The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-27
For the Standard,


MEssRs. EDITORS Certain evil disposed
men of the rebel persuasion are dong thelI
utmost in this section of the State to excite
the colored people to acts of insurbordina-
ton and violence. Republican speakers,
white and colored alike, have uniformly
counseled the negroes to peace and quiet
ness and the observance of good order; and
our assemblages for public instruction have
been characterized, in every instance except
when disturbed and interrupted by the
rebels, by the utmost decorum and good be-
haviour. We have acted upon the principle
of peace and moral suasion and it cannot
be proven that any one of us has ever given
other than good and moderate counsel to
the more ignorant of our number. Sundry
mean rebels, however, are taking advantage
of every circumstance to excite dlsattectlon
among the colored population. The TACT
that the registration of voters, which was
announced to commence last Monday, the
18th inst, was postponed, has been tortured
by these bad men into an argument that the
Yankees" Gas they call the Z. 5. Govern
ment,) never had any idea of allowing the
odd niggers to vote at all, because they,
the " Yankees" knew the "Southern peo-
pie never would tolerate it, and, therefore,
did not dare to force it upon them. The
colored men, who attended at Rich Square
and the other precincts in this and adjoining
Counties on the 18th, for the purpose of reg
istering as voters, were told by these incl
tiers of sedition that they were humbugged,
and ought now to see it for themselves
They told them also, they had better test the
sincerity of their " Yankee and Republi-
can friends, by calling on them at their
houses and offering to sit down at their ia
bles and sleep in their beds, and see what
sort of reception they would meet with
They also told them that the new Bureau
Agent here had declared that he did not
come here to "mess with id niggers," but
that he intended to g make them know their
place. and that in short order" Also that
Congress was now in session for the purpose
OF upsetting previous legislation in behalf of
the freedmen. Besides all this rash and in
cendiary talk, which any reasonable man
must perceive is calculated to excite and
provoke the colored people if any thing can,
these mean rebels have been circulating ly
ing reports among them about disparaging
remarks alleged to have been made about
them by certain prominent Republicans,
something after the style of H. R. Helpers
new book.
1t is stated now that the blacks have been
drilling under arms regularly every week in
Hartford County, (adjoining this,) and that
they have been furnished With ammunition
by gentleman in that County, who know
would be as far from anything of the kind,
as any man in the community who could be
named and that they have refused to obey
the Sheriff's orders to disperse.
Now, we cannot understand this thing any
better than you can at a distance. The mo-
tive may be to provoke the colored people
(who have been thus far very orderly and
peaceable) into committing some outbreak,
which may afford pretext to these rebel in
cendiaries to commence a New Orleans or
Memphis massacre, under the plea of self
preservation and at the same time afford
them (the aforesaid mean rebels an oppor-
tunity for breaking into peoples smoke
houses and stores, and for other plundering
enterprises, all Of which can be laid at the
door of the colered men. An Incidental OBJ
ject undoubtedly is to render the Union men
and Republicans as odious as possible, and
to expose them to public contempt and in
suit.
Now, it is fact which should be borne in
mind, that large proportion of the white
Unionists of this County are members of the
Society of Friends and we do not believe
IN lighting and rioting, in order to advance
any cause whatever. We consider those of
our number who enlisted in the Union army
during the rebellion, as excusable, because
they would otherwise have been conscripted
into the rebel army, and made to fight for
slavery, which was always opposed to our
convictions of right
A Republican cannot arise to address his
fellow-citizens, if for not more than ten min
utes, but what his remarks are distorted and
falsihed in the most outrageous manner
No matter how moderate his talk NAV be.
he Is abused and cursed for it for weeks after
wards. Two versions are usually given -
copperhead version to those of the colored |
people who were not present,-and rabid |
Radical version to their fellow rebels. They
seem unwilling to let us have any friends at |
all, on one side or the other
AS al example of their (the rebels exag-
will mention the fact that some |
gentlemen who were seen distributing the
Dialogue between Republican and a Freed
man, were accused of dealing ont a,aczuges of
00cder and baUt negroes.
Now, Messrs. Editors, we Republicans are
men OF peace and we object strenuouslv to
hese exciting and incendiary doings. We
ire willing to behave ourselves, and we
link we have right to ask that the rebels
nay be made to behave themselves. J.
Northampton, July 10TH 1867.