The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-19

the first part OF comprehensive History
of the United States. In the last issue
Mr.. Watson devotes chapter five to
the War OF the Regulators in North Caro-
lima led by Herman Husbands. So much
has been written in North Carolina about
that early struggle, and the opinions OF
North Carolina writer's are so conflicting,
that the view taken of it by an impartial
student OF history like Mr. Watson will
have deep interest for North Carolinians.
We therefore publish it in full as follows
The spirit of antagonism which was
growing between royal officers and the
people of the colonies led to a blood crisis
in North Carolina. On the one side was
the ruling class which seemed disposed to
make the most of the opportunity to plum
der the taxpayers; on the other were the
masses who were disposed to resist the
local wrongs with the same courage which
had been shown in opposition to the stamp
act The Governor OF North Carolina at
this time was Tryon, bold, able, I'M
scrupulous man. He was at this time
squandering seventy odd thousand dollars
IN building for himself a splendid palace,
and taxes were increased to meet the
heavy drains. Like master, like man; the
spirit OF extortion beginning with the
Governor ran along down the line to the
lowest bailiff. Promises of redress of griev-
ances had been made but had not been
kept. Things were going from bad to
worse. The disconnected held meetings to
inquire whether the freemen of the coun-
try labored under an abuse of power and
If So what measures should be taken =
The regulators sprang into existence
This was the first organized resistance to
British tyranny since Bacons glorious re-
bellion in Virginia These freemen of
North Carolina adopted resolutions to pay
only such taxes as were agreeable to law
and applied to the purposes therein named,
and to pay no officer more than his legal
fees.
The North Carolina patriots were led by
Herman Husbands, large land owner of
Quaker ancestry, related to Benjaman
Franklin. There was no blemish upon his
character, and his motives at this crisis
were precisesly the same as those which
inspired Patrick Henry and Samuel
Adams. His pen wrote the resolutions al
ready mentioned, resolutions which no just
government would have condemned.
Governor Tryon put Husbands under ar
The people rose to his rescue and set him
free. The royal officers collected body
of troopers, rode 80 miles after Husbands.
seized him and flung him into jail The
regulators ran to arm (May, 1863. but
Husbands had been released on bond On
May p. 1868, the regulators held general
meeting. and appointed two of their num-
Der to present an address, their appeal for
justice to the Governor. The paper was
laid before the council, which decided that
the alleged abuses did not excuse the con-
duet of the regulators-which conduct if
persisted in would amount to high trea-
son.
In the meantime the Gvernor was will
ing to publish proclamation admonish-
ing all royal officers to be good. The
burning hearts of patriots were soothed
by the further assurance that the attorney
general would prosecute every one of his
brother officers who had done anything
wrong! These soft answers failed to turn
away the wrath of our ancestors. They
had heard such talk before, and knew its
value. The regulators continued to as
semble. to enlist their men and to train
them to use of arms; and the Governor
raised large body of troops He ordered
the regulators to dispense, and demand
hostages for the appearance of Husbands
to stand trial for riot The hostages were
refused, but the Governor was told that
if he would summon a new assembly, par
don past disturbances. and allow the dis
affected to come peaceably and lay their
grievances before him and the new as
sembly, they would disband and would
pay their taxes.
Husbands stood his trial and was ac-
quilted. Other regulators were less for
tunate; they were convicted, imprisoned
and made to pay fines of $3.50 each.
The worst offender among the royal Off
GERS, Colonel Edmund Tanning. was
tried at the same term of court on six
distinct indictments charging him with
extortion. He was found guilty in each
case What punishment was inflicted
upon this criminal who was using his
position to rob the poor? HE WAS
FINED ONE PENNY IN EACH CASEi
Is it any wonder the people were
wrought up to madness? Smarting under
wrongs which they had tried in every
way to peaceably escape, they lost all
confidence in the royal officers, high and
low, and determined to do themselves
that justice which was denied them by
their rulers. Courts were broken up,
prisoners rescued, officers defied, violent
hands were laid upon the persons of law
yers. and some of the kings learned at
torneys were dragged from the bar and
vulgarly beaten. Edmund Tanning was
not only assaulted and battered, but his
house demolished.
Why, why were grievances not re-
dressed, abuses abolished? Why should
those in authority never pour that kind of
oil on the troubled waters?
At the close of 1910 the general assem-
bly, met at Newbern. The Governors
magnificent palace had just been COM
pleted, and he received the members there
IN; and he Immediately demanded the rails
ing OF an army to put down the regula-
tors
Herman Husbands had been elected to
TINS assembly; they expelled him. He
had written for The Gazette an article
which did not please, and this pretense
served as an excuse for getting rid of him.