Newbern weekly progress., 1859-12-06
IN ADVANCE



an Irishman named TAFT, was loudly announcing
TO crowd in front of the Post Office, that he
an abolitionist, and that he hoped before long,
every slave holders throat would be cut; he has
heen in this vicinity some eight years; and, by
those who know him is said to possess fine
school education to have been book keeper at
one time here. Since | have been here, two
years, he has been 4 common laborer, very low
in his conduct and associations and habitually
adrunken; he is also said to be very quarrelsome,
very .cowardy and covertly, very malicious, spite
#sul and revengefu l mention these facts that
8vcu may understand the rather culpable eniency
kf the people here, in this case. Well! continu-
Ing to express his worse than seditious sentiments
End wishes, crowd soon gathered, by whom he
|fwss seized and carried down to the yard of the
kiansen Hotel, where, really believe, had he
Fetracted, they would have let him go, in consid-
|eration of his having been in their midst and
known to them so long; Gan aggravation of his
brine. in my mind1 but when questioned, he re-
Epeated what he had before said in mocking and
IspiteEal manner also acknowledged to and gio-
Irif4d M having wrote passes for the slaves of Mr..
81 Clark tone of his examiners and others, to
trade with. sc. They then proceeded to remove
kA sluxurant crop of dirty red hair from his head,
Nfser aylichss they saecled him to the waist The
day being rather cold, and it being resolved to
ride him out, " without horse saddle or bride"
they humanely replaced the articles of covering
of which they had divested him, with very neat
fitting garment of n. c. manufacture Tar is the
name; but this was not enough for the more fas-
tidiOus and tasteful j. B., who, resolving to COM
bne the ornamental with the useful. rushed into
my neighbor C.'s room, seized one of his pillows
and had its contents all artstically attached
to Ialts new coat it a complete success; ;
and remarked to that with their limi
ted practice, they could '' tar and feather " with
neatness and dispatch. Now to of mind,
principle and honor, such degradation would be
worse than death, and he would die rather than
submit to it, but of such men, abohtionists are
not composed, particularly those who have been
living any length of time in the South, where
they have ample opportunity to know the negro
and his position their sentiments are caused by
that malignant and jealous hatred and envy
which Is too often found to exist in the heats of
the ignorant and vicious poor, towards the good,
the intellectual or the wealthy or to all combin-d
Wh~n they rode TAFT out, he did every thing like
a butfoon, to attract attention. this Disguised me
SO much that did not follow. [ thought that
his thus glorying in his disgrace as well as his
crime, would incense the parties who car
rying him out of town to such an uncomfortable
degree that they would hang him, and he richly
deserved it. for the necessities of the times i'm
perativey y demand terrible examples, through
short trials and condign punshments in such
cases. They only ducked him two three times
in creek, however. and let him go, refusing to
leave the State retract anything he had said
and when at safe distance turned and threaten
ed several of the parties with speedy and ter
ribIe vengeance. A crowd of us went down to
see the upshot of the affair, and finding him
gone, aud learning particulars, blamed them for
their forbearance in thus letting him go, worse
than he before. Some then started after him
on horse back. Il was "a hours before they re-
caught him. lie is now ilr Jail with the two
precious Williams from Connecticut. All iwespon-
sibe, e, non property holding parties from the
North, 1T the present time, naturally enough,
looktezon with distrust by the people here, and
airs 1fe.n s'llo "have'doeply- Ponecred the
subject of slavery, and still anticonservative
should Immediately leave. The peace of society
here and their own personal safety require it for
the criminal suggestions of the higher law de-
lirium, which they attribute to inspiration in
their unprincipled leaders, will be viewed here
us something worse than the oozing out of dis
tempered natures and the vapors of spleen, which
are the midest terms possible, by which to des-
gnate their diabolical Rhodomontade.
COSMO