The Virginia Gazette

To Mess. PURDIE & DIXON.

GENTLEMEN,

DESIRE the Favour of you to insert, as early as possible, in your Gazette, the enclosed Answer to some Queries which you lately transcribed from a Massachusetts Spy. Those were calculated to asperse, this is written to defend, the Character and Conduct of a Gentleman in a very high Station, and who has at least a Right to Justice in the Opinion of the Publick. For these Reasons, I hope you will not deny the enclosed a Place in your Paper, by giving me which you will oblige,

Gentlemen, your very humble Servant,

A SUBSCRIBER.

To the Author of some Queries inserted in the Massachusetts Spy of June 27th, addressed to Governor Tryon, and signed Leonidas.

SIR,

THOUGH I am not that redoubted Impavidus you sneer at, and am entirely unconnected with Governor Tryon, who has now no other Influence in this Province than the grateful Remembrance of his Merit will ever give him, I cannot suppress my Indignation at such a daring Violation of Truth, Decency, and Honour, as you have shown in your Queries. You ought, Sir, to have been completely Master of Facts from which you draw such bold Inferences; and it could hardly have been expected that an Impeachment of a Gentleman's Conduct in such high Trust should be grounded upon bare Surmises, or false Suggestions. But, Sir, that I may not too much follow your Track of Declamation, I will proceed to answer those Queries which you have addressed to Governor Tryon, in a Manner, I hope, at once full and satisfactory.

Your first Query relates to a private Circumstance of the late King, which neither you nor I can be supposed to be acquainted with. I do, however, presume it probable that the late King may have had such a Design, it being so evidently calculated for general Utility.

Your second Query conveys an Insinuation which is not true. The Design of building a Palace for the Governor was schemed by some Gentlemen of the Assembly, who proposed, by this Means, to fix the Seat of Government in a Town convenient for the whole Province; as many Members were often greatly incommoded, by the Necessity of going from one extreme Part of the Province to another. This, I am authoritatively assured, was the original Cause of the Erection of the Palace; and I assert it was formed by Gentlemen who were not officially dependent on the Governor, and were not, many of them, personal Friends to him. They were Men who would do Honour to any Assembly upon Earth, and whose Characters for Integrity have ever been unimpeached. This, Sir, is enough to destroy your vile Calumny, and these Facts I write with unquestionable Veracity. More upon a mere provincial Concern would be unnecessary, and impertinent; and these Circumstances are not given for your Satisfaction, but that the Publick may not be prejudiced by your infamous Slander. The other Part of this Query implies a general Doubt about the Integrity of Governor Tryon's Administration. General Invective is none at all; and this I can only answer by affirming, that, in my Opinion, Governor Tryon always wished, and endeavoured, to promote universal and impartial Justice, and I do not know of one Instance where it was, by his Interposition, defeated or eluded. A negative Assertion cannot be proved by positive Testimony; but it becomes you to offer some Proof of the criminal Actions which you, with equal Ignorance and Malevolence, impute to Governor Tryon.

Your third Query includes a Fact which we are not to take upon your Suggestion. Such a comprehensive Charge only admits of a general Negation, which the united Voice of this Country indignantly offers you. His Excellency is well known to have exerted himself with great Vigour in procuring a faithful Inquiry into the Grievances complained of, and particularly directed the Attorney General to prepare Indictments for every Accusation which should be presented to him; but so trivial were the Offences of those Officers who were indicted for Extortion that very lenient Fines were imposed. With you this would be a Proof of the Corruption of the Judges: With us, who know better, it evinces the Futility of the obnoxious Grievances. The passing Compliment you pay to the Judges, Sheriffs, and Pettifoggers, has perhaps been furnished to you by some of our Renegadoes, from whom you may likewise have received an Account of Governor Tryon's Avarice, Ambition, Injustice, Perjury, Perfidy, and Murder. Forbear, thou rash Calumniator! and dare no more to venture upon the hazardous Presumption of Conjecture and Surmise. Be well assured of all Facts you communicate to the Publick, and do not again oblige me to silence thee into Confusion.

The Trial of an able and generous Planter by a Court Martial, and inflicting a Hundred Lashes upon him for refusing to take Arms against his Brethren, is a Fact we know Nothing of. A Man, indeed, who voluntarily enlisted himself in the Body of Men which the Governor raised, with the professed Intention of reducing the Regulators to Obedience, peaceably, or by Force of Arms, did receive military Discipline, to which he was legally sentenced, for endeavouring to seduce the Soldiers from their Duty, and openly approving the Conduct of the Regulators. Was not this necessary? Who will condemn it but Leonidas? And it was more peculiarly necessary in that Case, as there were many secret Regulators in every Part of the Province, who only wore a Disguise till they should see which was the safest Side to adhere to. If it be asked how came Such a general Principle of Licentiousness, I answer it is natural to a People whose Circumstances are mean, and whose Condition is poor, when they can hope for Advantage from publick Calamity. A few busy Spirits in the back Parts of this Province infatuated the poor People there with groundless Suggestions and flattering Promises, and the Contagion spread through every Part of the Country. Most Men, who have no Principle, are inclined to suspect the Integrity of Persons above them, and Insinuations to their Prejudice easily gain Ground. A Lie is soon propagated among People disposed to believe it, till general Report gives it current Credit, and it then becomes almost impossible to remove the Evil it occasions. However, so far was the Insolence of the Regulators arrived that it became absolutely necessary for the Legislature to provide an effectual Remedy. Large Bodies of Men assembling to commit Acts of Depredation on private Property, and threatening even the Government itself, must either receive a timely and severe Check, or they will soon destroy the Government which is intimidated by them. Under the Strength of this Necessity, it was thought proper by the last Assembly to enact a Riot Act, similar to the One in England, but to be in Force only one Year, which might either operate its Effect in terrorem, or arm the Government with Powers sufficient to guard against publick Violence. With this View, it was enacted that if any Persons, to the Number of ten or more, should assemble together in a tumultuous Manner, and not disperse within an Hour after a Proclamation to that Purpose was read by the Sheriff of the County, or a Justice of the Peace, that they should be deemed guilty of Felony; and that it should be lawful for such Sheriff or Justice, and all Persons aiding and assisting, to seize, apprehend, or disperse, such Persons so remaining; and that if any were wounded or killed in Consequence, the Officer should be free from all Prosecution on that Account; and Persons found in Arms opposing the Forces of the Province, it was declared by that Law, should be deemed Traitors. Such is the Substance of the Act, in Consequence of which the Governor, after having offered as Terms of Accommodation that they should surrender the Persons outlawed, lay down their Arms, and take the Oath of Allegiance, which they insolently refused to do, sent the Sheriff of the County to read the Proclamation, and assured them that if they did not disperse within an Hour, as the Act required of them, he would fire at the Expiration of it.