Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-12-21
The Standard.
or the Standard.
CHARGE OF JUDGE SAUNDERS TO THE
GRAND JURY OF WILSON COUNTY. :

that he felt it his duty to call the attention OF the
Grand Jury to the provisions of our statute against
the circulation of sedtious and incendiary publica-
tons among slaves and free negroes. The statute
provides "that if any person shall wilfully bring
into the State with an intent to circulate, or shall
wilfully circulate or publish within the State, or
shall aid or abet the bringing into or the circulation
or publication within the State Of any written or
printed pamphlet or paper whether written or print
ed in or out of the State the tendency OF which is
to cause slaves become discontinued with their con-
tion or to excite them to nsurrection or resistance
against their owners such persons so offending shall
lie deemed guilty of felony, and on conviction shall
te imprisoned, put in the pory, and whipped at
the discretion of the Court; and for the second Of
fence shall suffer death" And the statute further
provides that eff any person by words shall endeav-
or to excite in any slave spirit of nsurrection,
conspiracy or rebellion, shall receive thirty-nine
lashes and be imprisoned for the first offence, and
for the second offence shall suffer death"
It thus appears that the act is sufficiently broad
to embrace every possible of the publication of
these ncendiary documents for the purpose OF beng
brought into the State for circulation and every
person who shall aid or abet The circulation or pub
location of such documents, is equally guilty.
have been induced to call your attention to the SUBJ
ject from having in the newspapers of the day
that such pamphlet has been printed and is ready
and further that fund to large amount has been
raised by subscriptions for the purpose of having
this vile sedtous and incendiary pamphlet distrib
uted in the Southern States 1t is also stated that
the Governor of the great State of New York, with
number Of members of Congress. are contributors
to this fund. charge you that if sufficient evil
dence shall he laid before you to the fact of publ
cation and distribution in this State it will be your
duty to present the offenders. These contributors
already morally guilty, so far as they are con-
cerned, as aiders and abettors; and whenever the
circulation of the pamphlet shall be proved, they
will be legally guilty. And We have the singular
and extraordinary spectacle of the Governor of
State, with members of Congress, making themselves
parties to the preparation Of act violating the
statute law of sister State passed for the security
and protection of the lives and property of its ctl
zens, thereby making themselves felons, for which,
on conviction they would be liable to the pillory,
the whipping post, and Imprisonment. doubt not
that individuals who could contribute to such OBJ
ject would not hesitate to apply the torch of con1a
grafton to our dwellings and the asSassins knife to
our Threats, and rejoice to see the whole of these
Southern States reduced to ruin and desolation, and
to become another ST. Domingo.
repeat, therefore that it is not only your duty
to present the offenders, should any be brought
to your knowledge but that it will be the duty of
all magistrates and other officers in the State to
that all such offenders shall be apprehended and
brought to Justice So consider it the duty of all
Postmasters to see that such pamphlets given
out for ciculation. lest they subject themselves to
the penalty of the law.
But the author of this vile production thus en-
dorsed by persons of distinction does not stop here
He not only seeks to excite the slave to the murder
of his MASTER but appeals to the non-savehoders to
unite in the conflict of determination. and a re-
ward for ensting in the savage warfare, to confis-
cate and enjoy the property of the master This
miscrean with his. aders and abettors, greatly de-
ceive themselves if they suppose any portion of cur
population be induced to engage in such bloody
and savage contest. And yet these consprators
against our lives and property have the cronery to
say they do not desire to interfere with the cond-
ton of master and slave, and ask Southern men to
unite in their elevation to political station. Save
from such politicians as can thus debase and dis
honor themselves by such an act of humiliation and
disgrace
PREsENTMENT OF THE GRAND JURY
We, the undersigned. the Foreman and Grand
Jurors for the County of Wilson, sworn at this term
deem the occasion fit one to respond to the charge
of your Honor, with reference to the events now
transpiringS Throughout the country, touching the
institution of slavery.
We have witnessed with pain and SORROW, and
with anxiety and apprehension, the cultivation and
growth of sectional hostility. on the part of the
Northern States, against us and our institutions.
Again and again have we been called upon to depore
acts of aggression and wrong done towards us, nu.
merous and aggravated; until at last under the in.
stigation of wicked leaders, hand of armed men in.
vaded our sister State of Virginia to excite insurrec
ton, to conscate private property, and to take the
lives of the citizens and robbery treason and muir.
der have been committed by them. Their convic
ton has cnsued, and their punishment is being de-
nounced by their coadjutors, and the public mind Of
the North is inaamed to sympathy with these wick
ed criminals.
Political parties and Christian associations have
adopted these acts of crime ustifiabe and openly
proclaim the right of the slave to rise against his
MASTER and the duty Of Northern men to aid him ir
this insurrecton.
The press. through its columns. and BY means O
pamphlet and book publications, is heralding incen
diary and seditious treachery through our section
and the Post Office Department. department o
the government alike the agent of a-iS become tn,
channel of communication for the transmission O
these nefarious and criminal documents.
Travelling emissaries, disguised under various av
ocations, are among our people, endeavoring to in
still the poison of sediton into the heart of the com
munity. As body representing the "peace of tn
State" we earnestly invoke the attention of tn
public to this dangerous aspect of affairs 1t call
for vigilance and preparation vigilance to detec
all vioators Of the law. especially the volators
those police and municipal regulations which bea
upon our negro population. We exhort our fellow
citizens themselves, scrupuously to observe tn
laws which Legislature has enacted to guard tn
rights of the STAKEHOLDER and the condition of tn
negro.
That they will unite to bring to Justice that mas
ter who disaffects the slave population by permit
ting his own negroes to act as free, and enjoy the
own time, by which great wrong is done to III
white laborer, in that these quasi free negroes al
brought into direct competition with him.
That they will diligently undertake to put dow
the unlawful traffic with slaves by bringing as we
those that sell to- those who buy or receive from
the slave articles of merchandise to the bar of iu
tce; and that the free negro, while protected in h
privileges may be held to strict observance of IL
laws and accountability for their violation.
We present to your Honor that the circulation
any writing or printing, calculated to disaffect an
excite the slave to insubordnation, whether b
originality or copying from others writings, and fl
whatever purpose, is against the public policy ar
ought to be prevented; and to this end post maste
ought to be held to rigid responsibility that thu