pioneers of the old southwest-第20部分

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hey　meted　out　mob　treatment　likewise　to　William　Hooper；　later　one　of　the　signers　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence。

Two　elements；　with　antithetical　aims；　had　been　at　work　in　the　Regulation；　and　the　unfortunate　failure　of　justice　in　the　case　of　Fanning　had　given　the　corrupt　element　its　opportunity　to　seize　control。　In　the　petitions　addressed　to　Governor　Tryon　by　the　leaders　of　the　movement　in　its　earlier　stages　the　aims　of　liberty…loving　thinkers　are　traceable。　It　is　worthy　of　note　that　they　included　in　their　demands　articles　which　are　now　constitutional。　They　desired　that　〃suffrage　be　given　by　ticket　and　ballot〃；　that　the　mode　of　taxation　be　altered；　and　each　person　be　taxed　in　proportion　to　the　profits　arising　from　his　estate；　that　judges　and　clerks　be　given　salaries　instead　of　perquisites　and　fees。　They　likewise　petitioned　for　repeal　of　the　act　prohibiting　dissenting　ministers　from　celebrating　the　rites　of　matrimony。　The　establishment　of　these　reforms；　the　petitioners　of　the　Regulation　concluded；　would　〃conciliate〃　their　minds　to　〃every　just　measure　of　government；　and　would　make　the　laws　what　the　Constitution　ever　designed　they　should　be；　their　protection　and　not　their　bane。〃　Herein　clearly　enough　we　can　discern　the　thought　and　the　phraseology　of　the　Ulster　Presbyterians。

But　a　change　took　place　in　both　leaders　and　methods。　During　the　Regulators'　career　of　violence　they　were　under　the　sway　of　an　agitator　named　Hermon　Husband。　This　demagogue　was　reported　to　have　been　expelled　from　the　Quaker　Society　for　cause；　it　is　on　record　that　he　was　expelled　from　the　North　Carolina　Assembly　because　a　vicious　anonymous　letter　was　traced　to　him。　He　deserted　his　dupes　just　before　the　shots　cracked　at　Alamance　Creek　and　fled　from　the　colony。　He　was　afterwards　apprehended　in　Pennsylvania　for　complicity　in　the　Whisky　Insurrection。

Four　of　the　leading　Presbyterian　ministers　of　the　Back　Country　issued　a　letter　in　condemnation　of　the　Regulators。　One　of　these　ministers　was　the　famous　David　Caldwell；　son…in…law　of　the　Reverend　Alexander　Craighead；　and　a　man　who　knew　the　difference　between　liberty　and　license　and　who　proved　himself　the　bravest　of　patriots　in　the　War　of　Independence。　The　records　of　the　time　contain　sworn　testimony　against　the　Regulators　by　Waightstill　Avery；　a　signer　of　the　Mecklenburg　Resolves；　who　later　presided　honorably　over　courts　in　the　western　circuit　of　Tennessee；　and　there　is　evidence　indicating　Jacobite　and　French　intrigue。　That　Governor　Tryon　recognized　a　hidden　hand　at　work　seems　clearly　revealed　in　his　proclamation　addressed　to　those　〃whose　understandings　have　been　run　away　with　and　whose　passions　have　been　led　in　captivity　by　some　evil　designing　men　who；　actuated　by　cowardice　and　a　sense　of　that　Publick　Justice　which　is　due　to　their　Crimes；　have　obscured　themselves　from　Publick　view。〃　What　the　Assembly　thought　of　the　Regulators　was　expressed　in　1770　in　a　drastic　bill　which　so　shocked　the　authorities　in　England　that　instructions　were　sent　forbidding　any　Governor　to　approve　such　a　bill　in　future；　declaring　it　〃a　disgrace　to　the　British　Statute　Books。〃

On　May　16；　1771；　some　two　thousand　Regulators　were　precipitated　by　Husband　into　the　Battle　of　Alamance；　which　took　place　in　a　district　settled　largely　by　a　rough　and　ignorant　type　of　Germans；　many　of　whom　Husband　had　lured　to　swell　his　mob。　Opposed　to　him；　were　eleven　hundred　of　Governor　Tryon's　troops；　officered　by　such　patriots　as　Griffith　Rutherford；　Hugh　Waddell；　and　Francis　Nash。　During　an　hour's　engagement　about　twenty　Regulators　were　killed；　while　the　Governor's　troops　had　nine　killed　and　sixty…one　wounded。　Six　of　the　leaders　were　hanged。　The　rest　took　the　oath　of　allegiance　which　Tryon　administered。

