The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1875-07-09
FIisr BATrLE OF THE REvOLUTION.

On MONDAY MulOr GeuerNl p.
Butler, Of the Massachusetts Militia,
his charger, cooked his eye !
down the vista of hundred years
and celebrated the skirmishes Of Con-
cord and Lexington. President
Grant was there in high feather also,
riding in procession with the corked-
up Major General Of militia. But
the Commander-in-chief Of all the
militia, the head and front Of the eel
ebration, was Governor Gaston, the
Democratic Governor. The occasion
was, no doubt, a jolly one. Much
powder was burnt, much rhetoric
pumped out, and huge guzzling OF
liquors and stufiiing of stomachs
took place at the Lexington dinner
The two villages both claim TO have
commenced the Revolution, but the
truth seems to be that our forefath-
ers, so-called, made no resistance at
Lexington and none immediately at
the village of Concord. The first
British blood was drawn at the
bridge north Of Concord, and the
actual fighting took place after the
British commenced their retreat
The battle, which may be designated
as the first Bull Run, was running
fight with John Bull all along the
road from Concord to Charlestown.
John Bull was badly worsfed in
the route, and much honor is un-
doubtedly due to Paul Revere, Sam
Adams, John Hancock, and other
patriots, who led the Johnny Rebs of
the Tea-Drinkers' Rebellion. But
the first battle of the Revolution was
not at Concord nor at Lexington.
Resistance to tyranny always finds
its cradle in the South. The Revolu-
ton had already advanced SO far,
when the skirmish about Lexington
took place, that very soon after that
event the army of General George
Washington, a Virginian, was en-
camped around Boston. The move
ments toward revolution had been
going on for ten years before the
battle at Lexington. The odious
stamp act was passed in l765, and
from that year until the 10th Of April,
ITS, the clarion voice of Patrick
Henry was constantly proclaiming re-
sistance. The Southern colonies
we're at white heat long before
Major Pitcairn set out upon his march
for Concord. When the stamp acI
was passed in 1765 and the stamps
were sent out to America, almos
similar and simultaneous action tool
place in all the colonies, but the poo
pie of North Carolina we're decidedly
more demonstrative than those in any
of the other colonies. Chief Justice
Francis Xavier Martin, of Louisiana
wrote history of North Caroline
where hs had long lived. Ho says
~ he sllop of-war Diligence came
into the Cape Fear river with thu
stemps on board, and Gov. Tryon is
sued the proclamation in relation tC
them; but Colonels Ashe and Waddlt
called their regiments of militia to
geiher, and marched to the river ant
notified the commander that the,
twere prepared to resist the landing o
the stamps, They captured a boa
belonging TO the sloop-of-war, an(
mounting iton cart, hauleditthrougl
the town of Brunswick, with the tow
illuminated and all the people in pro
cession.
! Governor Tryon tried to concil
late and cajole the people, but the
marched to his house and demanded
the stamp official, James Housson
and threatened to burn the Govern
or's house if he was not forthcoming
and the Governor was obliged 20 Civ
him up. They took him to the mar
ket and made him swear he woul
never execute the duties OF his Office
A few days after the Governor gave
grand feast at Wilmington, aud in
vited all the people; he had q Who'll
OK barbecued, and had many barrel
of beer tapped, but hepeople march
ed up, threw bis beer on the groun
and pitched his OK into the river. III
sloop's officers and crew resisted, an
ono Of the officers was killed. Go,
Tryon had the slayer arrested an
Immediately tried; but the jury ac
quilted him, and the Judge, unde
Tryon's taunts, commikted suicide.
Such was the spirit of these South
ern rebels in resistance TO the STAN
Act, and it continued after the STAN
Act was repealed.
The skirmishes Mt Alanlance CreoA
in Alamance county, North Carolina
ON tho 10th Of May, It'll, was III
first armed resistance made by on
forefathers to the aggression Of tn
power beyond the s9a. That xxi
mish arose somewhat in this wa,
Governor Tryon, at Newberl, bui
him an elegan mansion, costing SIS
0O0, and levied tax on his citizon
Of that Carolina colony 10 pay III
sum. Tho people formed militar
companies, called Regulators, for I'll
purpose Of resisting the collection {
tho tax levy, and these companiC
were armed and drilled. They vel
into camp at Alamance Creek, IN
thither the British troops With
Tryon's command were sent 10 di
perse them. A sklrInish ensued
which the Regulators we're defente
with the loss Of some three hundrc
men.
In the two skirmishes at AiamanC
Creek in It'll, and nj Lexington on
Concord in 1775, the assailants wel
the same British regulators, tho oI
, ponents were the same organized rol
els; the cause was the same, 10 di
perse the rebels and 10 defeat Il
opposition; the results we're the sam
save at Alamanee Greek the robe
lost three timesas many Of their nun
8 Der as those At Lexington aud Coz
= cord lost.
The organization of societies 10 =
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