The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-12-06
HOW THE NORTH BEHAVED IN AN
INSURRECTION.
Interesting "Reminiscences.

! The abolition eulogists and black republican
apologists and sympathizers of old Brown and his
murderous scheme for the insurrectlon OF negroes
and the murder of innocent women and children,
have been exceedingly sarcastic, and, they sup
pose, very witty over the "unseemly fright" ex-
hibited by the Virginians on the discovery of the
diabolica plot. The New York Express takes the
occasion to revive from the history of New York
incidents attending the supposed negro plot there
of 1741. The city of New York then contained
about 5000 inhabitants, of whom only 1900 were
slaves. 1t says:
On the 18th of March fire occurred in the
fort, which consumed the Secretary's Office and
the Dutch Church About week later, another,
though inconsiderable, fire occurred, and within
two three weeks later, some half dozen more,
most of them, however, only the burning of Chin
neys These frequent fires, together with pre-
valent belief that great deal Of petty robbery
carried on by the negroes, with the aid of certain
white men, gave rise to general uneasiness which
increased to panic. This was greatly height
ened by public proclamation offering a reward of
hundred pounds for the discovery of the incen-
diaries The reward was too tempting to be long
resisted. An indentured servant woman soon af-
ter obtained her freedom and hundred pounds by
pretending to divulge plot formed by her master,
low tavern keeper named Hughson, and three
negroes, to burn the city and murder the entire
spark of fire among tinder The whole population
was thrown into a paroxyism of rage and fear. The
militia paraded the streets almost continually.
The accused arrested and hurried to Jail, and
the utmost rage against the negroes infamed every
breast SO intense was the panic that the most
unreasonable and contradictory statements were
greedily caught up, and the least suspicious c;r-
cumstances were construed as plain evidence
against the accused.
In a short time 154 negroes and 20 suspicious
whites were dyed in prison. The following is
the way the lawyers behaved on the occasion:
There at that time only eight lawyers in
New York. all of whom volunteered their services
to the Government, and assisted by turns in the
prosecution, leaving the miserable prisoners with
out the aid of counsel To obtain the required
evidence upon which to base sentence, pardon
and freedom were offered to any who would turn
Kings evidence, and by this means any amount of
testimony, to almost any supposed fact, could be
obtained. While there acds no one to sag a single
,rord tor the accused the loacyers uied aUiM each
other IN hedpiug abuse "pon them, an rhirh they
mere out2one by the J"dgc mhen he came to pass
sentence. Many purchased their own lives by con-
Tossing their participation in crimes of which it
was afterwards proved they knew nothing, and ac-
cusng others; and strangest of ALL some confessed
at the stake their guilt who knew nothing of the
things with which they were charged.
This is the result:
Thirteen arere Gurned, pightrcn accre hmnq, and
sorcnty arere transported! The public thirst for
blood seemed now to be somewhat satisfied, and
the frenzy began to abate; reaction at length
sued and the persons remaining in prison were set
at liberty