Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-24

-AALNBNA1H $3.50 J
Revolution grew out of the Stamp Act,
North Carolina, and her daughter Ten
nessee. have some claims that merit
ventilation. Western North Carolina
was settled by natural Rebels, Scotch
Covsnanters. and their resistance to
British oppression was, from the first,
more active and practically effective
than in any Of the other colonies. On
pages $3.50 Of Ramsey's Annals of
Tennessee" we find the following re-
cord:
In North Carolina, the public mind
was much disturbed by the report that
the Stamp Act had been passed by
ParHa nent. This intelligence reached
Wilmington shortly after the meeting
of the Assembly. and such was the
violence exhibited by the members OF
the popular House, that Gov. Iryon
suddenly prorogued the legislative
body, May Is, 1855. By the passage
of the Stamp Act, an amalgamaton OF
all parties in the province was brought
about. The people Of North Carolina
were never before 50 unanimous. All
Joined in giving IL solemn assurance TO
The mothe- country that the colonies
would not be forcibly taXed-an as
surance that was molly, though not
unanimously. enforced, and which
achieved the freedom Of America. Col
Ashe. on the approach Of the stamp
shin. embodied a company OF militia
and held himself ready for battle.
The odioHs freight ICGs RereT landed,
and the fiery impetuOsity Of the
Colonel. aided by the enthusiasm Of the
Whole people. arrested the stamp mas
ter. conducted him to the market
house. where in the presence Of the as
1 sembled multitude he wore a solemn
oath never to perform the duties Of his
Office.
Here was armed resistance and the
frat effective blow against British op-
preston, years before Boston harbor
was made a cold-water teapot. The
resistance was open and overwhelming.
1t was direct, not Indirect It was
made in broad day, and not by stealth
al night.
Ramsey proceeds to tell us that the
repeal Of the Stamp Act did not allay
the in-surrectonary tendencies Of North
Carolina. The extortions Of C~ficcrs
continued and taxes multiplied. Be
sides, the royal officers were all for
eigners. and the trade Of the Colony
was monopolized by foreign merchants
These carpet-baggers were as odious as
their modern imitators IN this latitude.
and gave Use to an organization among
the people for sslf-protection. Such is
the origin Of the historic Regulators.
Ramsey says the most sober andseda.l
in the community were united IL re
sfstfng the tyranny Of unjust and eEor.
bitant taxes, and had been aroused tC
a degree Of violence and opposition
difficult t. manage and hard to queil
and the more restless and turbulent
parts Of society, equally aggrioyed an'
more ungovernable, cast themselves il
as part Of the resisting mass Of popu
Iation. UnjustifabIe acts perpetrate,
by these, we're charged upon the Rcgu
Iators. and the latter held responsible
for all the Ill that wicked men chose t
do. lust as has been the case wit
Southern communities IN our day
Much cdium has been cast on Jhca
"Reeulaturs of "A century ego By som
r Northern photographers, who seem d
incapable Of doing justice to u Reyo
~lutionary sires as to the present sen
Grafton. But we must let the a~nnalist
Ramsey. relate the battle of Alamanc
d in his own words:
The Regulators continued their II
j s~istauce t. illegal taxation for two o
t three wears. The better part of til
% community were ayerse to the HregJ
I@arities of those lawlcs5 spirits, VIII,
u attaching themselves 70 tie cause {
liberty, greatly impedcd its progress.
b.. and desired to govern themselves, an
persuade their n~eighboTs by reason, I
cain the Justice they demanded. BJ
i fumuIt and violence and rebellion 70
It lowed. The Regulators prevented ii
l. sitting Of courts, and otherwise OI
s+rucfed the execution OF the law
Coy. Trvon met them On the 10th
K Nav. III. On the Alamance. Tine
e numbered between two and thrt
D- thousand. The Governors troops wei
Sc something less. The Regulators, b
20 inc poorly armed, u~Cdlsclphned al
without commanders Of skill OF exp
ne rience. were defeated. 1t is the III
IS varying tradition among the people
the country that they had but lit
r ammunition, and did not fee until
was all expended. Nine Of them az
Oh twenty seven IF the militia were lie
" dead on the field; a great number we
lie wounded on both sides IN this M
~. battle-in this first blood shed for t
t. enjoyment of liberty.
IT Here we have the first blood shed
W. arms for the revolutionary cause.
n was no mere massacre, Ike that
10 Boston, but a pitched battle, the Reg
@lltors r~etrcating before the RoJ
e, forces till they gained an Advantage
n position, where they made a stand
-e, long as their ammunition lasted, a
ds might have Yon but for the artille
II, trailed against them, 10 which they b
d, none to oppose As it resulted tn
= killed three for one. Grossly ezagg.
be ated~ accounts Of the Battle Of A
a. nance have received currency in sol
a. sections, apparently with the view
= ~discrediting the whole story. I
CHICAGO Tribune, for instance, is CO
batting a version Of it which mai
- tie American loss in this initial bait
:, exactly three hundred. Even App.
Il. toms CycIopedia puts the loss at t
n hundred. There is little doubt that I
n. modest figures Of Ramsey give thetI
-"' story. Bancroft recognizes the DEF