The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-11-16
HORRORS OF THE REBELLION

.=ass~ Extracts from the address Of Hon. JOHN
Pool, to the People Of North Carolina, d.
ted March 25 1867.
ga "iIn the beginning majority of the peo-
pie of North Carolina We're 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
-5,. young and inconsiderate. were soon borne
-r-H alongby the madness of the day, or became
+" - unable to withstand the derIson and taunts
So of cowartlice with which they were con-
stantly assaed 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 beliefthat no adequate resistance would
be made to the attempted separation, and
that upon the establishment of the ConIed-
eracy, perpetual dishonor would attach to
gH those who refused to support promptly the
=. q action of their State. But, the most potent
agency resorted to the bold, systematic
- - and INSCRIPTIONS misrepresentation of the
designs of the United States in waging
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
rage RELATIONSHIP deprive the Southern peo-
- pie of all rights-to plumber, confscate,
murder and reduce to a state of dependence
-- II and ahject vassalage. The whole Northern
~ 81, people were denounced as hypocrites, rob-
ty bers and vandas-and the Union soldiery
t-. as hirelngs and licentious vagabonds The
assemblies OF the people, the legislative halls,
- the press and the social circle teemed with
~ this scurrlity, coupled with still viler cpl
thets and threats of infamy towards such as
i were supposed to sympatlllse with the gov
in, ctrI rIo to fI,or
bellon and preserve the Union. All at
Z tempts at contradiction were suppressed by
60 arrests and mprisunments or by mob violence
A system of the basest espionage sprung up
-Is spontaneously in every neighborhood, and
-"4 every man had spy and informer at his
door. Good men were thus deceived the
81 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
ts,.s But, after the lapse OF about two years,
the truth began to force itself upon the pub
lie mind The overwroun hit excitement be-
e. = gan to work its own remedy, while the en-
~ ergetic action of the Federal Government
exposed the talsity of the assurance, so re-
peatedly given by the instigators of the re-
,c- bellion, that it dared not resist the separa-
federate army nearly ceased, and the people
began to think and speak of peace on the
best attainabie terms 1t was then that the
z.s. instigators and leaders of the rebellion threw
-sr.. oil the mask which they had so long worn,
= . and instituted despOtism so complete and
mereiless that scarcely vestige of liberty or
right was left. 1t discovered, when too
- 10 late, that power had been placed in the
1.,'h hands of men, who scrupled at nothing that
mi sht be requisite to the accomplishment of
= 4 L. 4
ei- fance not only the wishes and rights of their
oa4 fellow-citizeas. but even the sentiments and
feelings of humanity. They had 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 filed by their
most violent partizans and willing friends
Thus resistance became impossible and re-
smonstrance dangerous. They enacted laws
sofwholesale CONSUMPTION, and executed them
with the most searching rigor Impressment
laws, so framed that the property of the cit |
,lzen was practically at the disposal of ire
sponsible military subordinates, were execu-
ted III such manner as to awe ruin every
AIone suspected Of disaffection or personally
obnoxious to the petty tyrants sent out to
Il scourge each locality. Scousing parties
composed of the most desperate and aban-
adoned OF the soldiery, ranged in every coun.
= 2 ~ and were Changed sufficietly often to pre-
vent any kindly relations being formed with
the people or any influence gained over them
by men of character and justice The sus-
pension off the habeas co,pass placed under
military control the persons Of those whose
dFage sexiorf condition exempted them from
CONSUMPTION. 5 Prisons, kept in the most
loathsome condition, were established in
~ Richmondi and in other localities To over
awe the struggling Union sentiment of our lA
people, the one at Salisbury was set up and
-sEi made the scene of horrors, at the recollec-
'5lation Of which the blood still runs cold
Isl q hundreds of our private citizens, exempt
ION HOE CONSUMPTION, were there and at Castle
inpnderl in Richmond, incarcerated upon
mere suspicion of Unionism. and met their
deafh by starvation and other indescribahia
cruelties. - 49, z e91ttil o'oie
-ry.Ibf put the failing resources of the Confador
ny Would not allow the expense of snfI;c;ent
e 'sSh accommodation for as MANY u;ct;rr,s
.Ua;as;n necessary to suppress the sfrnaI,I;ns
ieftst n'sa OF North Carolina. The ra gs,,ng
eszadsSssssS e neighbofhood scouts and anth was
as o. guerrilla ROBBERS not on,vl on
q HS}as4E559 ) : L.