The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-11-14
HORRORS OF THE REBELLION


Extracts from the address Of Hon. JOHN
Pool, to tile People Of North CtzroAina d.
tell Knrch 25. 1867. ......-
g. In the beginning, a majority OF the peo-
pie of North Carolina were opposed to the
secession ordinance, and accepted it only as
an memorable necessity, forced 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 nconsiderate, were soon borne
along by the madness of the day, or became
unable to withstand the dcrsi0n and taunts
of cowardice with which they were con
stantly assaulted by the press, in public as
sembies and in the social circle. Others
were deceived by the tarCly and vaccilatinT
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 Con1ed-
eracy perpetual dish0nOr 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. 10 force
negroes upon social equality with the
best society-to the table, and even to mar
rage relatinns-to deprive the Southern peo-
pie of all rights-to plunder. confScate.
murder and reduce to a state of dependence
and Affect vassalage. The whole Northern
people We're denounced as hypocrites, rob-
bers and vandaIs-and the Union soltliery
as hireings and licentious vagabonds. The
assemblies Of the people, the Legislative halls
the press and the social circle teemed with
this scurrility, coupled. with still viier cpl
thets and threats OF intamy towards such as
were supposed to sympathlse with the gov
eminent in its struggle to suppress the re-
bellion and preserve the Union. All at
tempts at contradiction were suppressed by
arrests and imprisunments, or by mob violence
A system of the basest espionage sprung up
spontaneously in every neighborhood, and
every man had spy and inforner 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 miseres spared US
But, after the lapse of about two years, |
the truth began to force itself upon the pub
gan to work its own remedy, while the ell
ergetic action Of the Federal Government
exposed the faisity of the assurance, so re-
peatedly given by the instigators of the re-
belllon, that it dared not resist the separa-
ton 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 |
lnstlgators and leaders of the rebellion threw |
OFT the mask which they had so long worn. !
and instituted despotism so complete and |
mercllesS that scarcely vestige of liberty or |
right was left. 1t was discovered, when too |
late, that power had been placed in the |
hands of men, who scrupied at nothing that |
might be requisite to the accomplishment of !
their ends, and hesitated not to set at de- |
fance not only the wishes and rights of their
fellow-citize1s. but even the sentiments and |
feelings of humanity. They had a we'll
trained army under their command, off cered
bymen 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 CONSUMPTION, and executed them
with the most searching rigor Impressment
laws, SO framed that the property of the cit
lien was practically at the disposal of ire
sponslbe military subordinates, were execu-
ted III such manner as to awe or ruin every
one suspected of disalfection or personallv'
obnoxious to the petty tyrants sent out to
scourge each locality. Scouting parties,
of the most desperate and aban-
doned of the soldery. 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 ho6eas c01pus placed under
military control the persons of those whose
Lge, sex or condition exempted them from
Prisons, kept in the most
oathsome condition, were established in
tlchmond and in other localities. To over
I'VE the struggling Union sentiment of our
'eople, the, one at Salisbury was set up and
1ade the scene of horrors at the recollec-
ion of which the blood still runs cold 4
hundreds of our private citizens. exempt
ON CONSUMPTION. were there, and at Castle
hunder in Richmond, incarcerated upon
lere suspicion of Unionism, and met their
eath by starvation and other indescribable
'uelties ~ - -
But the failing resources of the Confeder-
y would not allow the expense of sufficient
l accommodation for as many victims
was necessary to suppress the struggling
nlonIsn OF North Carolina. The rest was
= 70 the ne:ghborhood scouts and autbori.
= !. panas OF guerrilla ROBBERS, not only I'M
trained out encouraged in lawless violence a
= Outrage TO suspected Unionsts, their C
yes ana cniidren In remote places, upon
pubic highways, in the humble dwelI-E q
2 OF the poor and around the family
nth, from which the husband and father n
I been dragged in chains to the army and CO
son, or driven to the mountain caves and