The farmer and mechanic., 1910-07-12

province had fallen into a deplorab bic
state, and in 174S the action taken
DS lhe General Assembly practically
repudlated all issues before that date
during the administration of Gov
efhor DobbS, treasury notes We're is
sued Tor the first time. These bore in
tereSt and We're to be secured by a
poI tax and a duty on liquors II is
worthy OF note that the public faith
was not violated in this instance as il
had been previously. At the tiI1a OF
the passage of the Stamp Act there
was 4,833 Of paper money of one
klnd or another in circulation IN the
proNliee out the amount Of specie
was insignificant. Judge Haseu who
was Chief Justice of the State at this
time when holding court in the spring
OF 1'6b at Salisbury said there was
scarce any specie circulating among
the pf ople Of this section, not enough
to pay the stamp duties. should that
odlous act be enforced"
On the eve of the Revolution the
finances of North Carolina We're in
chaos and the credit Of the Colony
was In an exceedingly bad way. The
lnterneclne wars with the Regulators
together with the conflicts with the
Indians had drawn heavily upon her
resources. The province was poorly
prepared to engage in the coming
beginning of the war the total amount
OF specie in the thirteen Colonies was
less than ST., 100000. Their treasures
contained only a few thousand pounds
Such was the financial condition OF
the Colonies considered as a whole,
but the treasury OF North Carolina
was empty. her creditors We're clam
oring for their money and the salaries
of her public officials We're greatly in
aTrear. But what complicated the
situation all the more was the lack
OF an efficient system Of taxation. The
province was SparSelV settled: there
was little communica ton among the
Inhabitants, and the economic devel-
opfnent was in the primitive stage,
Handicapped as they We're in many
respects, the people We're not lacking
in patriotic zeal to the cause OF In
dependence.
When subscriptions We're being
taken for the people Of Boston in
1114, their needs met with a hearty
response in North Carolina. A gentle
man OF Wilmin gton writing to a friend
in Massac husettS says. AS to publica
matters | shall likewise please you
that a patriotick Spirit possesses
every bosom, which all ranks of per-
sons seem emulous to express, by
actions as we'll as by words. a
su Inscription having been set on foot
Suffering nobly in the common cause
Of America) very few days, from a
few individuals produced as much as
loaded the vessel by which this letter
comes: ana by this time, | have no
doubt, enough is collected to load an
other Nor is this all: for there IS
apparent in almost every individual a
proper sense Of the injury done to the
colonies, in the tendencies OF those
oppressive Acts of Parliament. and a
determined spirit of opposition ana
resentment worthy Of human bosom
in the great cause of liberty.
On August 8, 1T75, Governor Mar
tin issued his last proclamation to the
people Of North Carolina, and the
royal government came to an end
The die was cast UnpreDared though
she was, the Colony was eager to
cast in her lot with her sister Colonies
in the long. grue1ling struggle for In
dependence.
Z. Y. TUBBS.
University Of Illinois.
I,.Nl