions to
the Legislature, setting forth their grievances
Prominent among these were the extortions o
! lawyers the aristoeratic character of the Stale
Senate, the sessions of the Legislature in Bos-
/ ton, and especially the specific taxes conceded
to Congress to pay the interest on the Feder-
al debt. The last mentioned was the only
subject of complaint to which could possibly
| be given national significance. The entire
insurrection was directed exclusively against
! the State authorities. The convention met
in the spring of 1856, and urged no active
measure, but was followed Immediately by an
uprising of several hundred men, who dispers-
ed the courts of Justice in various parts of the
State. This highhahded proceeding was re-
peated. and more addresses issued. till nearly
! third of the inhabitants OF Massachusetts
either were complicated in the rebellion or
sympathised with its progress. No definite
aim seems to have been proposed by the mobs
of armed men !; they merely took this means
of Indicating their dissatisfaction, anticipating
redress. -=a H4@ i~a#1(
The Governor and Legislature at first acted
with great leiIiency, and throughout the insur-
rcction with admirable Judgment and circunl-
spection. The Legislature took into consider
alton the matters complained of, and attcmpt-
ed to remedy some of them, but the insurgents
we're encouraged by the in,punity they met
with, and refused to be contentcd with the re-
sponse to their demands They continued to
prevent the sittings of the courts; they as
sembled in large numbers; they threatened
Boston itself, and finally compelled the Gov-
erncr to call out the militia. This was put
under the control of Gen. Lincoln, ard some
four thousand men marched TO Worcester
t,,,Io Of
collected: the latter attacked the militia, and
were at last fired upon the first discharge
was directed over their heads, and at the sec
ond hy Which three were killed and one worln-
| Itlcd, they broke and fed in confilSun. Vari-
| eus Subsequent movements took place at in
terva's during nearly year; the militia re-
peatcdly scattering the rebels, who seemed.
however. persistent, knowing as they did that
even in the Legislature were those who sym
! pathisctl with them. Some fed to the Neigh
boring States, but New York, Connecticut
and New Hampshire promptly assisted upon
| heine calied upon) in arreSting the fugitives.
| Rhode Island and Vermont were more back
ward 9.lHt -H -rffr
DHrirg the continuance Of the rebellion,
| the general election took place, and new
Governor and Legislature came into pow
er The rebels seemed to have hoped much
| from this change. but the new Legislature was
quite as determined as IFS pred eccssors. The
TIabeas Corpus act, which had been suspend
ed. was not enforced. and various other siren
uous measures remained in full force. This
! fact apparently disheartepcd the insurgents,
and they began to seek for indemnity and par
don for their acts. Indemnify had been off
cred at the, beginning of the rebellion, but
government now declined making terms with
| those who remained in arms, and by degrees
the insurgents in various parts of the country
were induced to submit : the leaders having
been mostly taken prisoners, ami as many as
fourteen condemned to death. the sentence
| however, not executed in Il single instance
although several remained year two in
confinement. Not great many lives were
lost in any of the engagements. probably new
er so many as six at one time and perhaps
not two score in actual fig hting during the year
| or year and half which the rebellion may be
said to have lasted. The mass of the people
/ who had risen were allowed to return to their
homes, aud beyond being disqualified for q
year or two from serving as jurors or holding
Office suffered no punishment. The lenieney
of the authorities was doubtless the great
cause of the complete suppression of the re-
bellion. The principal objects of the people !;
or at least those which were most ostensible,
were not fully attained. ... r.... ....-.5=
The only action taken by the national au-
thorities during these troubles was that Con
gress voted to enlist ], ,306 men to support the
Government of Massachusetts; but the in
surrection was suppressed before the troops
were raised. A special requisition of half a
million dollars was also made upon the States
for the support of these troops, but of course
was not needed. ir- l-ei-ai s.