It　has　been　said　about　the　Regulators　that　they　were　not　cast　down　by　their　defeat　at　Alamance　but　〃like　the　mammoth；　they　shook　the　bolt　from　their　brow　and　crossed　the　mountains；〃　but　such　flowery　phrases　do　not　seem　to　have　been　inspired　by　facts。　Nor　do　the　records　show　that　〃fifteen　hundred　Regulators〃　arrived　at　Watauga　in　1771；　as　has　also　been　stated。　Nor　are　the　names　of　the　leaders　of　the　Regulation　to　be　found　in　the　list　of　signatures　affixed　to　the　one　〃state　paper〃　of　Watauga　which　was　preserved　and　written　into　historic　annals。　Nor　yet　do　those　names　appear　on　the　roster　of　the　Watauga　and　Holston　men　who；　in　1774；　fought　with　Shelby　under　Andrew　Lewis　in　the　Battle　of　Point　Pleasant。　The　Boones　and　the　Bryans；　the　Robertsons；　the　Seviers；　the　Shelbys；　the　men　who　opened　up　the　West　and　shaped　the　destiny　of　its　inhabitants；　were　genuine　freemen；　with　a　sense　of　law　and　order　as　inseparable　from　liberty。　They　would　follow　a　Washington　but　not　a　Hermon　Husband。

James　Hunter；　whose　signature　leads　on　all　Regulation　manifestoes　just　prior　to　the　Battle　of　Alamance；　was　a　sycophant　of　Husband；　to　whom　he　addressed　fulsome　letters；　and　in　the　real　battle　for　democracythe　War　of　Independencehe　was　a　Tory。　The　Colonial　Records　show　that　those　who；　〃like　the　mammoth；〃　shook　from　them　the　ethical　restraints　which　make　man　superior　to　the　giant　beast；　and　who　later　bolted　into　the　mountains；　contributed　chiefly　the　lawlessness　that　harassed　the　new　settlements。　They　were　the　banditti　and；　in　1776；　the　Tories　of　the　western　hills；　they　pillaged　the　homes　of　the　men　who　were　fighting　for　the　democratic　ideal。

It　was　not　the　Regulation　Movement　which　turned　westward　the　makers　of　the　Old　Southwest；　but　the　free　and　enterprising　spirit　of　the　age。　It　was　emphatically　an　age　of　doers；　and　if　men　who　felt　the　constructive　urge　in　them　might　not　lay　hold　on　conditions　where　they　were　and　reshape　them；　then　they　must　go　forward　seeking　that　environment　which　would　give　their　genius　its　opportunity。

Of　such　adventurous　spirits　was　James　Robertson；　a　Virginian　born　of　Ulster　Scot　parentage；　and　a　resident　of　（the　present）　Wake　County；　North　Carolina；　since　his　boyhood。　Robertson　was　twenty…eight　years　old　when；　in　1770；　he　rode　over　the　hills　to　Watauga。　We　can　imagine　him　as　he　was　then；　for　the　portrait　taken　much　later　in　life　shows　the　type　of　face　that　does　not　change。　It　is　a　high　type　combining　the　best　qualities　of　his　race。　Intelligence；　strength　of　purpose；　fortitude；　and　moral　power　are　there；　they　impress　us　at　the　first　glance。　At　twenty…eight　he　must　have　been　a　serious　young　man；　little　given　to　laughter；　indeed；　spontaneity　is　perhaps　the　only　good　trait　we　miss　in　studying　his　face。　He　was　a　thinker　who　had　not　yet　found　his　purposea　thinker　in　leash；　for　at　this　time　James　Robertson　could　neither　read　nor　write。

