Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-12-18
Robson County
insert.

nOOcsOh SOAAkS
It would seem that the Senator and Rep
resentatives from Robson county regard
the comments of the Raleigh Sentinel upon
the recent proclamation of Governor Hol-
den to suppress lawlessness in that county,
and copied in our columns, as doing the
Governor and themselves I'M Justice. It Is
never our purpose to deal uniustly with
any one. Wilfully to misrepresent oppo-
nents-to abuse individuals for "party
purposes"-is a base use Of the public
press, and would be following too closely
upon the disgraceful example of the Gov
ernor himself, while an Editor, to recon-
mend such o course to our favor.
The article in question was clipped out
of the Sentinel and inserted among the
items of interest occurring in the State
We disapproved then, as we disapprove
now, Of the proclamation, for we know too
well what use will be made of extraordi
nary powers by such county officials as
some of our counties are cursed with, and
the endorsement of the Governor and the
members of the Legislature from Robson,
could hardly be expected to have much
weight with US. All of these men have
shown a spirit of bitter and unrelenting
malignity towards what they are pleased to
term the "disloyal people of the State,
and we are sometimes inclined to believe
that their denunciations of citizens amounts
to nothing more than that they are true to
Nth ha
State in her hour of humiliation and dis
tress.
These members allege that the proclama-
ton of the Governor was issued at their
interposition, and that they acted upon a
petition from quite number of the best
citizens OF the county, mostly Democrats.
urging upon them the necessity of doing
something to protect life and property
from desperate band Of there's and rob-
6ers" which infest that and adjoining
counties.
If we believed that the official upon
whom the Governor confers such
arbitrary and extraordinary powers would
be actuated only for the good of the peo-
iudiciously," we would commend this or
der to the Sheriff of Robson. If there
are men engaged in acts of lawlessness and
violence they should be most summarily
punished, and civil officers should exercise
the full extent of their legal powers to
ferret out and bring to justice such offend
ers. We take it for granted that this 'des-
perate band of thieves and robbers who
infest Robson county are similar to those
who infest almost every other county, COM
posed for the most part of idle and vaga-
bond negroes, joined by few vicious
whites, who roam through the country and
live by stealing and robbing. 1t is one of
the evil results of the decentralization of
the war, and the sudden revolu ton in the
condition of the negro.
"Our" Governor has shown very fruit
full disposition to give ali these disturban-
ces political turn, and it is this tendency
of his proclamation or order which we de-
sired to deprecate, as we'll in the unneces-
sary and e1travagant patronage he gave to
his printing Office in having an order for
one person printed, as in the Ku-Klux
ring the document evidently has.
If our friends in Robson will keep us
advised as to the frequency and character
of these outrages alleged to be committed
by "organized bands of robbers" they
will confer favor and enable US to speak
more advisedly upon this subject. 1t ap-