South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-08-01

The smothered fires of revenge will on
Is be kindIing hotter, to burst forth ere
long with increased fury. And then
when the schemes of the blacks shall.
have ripened into maturity, and their
vengeance shall be consummated in
the indiscrimina.e slaughter Of the
southern whites--then the motives of
those who now seek to prevent this
calamity by removal of the slaves,
will be admitted to have proceeded
from the purest patriotism. Until
then, even down to the very moment
of the explosion efthe volcano, they
will continue to be stigmatzsd as
Impairment meddlers and fanatics
From the Nashville Banner. July Is.
Insurrection of SLAVES in Mississip-
p;.--A merchant Of Nashville received
letter this morning, from gentleman
OF responsibility 10 Mississippi, giving
an account Of an extensive meditated
insurrrection of the slaves in the state,
which was, fortunately, discovered
few days before the intended massacre
took place. The letter is evidently
written under strong excitement, and
perhaps, with some exaggeration but
The account given is no doubt substan-
tally true. The writer says;
81 take few moments from the
awful distress aud confusion existing
here, 10 inform you that this Kinds
and several adjoining counties, have
been under arms day and night in our
own defence, expecting every moment
10 be burned up or have our throats
cut, by the negroes. A dreadful alarm
exists, particularly among the females.
"An insurrection has, it appears,
been on hand among the negroes for
the last six months, headed by white
men. The massacre was to have com.
menced on the 4th of July. Their
plans were we'll laid, and no doubt
but that thousands of the whites would
have been murdered, had we not been
saved, only week before the time, by
faithful negro man, who was in all
the secrets, and was to have been high
in command, and who revealed to his
master the whole plan; and to con.
vince him of its reality, placed his
master in a position where, from his
place Of concealment, he could over
hear one of their night meetings, at
which the whole scheme was discussed.
"A great many negroes were in
consequence, taken up 10 Madison
county, from whom the committee
found out who the white leaders were.
About ten negroes and FIVE or six
white men have been hung without any
form Of law or trial, except an exam.
ination before the examining commit.
tee. They are still going on trying
and banging. 1t appears, from con.
fession that Doctor Cotton made that
their route was to have commenced
from some place above this, and pro.
coed thence through the principal towns
to Natchez, and then on to New Or
leans, numbering all the white men
and ugly women-sparing the hand.
some ones and making wives Of them
and plundering and burning as they
went. DR.. Cotton, after being con-
demned upon negro testimony, made
confession and disclosed the whole
plan. He is en- old confederate of a
man by the name Of Murrell, now 10
the Nashville penitentiary."
Extract ola letter from q gentleman
in Clinton, Mississippi, to gentleman in
Lynchburg. Va. dated the 9Th of July,
1885.
"Qur community is in state of ex-
citernent, on the subject of an insur.
rection of the slaves. II seems proc
bable that they contemplated it pretty
generally, and that last night was the
time fixed on for the purpose. In
Madison county, they have hung two
white men (both steam doctors,) and
seven negroes at least. About Liv.
ings,on, the excitement was greatest.
The summary justice, however, Of
Mississippians, has probably quieled
the spirit for years. Acting on the
principle Of "salus populi suprema est
lex" the good people of that place and
its vicinity appointed committee 10
pass on the guilt or innocence of the
accused, and they acted accordingly.
The two whites were pronounced,
guilty on yesterday, and after the SEN
tence was announced, an hour was
allowed Them for preparation, when
they were swung off. One Of them,
under the gallows acknowledged the
justice of his fate, and stated that the