Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-05-09

The FREE NEGROES OF THE STATE There are in
North Carolina as there in other Southern States,
considerable number of free negroes Their position
Is anomalous, and we know that great many OF our
best men think that this anomaly ought not to exist
But it does exist Some free negroes and the majority
of them were Free or at least their ancestors were free,
prior to the first Revolution Some have been made
legally free by the legislatures of the several States We
have always opposed and always will oppose any act
changing the statsthe legal status of the coored race
but when the dominant have once conceded prvi
ges to these people, as long they do not abuse such
privileges it is not question for them to ask that
such privileges should be respected it is question
whether the free white men of North Carolina will stand
up to their plighed word 1t is for US not for them.
So far as we can judge, the free negroes of North
Carolina know their position. 1t is the very best that
they can occupy They have volunteered their services
just freely anybody Instead of any hard feelings
being entertained towards them, or any peculiarly rig
orous course being adopted against our slaves, they
ought to be made if possible, to understand the truth
that they icomparaby safer and better OH under
the protection of those with whom they have grown up
to whom they have been used to look up to for pro-
lection MASTER, than they could be anywhere else
This fact we KNOX, There is not slave free ne
groe in town, wbo if he went North, would not starve
for want of employment. They cannot and will not
starve here.
People in excited times will do very foolish things
but after while they down to their natural level
There are in North Carolina about three white to
every slave. The white men are armed intelligent
they knoU what is occurring. The idea of negro in
surrecton is therefore foolish that it only deserves to
be met as that of the Helots was-with cowhides
MARYLAND AND VIRG1NIA.-From what we can
learn, after weighing things carefully have come to
the conclusion that Maryland will not secede from the
Northern Government We may we'll make up our
mind to that fact. The Potomac River and the Chesa
peake Bay must be deensibe lines. The OF
Missouri hereafter may be- with some matter of doubt
It is not with US. Missouri is not with the South
Virginia will stand up. If her people ratfy the Or
din ance of secession which they to do she will
feel her honor bound and that she will not violate
Harper's Ferry, Norfolk Richmond and Alexandria
may be attacked at any moment. Nothing will infuse
the proper life and vgor into the movements of the Vr
ginians or give them the proper confidence in them
selves and their until they in the Confederacy
and their troops commanded by Confederate Generals
The belief is that the batteries guarding all the ap-
proaches to Norfolk fully equal to its protection,
but there is not so much confidence felt in regard to Har
per's Ferry.
On several of the recruiting flags hoised in Pennsy
vania, they have emblazoned beside the stars and
stripes, the motto adopted by the British in
their attack upon New Orleans -" Beauty and
Booty" and numbers of the Pennsylvania papers
have called attention to the fact that Baltimore and
Richmond are celebrated for beautiful women, and that
they will be part of the reward of victory And these
people are our northern brehren To such we are free
to say, that recommend the motto of Nc Quarter.
We would sooner spare tiger or hyena. Let none
60 back that you kill Such men not soldiers
they are brutes Treat them as beasts of prey.