At　Watauga；　Robertson　lived　for　a　while　in　the　cabin　of　a　man　named　Honeycut。　He　chose　land　for　himself　and；　in　accordance　with　the　custom　of　the　time；　sealed　his　right　to　it　by　planting　corn。　He　remained　to　harvest　his　first　crop　and　then　set　off　to　gather　his　family　and　some　of　his　friends　together　and　escort　them　to　the　new　country。　But　on　the　way　he　missed　the　trail　and　wandered　for　a　fortnight　in　the　mountains。　The　heavy　rains　ruined　his　powder　so　that　he　could　not　hunt；　for　food　he　had　only　berries　and　nuts。　At　one　place；　where　steep　bluffs　opposed　him；　he　was　obliged　to　abandon　his　horse　and　scale　the　mountain　side　on　foot。　He　was　in　extremity　when　he　chanced　upon　two　huntsmen　who　gave　him　food　and　set　him　on　the　trail。　If　this　experience　proves　his　lack　of　the　hunter's　instinct　and　the　woodsman's　resourcefulness　which　Boone　possessed；　it　proves　also　his　special　qualities　of　perseverance　and　endurance　which　were　to　reach　their　zenith　in　his　successful　struggle　to　colonize　and　hold　western　Tennessee。　He　returned　to　Watauga　in　the　following　spring　（1771）　with　his　family　and　a　small　group　of　colonists。　Robertson's　wife　was　an　educated　woman　and　under　her　instruction　he　now　began　to　study。

Next　year　a　young　Virginian　from　the　Shenandoah　Valley　rode　on　down　Holston　Valley　on　a　hunting　and　exploring　trip；　and　loitered　at　Watauga。　Here　he　found　not　only　a　new　settlement　but　an　independent　government　in　the　making；　and　forthwith　he　determined　to　have　a　part　in　both。　This　young　Virginian　had　already　shown　the　inclination　of　a　political　colonist；　for　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley　he　had；　at　the　age　of　nineteen；　laid　out　the　town　of　New　Market　（which　exists　to　this　day）　and　had　directed　its　municipal　affairs　and　invited　and　fostered　its　clergy。　This　young　Virginianborn　on　September　23；　1745；　and　so　in　1772　twenty…seven　years　of　agewas　John　Sevier；　that　John　Sevier　whose　monument　now　towers　from　its　site　in　Knoxville　to　testify　of　both　the　wild　and　the　great　deeds　of　old　Tennessee's　beloved　knight。　Like　Robertson；　Sevier　hastened　home　and　removed　his　whole　family；　including　his　wife　and　children；　his　parents　and　his　brothers　and　sisters；　to　this　new　haven　of　freedom　at　Watauga。

The　friendship　formed　between　Robertson　and　Sevier　in　these　first　years　of　their　work　together　was　never　broken；　yet　two　more　opposite　types　could　hardly　have　been　brought　together。　Robertson　was　a　man　of　humble　origin；　unlettered；　not　a　dour　Scot　but　a　solemn　one。　Sevier　was　cavalier　as　well　as　frontiersman。　On　his　father's　side　he　was　of　the　patrician　family　of　Xavier　in　France。　His　progenitors；　having　become　Huguenots；　had　taken　refuge　in　England；　where　the　name　Xavier　was　finally　changed　to　Sevier。　John　Sevier's　mother　was　an　Englishwoman。　Some　years　before　his　birth　his　parents　had　emigrated　to　the　Shenandoah　Valley。　Thus　it　happened　that　John　Sevier；　who　mingled　good　English　blood　with　the　blue　blood　of　old　France；　was　born　an　American　and　grew　up　a　frontier　hunter　and　soldier。　He　stood　about　five　feet　nine　from　his　moccasins　to　his　crown　of　light　brown　hair。　He　was　well…proportioned　and　as　graceful　of　body　as　he　was　hard…muscled　and　swift。　His　chin　was　firm；　his　nose　of　a　Roman　cast；　his　mouth　well…shaped；　its　slightly　full　lips　slanting　in　a　smile　that　would　not　be　repressed。　Under　the　high；　finely　modeled　brow；　small　keen　dark　blue　eyes　sparkled　with　health；　with　intelligence；　and　with　the　man's　joy　in　life。

John　Sevier　indeed　cannot　be　listed　as　a　type；　he　was　individual。　There　is　no　other　character　like　him　in　border　annals。　He　was　cavalier　and　prince　in　his　leadership　of　men；　he　had　their　homage。　Yet　he　knew　how　to　be　comrade　and　brother　to　the　lowliest。