Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-12-20

w- We deem it our duty to allude to rumors of
Instruction among the slaves, and to call the atten
ton of our readers to the following article from the
Richmond Enquirer, which may be applied to this
State, in all probability, we'll as to Virginia. We
forbear give in full the details of the attempted
Instruction among the Cumberland iron works, in
Tennessee. Suffice it to say, that no white persons
were injured, the plot having been detected before
i, was matured; but number of slaves have been
shot, whipped, ana hanged White inccndiaries
were summariy disposed Of, as they should be wher-
ever and whenever detected in the horrible crime.
Let death, instant death, be their portion.
One of the Editore of the Courier des Etats Unis
writing from GAINESVILLE, Tenn. says
1.-THE town isl more tranquil than any of the other
nlaces that we have visited about here This is be-
cause the white population, more numerous has
less to fear from the plots Of agitators, white or
black Nevertheless, during the last few days, they
have not been without anxiety. They cite among
other things, the working of an iron mine which &C.
cupies about eight hundred negroes, belonging to
single individual, and which has been on the point
Of being suspended.
The energetic action Of proprietor, and the arrest
of six whites who stirred up the revolt have srficed
to suppress the commencement OF an lnSurrectIon.
The works 20 Oh, but they necessarily watched.
The six whites have been condemned to the peniten
tary. Thirty blacks nave been arrested, and await
judgment.
The credulity Of these poor people is such that,
in the belief of the whites who excite thci, they
imagine that Col. Fremont, with large army, is
waiting at the mouth of the river Cumberland until
the night of the 23d or oath of December has ARR
ved Then all this army will help to deliver the
slaves.
They have been struck by the sudden swelling of
the river, and attribute this circumstance to the
great assemblage of men and ships at its mouth
Certain slaves so greatly imbued with this IA
bic, that have seen them smile when they are being
whipped, and have heard them say that Fremont
and his men can hear the blows they receive"
The mines along the shores of the Cumberland,
for distance Of about thirty miles, have suspended
work. Machine shops, occupying from $50 to 200
negroes, have only five or six whites to direct
operations. This is the case in regard to the Cum
berand Iron Works. of which spoke yesterday
In these localities, Also the panic is great. Three
white freesoiers have been arrested in Dover in the
act of exciting revolt They were beaten, and
allowed fifteen hours to leave the county and
thirty to get out of the State.
A black preacher was arrested while delivering an
abolitionist sermon. He forms one OF the nine who
were yesterday in Dover. OF these nine five are
not yet tried The four others have been tried by
regular tribunal, and were condemned to be hung
Thursday, tomorrow } but as on the announce
ment of this science band of blacks organized
for rescue, the four criminals were to be hung last
evening. The excitement which will naturally fol-
low among the slaves is much dreaded The women
and children too young to serve for defence, are EN-
grating towards the more populous district.
Of the body of two hundred blacks that marched
to Dover, about sixty have been arrested. They
these which l saw whipped yesterday at the Cum
berland Iron Works Thirty others returned their
workshops and farms, and the rest to the woods
but no attempt at pillage and murder has yet been
made. In saving themselves, the blacks not only
carried away arms and ammunition, but also every
thing that they could, and in many places particular
ly at Dover, the whites are short of powder. They
would have paid its weight in gold for that which W
could not procure for them
All the blacks made prisoners are first examined
separately by ajury, who decd whether there i
ground not to lay accusation before Justice
This increased precaution has already had goot
moral effect among them.
AS l told you yesterday, the plan was to butche
the whites upon isolated farms and in the workshops
and then to march to each chief town of the county
They would thus have established free road alon,
the Cumberland from Nashville to Ohio.
By this route all who took part in the revolt coult
have fought retreat to Indiana and Illinois, N,
could have disturbed them, for they would hav
traversed the least populated part of the country
Thus, though the plot has been exposed, and w
have not to dread any actual explosion there still
remains uneasiness about the future, and re
fleet with terror upon the facility of executing thi
plan, if it had not been discovered"
The following is the article from the Enquirer
referred to:
NEGRO INSTRUCTIONS Every day develops som
fresh scheme of revolt among the slaves of tn
Western and more Southern States. To those al
ready reported in our columns, we have to add an
other prepared plan of instruction just detected
defeated in South Carolina. Occurring at the sam
time in many separate localities these dscovere
suggest the suspicion of very general spirit of in
subordination among the negro population. VIII,
should this State alone be exempt from the DANCE
which impended nearly the entire Southern
community It net In Montgomery county an,
In the vicinity of Williamsburg, facts have beef
brought to light which warrant the apprehension O
an outbreak, and justify the people in the most sum
mary measures Of suppression.
1t is a remarkable circumstance in all thes
schemes OF meditated instruction, that Christina
was selected as the day of their accomplishment
Now, observing so widespread spirit of revol
among the slaves, perceiving that the same incendia
causes operate in full vgor this State and seeing
indeed, that indications Of intended outb, eak hav
been detected in more than one county in Virginia
We venture at the hazard even Of exciting unneces
sary apprehension, to inquire if it is not the DUTY
the authorities and of the people to provide ever,
possible precaution against any demonstration q
violence among own negroes? Shall we not b
admonished by timely discoveries in other States
Or, shall we neglect our own security, until we toe
are exposed to extreme ALARM if not to actual peril
The military system Of Virginia is in utter dlap
dation. Out Of the cities have no organize
means of protection against Sudden cmergenc,
Every consideration, then, suggests the necessity
adopting immediate measures of prevention. OF
Vousiy the best thing to be done under the circum
stances, is to appoint patrols for the countless an
to stimulate the polio of the towns to more rigor
vigilance. 1t is especially important that the couu