The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-06-07
THE COLONY OF r
CONTINUED from Page EleNeh.l

country genCicI1TI"
their own holdings, seeing the darken-
ing clouds of oppression gradually
growing deeper and darker. with Cr1.
ticaI eve. began to look Tor reile1
from sucn a formidable future, ana
thew .hoight as we'll as looked. AZ
last. " len oppression from 0tate diiu
county officers became no longer en-
durable. they determined to give their
energy and manhood, il need De. 70
it. Redress was nrst sought
In the courts. They brought 1nolc1-
ments for extortion against the county
clerks and sherifs. In almost every
instance the officials were found guilty
and sentenced to pay a fine or one
penny and the costs. which the court
RENTED. The Regulators did not con-
slider the punishment sufficient Tor the
crime, and at once realized tna1 any
to the courts would END only
in a mockery of justice. (Some Veg
lected History Of N. G.. pages 1911
1850.
At this wholesale miscarriage OF
justice, the Regulators IN
the court house yard at HillsbOrough
under the leadership of their Quaker
commoner and forcibiy entered the
court. then in session, ragse out
several Of the attorneys and publicly
whipped them on the court house
common; after which they urged the
Judge to proceed with the docket.
but he adjourned court till the next
day. During the night the judge
quietly his horse and rode
away. When the Regulators learned
that the judge had left the docket I'M
finished they went into the court
house, appointed a clerk, set I'D a
mock" judge and compelled Edward
Tanning, the duly appointed clerk,
who was also a lawyer, to plead in
his official capacity and thus furnish
the docket. CLOSING, field book Of the
Revolution, Vol. II, pg. $3.50. County
Clerk Tanning had been SO over
bearing in his dealings with anu so in
sulting in his demeanor towards them,
that they dragged him from the court
room heels first, down the court house
steps in the yard, where they tied him
to a tree and gave him a severe f1og-
ging, after which they demolished his
fine house. broke up his costly furni-
ture, and would have burned the
house but were afraid the wind
might cause the fire to spread to ad-
joining property.
A few lines from a poem by the
Poet Laureate Of the Regulators will
serve to show the character of Fan
ming, who-thOugh a college-bred man
and the son OF wealthy parents-is
represented as a weary pauper when
first coming into North Carolina and
before receiving his appointment from
Governor Tryon:
"When Tanning first to Orange came,
be looked both pale and wan:
An old patched coat was on his back,
An old gray mare he rode on.
Both man and mare want worth five
pounds,
AS I've been often old
But, by his civil roberies.
he'S lined his coat with gold"
TO pnn -nf NJ -
The attitude of the royal governors
towards the people Of the Province of
North Carolina had always been like
that Of the Father Of the faithful"
driving the Colonists "Hagar like into
the wilderness there to pine and
perlsh from eXtortion and oppression.
1t was nothing more to expect, then,
mat the yeomanry of the land like
Of old should be ready to
raise their hands against every one
for oppression. The God Of Abraham
protected the exiles and blessed them
with fair and fruitful lands. The
promise was also unto them ito help
IN the making of a great nation" In
those days 1000 or more men
banded themselves together for a
noble purpose against common
wrong, their Influence for good was
felt, and be it said to their credit. the
deliberations Of the Regulators were
orderly and peaceful. yet information
reached Governor Tryon through Fan
ning-who. had repeatedly stated
that he wanted revenge and revenge
he would have" He dispatched an ex-
press to the Governor saying the Re-
suiators have raised a body Of 1000
men and are preparing to march on
Hillsboro and lay it in ashes, they are
q menace to the country and must be
He then urged the Gov.
ernor TO lose no time in subduine the
revolutionists with the military nnder
his command. Cool. and Rev. Rec. Of
n. c.. vol. 8, page 645.)
The First Rattle of the Revolution.
Governor Tyron. on the receipt Of
fannings dispatch, lost no time in
preparations for warfare. He
at once issued a %circula letter to his
Colonies in all the counties where the
Regulators were not predominant, or