Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-05-10
Special Correspondence of the N. Y. Herald.
NORTH CAROLINA.
The Coiorsd People to support the Repub-
licansNo Native White Republicans in
North Carolina-Thc Negroes Desire to
Hold Office, Sc.
NEwBERH, \. c., April 2G, 1867

! Hold oiilce, Sc.
! NEWBERN, \. c., April 2G, 1867.
! The colored people wherever have been
seem to be thoroughly organized in the
matter OF politics. Their preachers, their
schoolteachers, the few Northern men liv-
ing IN the cities and towns and very gener-
ally the officers and assistants connected
with the Freedmen's Bureau, keep them up
to the work. It may be that in the back
country remote from towns and less sub
ject to those influences the organization is
not SO perfect !; but, SO far i.s | have seen,
the colored people are unit in support Of
the republicans. They may, however, not
be SO plant in the hands of white politi-
clans as these gentlemen would wish. The
blacks consider themselves entitled to their
share of public and representative posi-
tlons, and are not disposed to forego the
claim for the benefit of the Northern men
who want all the offices for themselves.
! There are no native white republicans
| in North Carolina, and only about enough
III Virginia to occupy all the federal, State,
county and municipal offices, if divided up
among them.
The other day, in Goldsboro', your cor
respondent was accosted by colored man,
who introduced himself as Mr.. OHara, a
school teacher. He said in reply to ques-
|
complain of in regard to their treatment by
the whites in that vicinity, although he un-
derstood that in the back country there were
still occasional outrages committed.
How many white republicans are there
among the residents here % your CORES
pondent asked.
"There is only one" He mentioned
his name, and it turned out that he was an
Irishman-alsoa a village notwithstanding
| had escaped within the federal lines in the
early part of the war. ''I correct myself, "
! he added, "there is another mentioning
his name) and another, but he lives some
distance out of town"
"Then you have not enough white men
| to be candidates ?'
| "No matter for that" said he, with a
look that conveyed more than his words cx-
pressed.
Are the colored people in a majority
/ here ?"
THAT is what I am trying to ascertain.
| ! think we have majority"
| "Then you can be candidate your
self 90
He smiled with considerable self-satis-
| faction as he made the ridiculously modest
reply
Il am one of those who think that of
flee should seek The man, not man the Of
! fee"
| Your correspondent suggested that il
! that were the general rule, very small
proportion of the men who now compose
municipal councils and State legislatures,
and fill other public places would ever find
their way there.
! The colored gentleman with the Irish
name appeared to be converted to that view,
and it will not be his fault if that name be
! ~ l,nf, ia >l
Representatives from the Goldsboro' dis
! trict of North Carolina.
| EIShOrtly afterwards colored messenger
came up with telegraphic dispatch, and
your correspondent asked him whether he
WAS not going to vote with the white men
of the town.
mo" said he, Il want to vote for men
Of my own race.
| Meeting another black man down near
| the freedmens school sounded him on the
same point. He was a bright fellow, and
answered with d text from scripture that
they should be wise as serpents but harm
less rs doves ; adding that they would feel
their way, and if they found the enemy's
line too strong they would fall back.
| This showed that in studying scripture,
this colored youth had not neglected mill
! tary tactics.
| ly outside the schoolhouse as we passed,
| the hour for opening not having arrived
On approaching piece of woods a young
colored man came out of them, walking to-
ward the school house. He had an open
| book in his two hands, and he walked slow
| ~ along, with his head bent down as if in
tently peruslnS the page. He might have
passed for an actor studying his part, OF a
priest reading his Office. l stopped him
and got him into conversation. His story
shows what craving these simple-minded
people have for learning. He had been a
slave till the close of the war had got a
piece of land last year, from the cultiva-
tion of which he had saved $500; and with
that money he had come to Goldsboro', p,
taking his wife with him, in order that he
might attend the Freedmen's school I
looked at the page which he had been
studying and found that it was page of
simple spelling. "But," said he, in expla-
nation of the great progress he had made,
I had learned right smart before [ came
here"
Many colored families have settled at
Goldsboro, principally on account Of the
school. They buy quarter-acre sections of
land for $685. and put up neat little houses
on them, which cost about $3.50.
Mr. Wilson's addresses have been SO
far listened to with attention and respec
by the white people who attended. These
were in Virginia, very few in numbers. -
They have been much more numerous in
North Carolina. They are probably having
good effect in dissipating the very general
alarm of the whites and hopes of the
blacks in reference to contiscation, and also
inducing conformity to Congressional le
gislation. The chief danger to be appre-
hended is the political division of the coun-
try by races.
The white people generally seem to be
giving their whole attention to putting in
their crops, and to be entirely free from any
interest IN politics. An immense quantity
of land is being planted with cotton.--
Trade In the cities and towns is very much
depressed, and Northern storekeepers are
very generally disposing of their stocks
and leaving this section of country.
Another Radical stumper Coming.
Hon. William D. Kelley, of Pennsylya-
MIA, will leave Philadelphia on Friday next,
May 3D., for political tour in the late rebel
States He will proceed to Wilmington,