The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-11
Negro Ipsurreetion Plots I'm the South The
Fruits Of Niggcr Agitation.


Fruits OF Niggcr Agitation.
During the last few days we have been re-
ceiving various startling reports from Kentucky,
Tennessee. Louisiana and elsewhere 10 the slave
holding States, of the discovery of alarming in
surrectionary conspiracies among the negroes,
and Of the summary punishment OF numerous
detected offenders The most formidable of these
conspiracies appears TO have been concocted in
Tennessee about the last of the Southern States
in which We should have anticipated anything Of
the sort. In reference to this conspiracy we are
informed that there was much excitement in the
neighborhood OF Dover on the Cumberland river,
among the negroes-that many of the ringleaiers
bad been arrested and eleven hung-tblt one
white man. disguised as negro. had been sen
fenced TO nine hundred lashes, bu. died before
the penalty was fully inficted-tbat the whites
were srming aod organizing for defence-that an
opinion prevailed that general uprising would
axe place amolg the negroes during the holi-
asys-and thai escapes OF slaves were unusually
numerous.
Now. if this were an isolated case. II might be
charged with some show Of reason to me crimi-
raj management Of some medding white fanatic,
or 10 some peculiar local circumstances; but the
Simultaneous discovery OF similar plots, in various
other localities. remote from each other, only
be accounted for upon the hypothesis OF some
general deluson lately diiusei throughout the
South, ard acted upon Spontaneously here and
there, by The negroes themselves. A little news
paper paragraph which we published from one Of
our exchanges the other day, throws a light uoon
the subject, which doubtless reveals 70 u the
clue 70 the whole mystery. A lady in Memphis.
tennessee. shortly before toe Presidential
election. bad been giving negro girl whole
some lecture concerning the neslect q her duties
in the kitchen. d" Oh. never niue" replied Sal
ly. wait iii Fremont is elected, aud den guess
as bow, misses, you will have to slew dc pots
yourself The idea no doubt. was that with
Fremonts election all the negroes OF the South
would BE- instantly emansipated or supported
from the North in bloody revolt; and az, with
lew exceptions, the highest earthly happiness
wrh Cuiiee l. the unspeakable liberty Of laziness
'he whites. OF course throughout the South,
with the emancipation Of the blacks, would BE-
compelled 70 DO all the work Of The house and
plantation. This We apprehend vas the idea so
broadly limited At by Sally in her significant
warning 20 her mistress.
The question recurs, how was this impression
Of the emancipation Of the slaves - broadly diff
fused among the Southern slave population as il
evident from these reported conspiracies! No.
by the Fremont party in the South: for 40 man
vas allowed south OF Mason and Dixon's line 70
write, print or speak anything in favor Of Ere
mont's election. These negroes could only have
.aken their enc from such imprldeni add bolster
QUE hre-eating political niger drivers a. Gov
Wise, Cbevalier Brooks, Keitt aud Slidell. and
such. During the campaign, they pratsd TO
Southern audiences, with negroes all around
them OF Fremont ss an aboltionist-of his de-
signs 70 drive The Shareholders out of Kansas,
AID 10 turn all the slaves OF the South loose, 70
kill, burn and destroy. The negroes pricked up
their ears and listened, and they were told further
that there was every probability that Ere
mont would BE- elected and that then the only
safety 10 the South would be to withdraw from
the Union, and arm for civil war. Taking these
hints and putting them together, over their cabin
fres, the negroes, We dare say, took their white
masters at their word, and proceeded TO arrange
their plans accordingly FOR counter-movement
Of rebellion.
The very fact that no white man 10 the Southern
states dared TO open his mouth in favor Of Ere
mont, even as the candidate best adapted for the
security Of Southern slavery within the Union
was doubtless taken as proof positive among
the ignorant and credulous blacks that negro
emancipation was the main plank Of his Presiden-
tia platform. No denial Of such declarations
being permitted, they were necessarily received
az gospel, and Tins we may say to our Southern
disunion niger driving democracy that these in
cipient fires Of negro Instruction are fires Of
their own kindliDg. Their niggecs do not take
the Nav YoEK HERALD. but depend upon what
they may hear from such Solons az Massa Wise,
Massa Brooks. Massa Toombs, or Massa Slidell
We take 20 pleasure in the news Of these negro
distur bances, and none In the Southern view Of