School History of North Carolina Part 13

2. What visit was made by Governor Dobbs? How was the new county of Rowan becoming settled?

3. Who was put in command of the North Carolina troops? How was he prevented from joining General Braddock? Find Old Fort on the map.

4. Who had incited the Indians to the proposed attack on Old Fort?

5. Give an account of Colonel Waddell's expedition-against the Indians.

6. What noted man in England had charge of American affairs?

What effect had his administration upon every portion of the world?

7. What great victory was gained in America at this period? What good resulted to the whole country from this victory?

8. What had been the increase of population in North Carolina?

Can you name some of the exports?

9. Where did Governor Dobbs endeavor to have the capital of North Carolina located?

10. What trouble did the Governor have with the Legislature?

With what result?

11. Of what extortions did the people complain? How was Francis Corbin treated, and why?

12. What is said of the close of Governor Dobbs' life?

CHAPTER XX.

GOVERNOR TRYON AND THE FIRST RESISTANCE TO THE STAMP ACTS.

A. D. 1765 TO 1766.

Some months before the death of Governor Dobbs there had come over from England a handsome, polished and genial officer who wore the uniform of the Queen's Guards. This was Lieutenant- Colonel William Tryon, recently appointed Lieutenant-Governor of North Carolina. He succeeded Governor Dobbs, and left a name that will never be forgotten in North Carolina.

2. Governor Tryon was accompanied by his wife and her sister, Miss Esther Wake. They were ladies of great attractiveness, and were destined to become so much valued by the people that their family name is still preserved in our midst, as the name of our metropolitan county.

3. There was much gaiety seen at that time in the eastern counties. The Indians were all gone, beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the rude huts of old had, in many instances, been replaced by large and costly buildings of brick. Weddings were generally celebrated by b.a.l.l.s that lasted for a week.

Hospitality was unstinted, and most men of means thought their establishments imperfect until provided with a private race course. With hound and horn, there was great diversion, for game was abundant and the sport open to all who could get a horse to ride.

4. In such society the brilliant family of the Governor was of course at once sure of unbounded influence. Perhaps no man was ever more warmly esteemed than Governor Tryon during the first years of his rule in North Carolina. He was gracious and wary at the same time. He knew whom to cultivate, and while smiling on all he was fast making friends who were almost ready to die in his behalf.

5. The great preacher, George Whitefield, came to the State in 1765, and moved thousands with his eloquence. His new sect, the Methodist, had until then made no progress in North Carolina, and his converts went to swell the numbers of the Baptists, who were more numerous than any other denomination.

6. There was the utmost kindness of feeling between the new Governor and the people, when the news came that the English Parliament had pa.s.sed a law called the "Stamp Act." It had been much talked of and denounced in many portions of America, and now, with a unanimity that is still one of the strangest things recorded in history, the men of all conditions, in every colony, arose in frenzy and swore that this law should not be executed in America.

7. The Stamp Act required that all colonial legal instruments, such as deeds, bonds and notes, should be written only upon stamped paper, otherwise they were not binding, or of any effect. The paper was prepared in England, to be sold to the colonists at the heavy tax of one and two dollars upon each sheet. In addition to this, the act contained a great variety of other ruinous exactions. Newspapers and pamphlets were taxed more than such publications at present would cost. An advertis.e.m.e.nt in a newspaper paid the government fifty cents; almanacs, eight cents; college diplomas, ten dollars; and the fee charged for a marriage license was sometimes as high as fifteen dollars. The act received royal a.s.sent on 22d March, 1765.

8. The law was oppressive upon the people because of the amount exacted, but was considered const.i.tutional in England by many great lawyers who were warm friends of the American people. But in America it had been held for some time that no tax levied by Great Britain, without the consent of America, was just; and thus every man resolved that the Stamp Act should not be enforced.

9. When the news reached Governor Tryon, at New Bern, the General a.s.sembly was in session at that place. A very bold and fearless man, Colonel John Ashe, was then Speaker of the House of a.s.sembly. Governor Tryon asked of Ashe, in private conversation, what the House would do as to the new law." We will resist its execution to the death," said he, and that very day Governor Tryon sent them all home by proroguing the session. Nor did he permit them to a.s.semble again until late in the next year, after the repeal of the Stamp Act. By this means he prevented the election of delegates from North Carolina to the Continental Congress which met in New York in 1765 to organize the opposition to that oppressive measure.

[Prorogue is to continue or adjourn a legislative body from one session to another by Royal or State authority. ]

10. The first step of the people in their resistance to the Stamp Act was to carry James Houston, who had been appointed Stamp Agent, before Moses John DeRosset, who was then Mayor of Wilmington. There, in the presence of many distinguished men of the Cape Fear country, on the 16th of November, 1765, he was obliged publicly to resign his office in the Court House of Wilmington, and make oath that he would have no further connection with it.

