Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/292

 268 HISTORY OF this mornings and at this time (2 p.m.) about forty are here. The companies from Franklin, Meredith, and Walton, have been called upon, and are on the ground. There has been no serious difficulty in Delaware county as yet. Big Thunder, alim Mr. Squires, was arrested yesterday by force. The anti-renters have made serious threats, and the sheriff is afraid he cannot do his duty, (namely, serving process and making some arrests,) without this extra force. " It is said that the companies from the above-named places, are the only ones in Delaware county, but what the disaffected have a majority in." It had been reasonably hoped that the prompt and efficient action of the sheriff and his assistants, in conjunction with the timely action of the legislature, by the passage of the preceding act, would completely annihilate all further spirit of revolt, and that those who had been thoughtless enough to convoke themselves in open violation of the established prin- ciples of law, would become convinced of the error into which they had fallen, and return again peaceably to the quiet occu- pation of their homes. And it seemed for a time that these hopes had been realized, but that period proved to be of short duration, and the quiet and heretofore peaceful county was destined yet again to become disturbed by the angry spirit of discontent, and the character of its citizens to be stained by the perpetration of still darker scenes. Nothing further worthy of note occurred until the eleventh of March, when the excitement again broke forth, as will be gathered by the following letter from a prominent citizen of the county to the editor of the Albany Evening Journal. , "Delhi, March 11, 1845. Dear Sir — I write hastily amongst a crowd to inform you of the state of affairs here. The following copy of a letter just received from 0. N. Steele, a deputy sheriff, now held in