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

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| there should be no liquor, to take these
grave matters into consideration, to in
quire what evils existed, and to adopt
methods of correcting them II any ex-
isted.
Surely nothing could be more temperate
| than this. Here was no rash incendlary,
drunk merely on his unruly passions
| Here was an appeal to reason, to common
sense, to facts, to sane judgment. The
case was not even prejudiced. 1T was
not dogmatically stated that wrongs did
exist. The wrong-doers were not ar
raigned by name. No! Herman Hus-
bands merely declared that the people
were complaining of wrongs, that there
ought not to be any unjust oppression and
that if there were any it should be re-
dressed. He did not seek to dictate meth
DDS of redress. That was to be left to the
people in mass meeting
When the meetings were held, and the
existence of grievances was established,
the resolutions set no law at defiance On
the contrary, the regulators pledged them
selves to pay lawful fees and lawful taxes,
and illegal fees they pledged themselves
not to pay. Bear in mind that the great
mass of the people in North Carolina were
poor
Ready money was extremely scarce. The
fewest number owned slaves. They had
no big cities flourishing on commerce.
They had no mines and manufactures.
They lived on small farms, in small houses,
doing their own work, digging a hard liv-
ing out Of the ground, and having no sur
plus crops to bring money TO their pocb-
cts North Carolina, like Georgia and
Connecticut, was almost a pure demo
cracy.
Therefore, illegal taxes and exhorbitant
fees and court costs were a real hardship.
A new seventy thousand dollar palace for
the British Governor seemed monstrous
abuse-as, under all the circumstances, it
was And when Edmund Tanning, a roy
alist carpet-bagger, came down adventur-
ously into their State, became the Gov
ernor's pet, ran the fee for a marriage
license up to SIS, and charged 81 for at
testing a deed officialy-growing rapidly
rich upon a system of plumber of which
these two instances are but examples-the
people of North Carolina felt the situation
to be intolerable. Had there been one
extortioner, had the abuse stopped at Try
on and Tanning, the burden might have
been patiently borne-so vast is the ca
pacity of the people to endure official
legalized spoilation. But when every of
ficer set himself to initiate his chiefs, it
was as though a sawrm of locusts had
been sent to devour the substance OF these
poor, pitiable people.
Their cause being just. why was their
q, +. 4
skilfully led The movement was not
made general 1t confined itself too
closely to Orange county 1t was not
widely organized. The more violent spirits
committed too many excesses The re-
bellion put itself in the wrong by its
riotous attacks upon individuals. and pri
vate property 1t alarmed too many vest
ed interests.
Such men as John Ashe and Colonel
Waddell went in arms to fight under the
royal banner, just as the Randolphs. the
Lees, and Washingtons would have
done i'll Virginia had the ex
tremists there taken up arms too
soon. 1t was one thing 20 rise
against Great Britain's stamp distributor
it was another to make war upon the
home government. Many and many pa
triotic Virginian who had gloried in Pat
rick Henry's speeches, disapproved his
armed march upon Williamsburg in 1775
when Dunmore had removed the powder.
Prudent. slow but-sure George Washing
ton refused to have anything to do with
it. although the men of Albemarle assem-
bled, and called to him to lead them. Pru-
dent Pendleton and cautious Randolph
Ill 4
Henry and his men.
Only when success had crowned the rash
movement did Patrick win praise from
every tongue, and become the uncrowned'
king Of Virginia
But although the regulators managed
badly and failed, it must be owned that
they were actuated by the true spirit of
liberty. Theirs was the divine indigna-
ton which drives men to resist oppres-
sion. No private grudge inflamed them, |
no sordid motive of any sort appears in
their speeches, their resolutions or their |
conduct. They stood for principle, for |
right. for honest government-that much |
nothing more. Their cause was not the (,
quarrel Of an hour-it was the struggle |
of the ages, the effort of the weak and |
the downtrodden to throw off the yoke |
and break the chain
All remonstrance proving null, all petit
lions for relief going to nought, they stood |
at Alamance to fight, as the Anglo-Saxon
loving just treatment, has always done
as Hampden did, as Cromwell did.
"Disperse, we rebels!" cries Royal Of
fcer Pitcairn at Lexington; and because
the brave militia of the north stood their
ground history makes heroes of them
most properly.
Dispense, or I'll fire." shouts Royal |
Tryon at Alamance four years prior to !
Lexington.
Fire and be damned!'' the rebels ar
swer back
Was not the spirit the same? Should |
not the historian immortalize these men |
also? Would he be much in error if he /
declared the patriots who were shot down |
there, and those who were hanged on |
trees and gibbets there, were the first |
hero-martyrs Of American independence.
Surrender! brave men, surrendern'
cried the English to the old guard at Wa !
terioo