Judge Harris' immediate ancestors were of the planter class. When the Harris family arrived from England in the early 1500's they came from a very wealthy family that were close friends of King James. In fact, one of the Harris family was knighted by King James (the King that gave us the King James version of the Bible).
Two brothers that were great-great grandfathers of Judge Harris were given very large land grants in both Virginia and North Carolina and also held stock in the London Company which was authorized by King James to
colonize the Virginia Colony. Later a second charter granted by King James included the territory of North Carolina. It is know that the Harris families has large tobacco plantations in both Virginia and North Carolina.

After the Revolutionary War some members of the Harris family migrated to Georgia and won large acreage as result of the land lottery for veterans of the Revolutionary War.

Judge Harris' could well have gotten his opinion of the Planter Class by learning of his ancestors' treatment of the Indians and the many tenant farmers that tended their large land holdings for them in Virginia and NC. on which they raised tobacco..