The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-11-24
For the Standard.
Public Meeting in BERTHE County.

! Approved, June 81, 1866.
| For the Standard.
Public Meeting in BERTHE County.
Pursuant to advertisement meeting of
the citizens of BERTHE County, in the State of
North Carolina, was held in the Town of
Windsor on the 14th day of Novembe, 1865,
| for the purpose of considering measures for
the promotion of the Agricultural interests of
the County.
Hon. David Outlaw was called to the chair,
and VIM. P. Gurley, Esq, was appointed Sec
rotary.
| The Chairman in stating the object of the
meeting said:
The call for this meeting states its object to
| be to consider measures for the promotion of
the agricultural interests OF the county. L
| understand the main object to be to invite
Northern men to come among us with their
capital and engage in agricultural pursuits
and especially to correct the erroneous i'm
PRESTON said to be entertained, that those
coming here would not lie kindly received
and we'll treated. think, know the senti-
ments of the people of this County as well as
any one, and L believe they would not only
extend kindness and favor to such may
come among us, but that there is a universal
desire tor them to come and purchase or rent
lands. While the war lasted, desired as
much as any one the success of my own sec
ton, but now, North and South, we are one
country and ought to work together cordial
ly and kindly for our mutual profit There
is scarcely any section of the country where
agriculture has been more profitable than in
this couI ty. The superior quality of the
lands and the facility for getting the pro-
ducts to market will render it profitable
again, as soon as we can induce men OF capl-
tai to come here. and assist us with their
means in recovering from our present embar-
raSSments.
A committee appointed to prepare
set of Resolutions for the consideration of the
meeting, consisting of Hon. John Pool, Lewis
Thompson, Esq, Col Samuel B. Spruill, VIM.
NJ. Sutton. Esq, and Etherton Wilson, Esq,
In reporting the Resolutions prepared by
the committee, Hon John Pool said:
This meeting has been advertised in every
section of the County, and see assembled
here citizens representing every shade of po-
litical sentiment-from those who left us and
fought in the army of the Union to those who
were the first to volunteer in the army of the
South. The survivors from both have re-
turned to their old homes, to live together IN
peace and friendship, and have met here, OF
day. with the most Jealous friends and sy IN
pathisers of each, for the purpose of consul
ting together and agreeing upon measures to
repair, as speedily as possible, the damage
which all have sustained by the unfortunate
and unnatural contest in which they were
lately engaged. 1t was feared that disorder
and frequent disturbance of the public peace
would follow the termination of the war
But we of BERTHE County, have known of
such things only from the reports of their oc-
curence elsewhere. Since the surrender of
the Southern armies, there has been, in this
County, no case OF murder, robbery or arson,
or other crime of high grade-and the petty
misdemeanors have been less frequent than
before the commencement of the war. Cases
of petty larceny have been confined almost
exclusively to the colored population. shall
not claim for the citizens of this County more
virtue or II better disposition than Others pos
sess. But their peaceable conduct for the
last eighteen months is creditable to them
The purposes and spirit OF this meeting
equally SO. 1t may be partly owing to the
necessity now upon almost every one to be
industrious and frugal in order to obtain tho
means Of living Domestic industry is al
ways favorable to peace and virtue. Idle
ness engenders discussions and vice. We
need capital and labor. Two thirds of the
arabic lands of this County, upon which i'm
mense fields of grain and cotton grew before
the war, are now uncultivated. These lands
are extremely fertile and the facility for get
ting their products to market is unsurpassed.
The County is surrounded on three sides by
navigable water. The Casllie, running through
its centre, is navigable for twenty miles up
by any craft that can enter the waters of
North Carolina.
The City of Norfolk is only twenty -four
hours distant from this Town by steam boat.
With lands scarcely less fertile than those of
Mississippi and Louisiana and with such
proximity to market, why is it that we Ian
guish for capital and labor2. Why does it
not naturally come and seek investment here?
1t is because of the fear that Northern men,
coming among US, will not be cordially re-
ceived or kindly treated. We know that
such fears are eroundless. I have heard the
object of this meeting freely discussed, for a
month or more, and / have not heard of a
single dissenting voice in the County. There
is universal desire t, have them come and
settle among US and give impetus to our in
dustrial pursuits. All of us look to the in
fiux of Northern labor and capital as the only
means of preventing one half of our fertile
lands returning to the wilderness. Let
then frankly and promptly invite them to
come and pledge ourselves as men and citi-
zens to assure them such welcome, assistance
and protection as might be expected in any
Christian community. Our hon
orable and distinguished chairman, than
whom there was not a more warm and yea
ous Confederate in the whole South, has
just expressed the sentiments of every one of
US, in saying, that, /" North and South, we
are now one country, and ought to work to-
gether cordially and kindly for our mutual
profit"
Upon consideration, the meeting unani-
nously adopted the following Resolutions
The citizens of BERTHE County, in the State
Of North Carolina, assembled in the town of
without distinction of party or
political views, past or presently for the pur-
pose of consulting together upon measures |
to revive and promote the agricultural inter-
ests of the County, now greatly depressed in
of the late disastrous war, do |
agree to and adopt the following Resolu-
ions, to wit:
1. Resoloed, That we do hereby invite to
his County the aid of capital and labor
rom abroad, and especially from the North,
md do hereby prefer to sell or rent, at fair
prices, part of our lands.
2. Resoloed, That we will extend to those
Who may come among u to engage in aazi--