11. Twelve days later, on the 28th November, 1765, the ship of war Diligence arrived with stamps. The commander was told by armed men, under Colonels Ashe and Waddell, that they must not be landed; and no effort was made to do so. On the 21st December, 1765, the Governor issued his proclamation dissolving the General a.s.sembly, and on the same day took the opinion of his Council and the Attorney-General "whether writs can issue for the election of a new a.s.sembly, as the circulation of the stamps is obstructed." The Council and Attorney-General advised that the writs could go without stamps.

1766.

12. On the 6th January, 1766, Governor Tryon, taking fresh courage from some source, went so far as to issue a proclamation announcing that the stamps were on board the Diligence and ready for distribution. It did no good, however, for no one would use them. Comparative quiet now ensued for some weeks, but it was only the calm before the storm.

13. On the 14th of February, two vessels that had come up to the port of Brunswick without stamps upon their clearance papers were promptly seized by the Custom House officers, and then the storm arose. On the 19th, armed men broke open the desk of the Collector of the Port, and forcibly carried off the unstamped clearance papers of the two vessels. On the 20th, a committee of armed men appeared on board the Viper and demanded of Captain Lobb the two sloops he was guarding. Meanwhile armed men were continually coming into Brunswick from different counties.

14. On the evening of the 20th, Mr. Pennington, another stamp distributor, took refuge in Governor Tryon's house. Shortly after eight o'clock on the morning of the 21st, armed men appeared before the Governor's house and sent him a note desiring him to permit Mr. Pennington to appear before them, and informing him that it would "not be in the power of the Directors appointed to prevent the ill consequences that may attend a refusal." The Governor replied that any gentleman who had business with Mr. Pennington might see him at the Governor's house. This, however, was by no means satisfactory, and in a short time, according to the Governor's statement, a body of some five hundred men in arms moved toward his house. A detachment of sixty then came down the avenue and the main body drew up in sight and within three hundred yards of the house.

15. Mr. Cornelius Harnett, a representative in the a.s.sembly for Wilmington, came at the head of the detachment and sent a message asking to speak with Mr. Pennington; when he came into the house he told Mr. Pennington "the gentlemen wanted him."

The Governor replied that Mr. Pennington was in his house for refuge and that he would protect him to the utmost. Mr. Harnett thereupon said he hoped the Governor would let Mr. Pennington go, as the people were determined to take him out of the house if he should be longer detained, an insult, Mr. Harnett said, they wished to avoid giving to the Governor.

16. The Governor protested it mattered not about that insult after they had already offered him every insult they could offer by investing his house and virtually making him a prisoner before any grievance had been made known to him.

17. Mr. Pennington growing apprehensive and showing a disposition to go with Mr. Harnett, the Governor suggested to him that he resign before he left. To this he agreed, and thereupon the Governor let him go. He was afterward compelled to take an oath that he would never issue any stamped paper in the province, as were all the clerks of the county courts and other public officers. The inhabitants, in the language of the Governor, having redressed, after the manner described, their grievances complained of, left the town of Brunswick about one o'clock on the 21st. These things were done, it must be borne in mind, in the broad daylight, and by men perfectly well known, and without a particle of disguise. After this, vessels entered and left the ports of North Carolina as if no Stamp Act had ever been pa.s.sed.

18. On June 13, 1766, came news from England of the repeal of the law that had so terribly excited and aroused America.

Governor Tryon announced the fact in a proclamation, but he had been humiliated by the resistance at Wilmington, and from that hour, probably, determined on the revenge which he afterwards exacted at Alamance.

[NOTE--Governor Tryon desired to regain his influence, for political purposes, over the people whom he had so greatly offended; and he ordered a general muster at Wilmington. He prepared a feast for the militia, of whole oxen roasted, and barrels of beer. When the feast was ready the people rushed to the tables and threw the oxen into the river and emptied the beer upon the ground. A general fight ensued between the militia and the men of the English vessels, and perfect quiet was not restored for several days.]

QUESTIONS.

1. What distinguished person have we now under consideration?

How did he become Governor of North Carolina?

2. Who accompanied Governor Tryon? What is said of the two ladies?

3. Tell something of life in the eastern counties at this time.

4. How did the Tryon family become very influential?

5. What great preacher came to North Carolina in 1765?

How were his labors rewarded?

6. What memorable law was pa.s.sed by Parliament?

How was the news received in North Carolina?

7. What can you tell of the Stamp Act?

8. What is said of the law?