The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-11-12
HORRORS OF THE REBELLION.

Extracts from the Address Of Hon. JOHN
Pool, to tile People Of North Carolina d.
ted March 25, 1867.
In the beginning. majority of the peo-
pie of North Carolina were opposed to the
secession ordinance, and accepted it only as
an inexorable necessity, forcedP upon them
by the action of the adjacent States and the
dangerous excitement of the times. But
many earnest Union men, especially the
Young and Inconsistencies were soon borne
along by the madness of the day, or became
unable to withstand the derlsion and taunts
of cowardice with which they were con
stantly assailed by the press, in public as
semblies and in the social circle. Others
were deceived by the tardy and vaccilating
action of the national administration. into
the belief that no adequate resistance would
be made to the attempted separation, and
that upon the establishment OF the COnIed-
eracy, perpetual dishonor would attach to
those who refused to support promptly the
action OF their State. But, the most potent
agency resorted to was the bold, systematic
and INSCRIPTIONS misrepresentation of the
designs of the United States in waging war
against the secession movement. The object
was asserted to be to abolish slavery, to force
negroes upon social equality with the
whites-to compel their admission to the
best society-to the table, and even to mar
riage relatinns-to deprive the Southern peo-
pie of all rights-to plunder, contiscate,
murder and reduce to a state Of dependence
and ahject vassalage. The whole Northern
people were denounced as hypocritcs, rob-
hers and vandaIs-and the Union sOldiery
as hirelngs and licentious vagabonds. The
assemblies OF the people. the Legislative halls,
the press and the social circle teemed with
InI xuitb Grill ri1or nr,i
thcts and threats of infamy towards such as
were supposed to sympathlse with the gov
ernment in its struggle to suppress the re-
beliOn and preserve the Union. All at
tempts at contradiction were suppressed by
arrests and Gimprisunments orby mob violence.
A system of the basesr espionage sprung up
spontaneously in every neighbnrhood, and
every man had spy and informer at his
door. Good men were thus deceived the
timid were appalled,, and the boldest could
see no hope of success in any effort to stem
the general current. Could the truth, at
that time, have been plainly told to the peo-
pie of North Carolina, and needed by them,
how much of calamity would have been
averted, and what untold miseries spared us
But, after the lapse of about two years,
the truth began to force itself upon the pub
lie mind. The overwrou1ht excitement be-
gan VI WOTh us OWL IclllcSly, "Htc Tue Gil
ergetic action Of the Federal Government
exposed the falsity of the assurance, so re-
peatedly given by the nstigators of the re-
bcllIon, that it dared not resist the separa-
tion of the States Volunteering in the Con-
federate army nearly ceased, and the people
began to think and speak of peace on the
best attainable terms. 1t was then that the
lnstigatnrs and leaders of the rebellion threw
Oft the mask which they had so long worn,
and instituted despotism complete and
merciless that scarcely vestige of liberty or
right was left. 1t was discovered when tho
late, that power had been placed in the
hands OF men, who scrupled at nothing that
mi yht be requisite to the accomplishments ot
their ends, and hesitated not to set at de-
fiance not only the wishes and rights of their
fellow-ctiZeIs but even the sentiments and
feelings of humanity. They had a we'll
trained army under their command, off cered
by men of their own choosing. Almost every
civil position in the Executive Legislative
and judicial departments of the State and
Confederate governments, was filled by their
most violent partizans and willing friends
Thus resistance became impossible and re-
monstrance dangerous. They enacted laws
OF wholesale conscription, and executed them
with the most searching rigor. Impressment
laws SO framed that the property of the cit
izen was practically at the disposal of ire
sponslble military subordlnates, were eXecu-
ted III such manner as to awe or ruin every
one suspected of disaffection or personally
obnoxious to the petty tyrauts sent out to
scourge each locality. Scouting parties,
composed of the most desperate and aban-
doned of the soldiery, ranged in every coun |
ty, and were changed sufficietly often to pre-
vent any kindly relations beng formed with
the people or any influence gained over them
ny men of character and justice. The sus-
pension of the ha6eas cOapus placed under
military control the persons of those whose
age sex or condition exempted them from
cSonscrption. Prisons, kept in the Raost
mathsome ma condition, were established in
neilmond and in other localities. To over
awe the struggling Union sentiment of our
ps"Ple' the one at Salisbury was set up and
t;a iaue the scene Of horrors, at the recollec-
H"a Im n which the blood still runs cold:-iI
nureds OF our private citizens, exempt J..