Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-12-22
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

The abolition ealogists, and biaek'repnb-
lican apologists and sympathisersa of7"oH
Brown aud his murdefous scRene'for the IN
sprrection of negroes and the murder of,in-
nocent women and children, have been ex-
cesdingly sarcastic, and, as they suppose,
very witty over" the "unseemly fright fex-
hibited by the Virgfnians Oh the discovery
of the diaboIqaIs plot The New York Ex-
press takes,the occasion to revive from the
history of New York, incidents. a:.atendiug
the supposed negro plot there of 1741. The
city of New York then contained about g.
600 inhabisaati Of off Hhom 3ohIy 1900 were
slaves. It says ;, s.....,. -. -,.a,-, ~
On the 18th of March a fire occurred in
the fort, which consumed the Secretarys Of
fee and the Dutch Church. !GAbout a week
later, another, though Siinconsiderable, fire
occurred, and within two or three weeks later,
some half dozen more, most Of them, how
ever, only the burning Of chirneys. These
frequent fires, together With 2 prevalent be-
lief that a great deal Of petty robbery was
carried on by the negroes, with ths,aid of
certain white men, gave rise to ageneral uu-
easiuess, which soon increased to q panic
This was greatly heightened by public
proclamation offering reward Of a hundred
pounds for the discovery Of the incendiaries.
The reward was too tempting to be long re-
sisted. . An indentured servant woman soon
after obtained her freedom and hundred
pounds by pretending to divulge 9 plot form
ed by her master, o low tavern keeper named
Hughson, and three negroes, to burn the city
and murder the entire white population
This iuformation' was like spark of fire
among tinder. The whole population was
thrown into a paroxysm Of rage and fear
The militia paraded the streets almost con-
tinually. The accused we're arrested and
Hurried to Jail, and the utmost rage against
the negroes inaamed every breast. So in
tense was the panic, that the most unreason-
able and contradictory statements were greed
lily caught upsandsthe least suspicious cir
cumstances were construed as plain evidence
against theaccused. 90. -. -,YI 30 --s,~,..
Ina short time l54 negroes and 20 sus-
picious whites we're lodged in prison. The
following is the. way the lawyers behaved on
the occasion - .'a"r ''r =. -T.a - D.
= There were at that time only eight law.
yers in New York, all Of whom volunteered
their services tethe Government, and assist.
ed by turns, in. the prosecution, leaving the
miserable prisoners without the aid Of. coun-
sell To obtain.the required evidence upon
which to base a sentence, pardon and free
dom were offered to any who would turn
Kings evidence, and by this means any a.
mount of testimony, to almost any supposed
fact, could be obtained. While there aoas no
one to say a single aoordt for the accused, the
lawyers vied aoiM each other in heaping abuse
upon them, in aoAich they a0ere outdoneby the
Judge achen he came to pass sentence. Many
purchased their own lives BY confessing their
participation in crimes of which it was after.
wards proved they knew nothing, and accu-
sing others; and, straugest Of all, some con-
fessed at the stake their guilt, who knew
nothing of the things with which they we're
charged. ..... ~
This is the result: .........
Thirteen aoere burned, eighteen poere hung,
and seventy soere transported! The public
thirst for blood seemed now to be somewhat
satisfied, and the frenzy began to abate; a
reaction at length ensued and the persons re-
naming in prison were set atliberty.