Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-12
Arhiirary Power-Mob Law.

ArhiirarY Power-Mob Law.
The Gresnsboroush Citizen of the 30th Ssptem.
ber, in notice Of Randolph Superior Court Judge
French presiding, says: ......>
The next case of importance called was the
Stste vs. Gray and others, who were indicted for
an assault aud battery on one Jones. The evidence
was that the defendants suspected the prosecutor OF
harboring his son who had deserted the army and
was then in the woods; that they tied him and
small son not liable to service and carried them
several miles, where they separated them and tied
upon him to pray as his end was nigh at hand,
perfect mockery Of our holy religion and then sus
pended him to tree and hung him until he was
senseless that he lay for sometime like. he was
lifeess; that finally they carried aim to Asheboro,
took out q warrant against him and bound him over
to the County Court, for what nobody really knew.
The jury convicted Robert @. Gray, who alone was
on triai, and his Honor, after nq quiring Of his
mesns,-there being no mitigating circumstances
shownby the defendant t-sentenced him to imprison-
meEt in the common Jail for six months"
And the Cstissn of the 5th October says:
1--WE regret to say it, but it has occurred more
governments, that the most illegal orders have been
issued by superiors and carried thessy into effect
by interiors. Houses have been leyeled with the
ground, persons entirely innocent of any violation
Of the law have been restrained of their liberty some
have been hanged dead, and others have been shot
in cold blood without court martial or any lnvest
Cation of the case before civil tribunal The per-
sons perpetrating these acts though they may have
acted under orders have laid themselves liable to
be sued for damages and to be prosecuted in our
Courts for these violations of the criminal law. No
excuse or pretext can Justify or palliate such gross
and wicked violations oflaw. The very freedom we
enjoy and lighting for to be sustained by
suca lawless and wicked conduct"
The Citizen very properly and very cordially en-
dorses the sentence pronounced by Judge French,
and expresses the hope that the civil law will be
maintained.
have been perperated under color of orders issued
to the officers of the Home Guards by Gov. Vance,
through Adjotant General Gatlin. We have here
tofors called attention to these ouHages and have
suggested to the Executive the propriety Of pub
fishing his order on the subject so that the people
may be able to judge for themselves as to whether
the order directs or sanctions such conduct on the
part Of his subordinates HIS two organs in this
City are silent on the subject They do not answer
We must, therefore, conclude that such an order
has been issued, and that Gov. Vance is himself
primarily responsible for these gross, papatle, and
cruel violations of the civil law. We learn that the
outrages referred to by the Citizen have been per
petrated msinly in the County of Randolph, by
cavalry companies belonging to the Home Guard
from certain secession Counties. Property has been
seized, used and wasted-houses have been leyelied
with the ground-the innocent, with the guilty.
have been arrested on suspicion-women and chill
dren, together with the aged and inirm, have bee:
arrested and held in camp, or huddled in school
houses, churches, and barns and the CIizsn say
"some have been hanged dead, and others have been
shot in cold blood withou: court-uartial or any
investigation of the case before civil tribunal.
Can it be possible that the people Of Randolph
County have been thus scourged on account of the
way they voted at the last election? We arc as
much in favor as any one Of all proper steps to
rest deserters and to punish those who may harbor
assist them but not even the cause of liberty it.
self can justify the outrages referred to- perpetrated
as they have been in many instances on innocent
| women and children. The Citizen Of tho Both Sep
tenber truly says:
Lynch or mob law is not yet to be tolerated in
the South nor is it more ustif,ble in the officers
Of the law than in tho outlaws for whom they are
searching"
| But what must be thought of an Executive under
whose orders such outrages as the above are perpe
trated land who, when duly informed of the mob
bing by portion Of his own State troops in the
regular servcs Of an inoensive citizen, on accous
of bis political opinions takes steps to have the
guilty punished, though they were in this place
under bis very eye, for more than week after the
outrage was committed? We tell the Citizen thai
such case has occurred recently in the County Of
| Wake.
Let the press speak out in defence Of the civil
law; and let the Legislature, when again assembled,
see to it that the civil rights of our people are no,
thus trampled down. 1t is easy to talk and to give
pledges to maintain the civil law and to protect the
inoffensive and the innocent against the tyranny
and rapacity of the strong but mere talk is no
thing, and pledges amount to nothing but to de.
ceive, unless carried out in good faith.