Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-06-19
regard to the outrages upon our rights, and
for the maintenance of the Constitution, not
only at the North, but in the South also.

sions from the accused, and the inqulsltlon
did the bloody work of cowardly tyrants.
| The National IateHige,aceT thus comments
upon this newest outrage perpetrated upor
citizens through the means of the military
tyrannies established in the South "Not
long ago bad man named Ashburn was
killed in q house of ill-fame at Columbus
Georgia. Leading life of shame and VIC
Ience, he was at war, not only with society,
but had also his special friends with these
who, like himself, followed a life of crime.
Falling thus in low haunt of vice, the
| natural presumption that he fell by the
hands Of some of his own set was confirmed
by the expressions and acts of these par
ties. To the Conservatives of Georgia the
tact that such man was prominent
Radical leader and agent was daily argu-
ment that was to them invaluable, just a..
IS the character and the antecedents of
such persons as Hunnicutt, Holden, Match
EFT, Conover, Ashley, and others whom this
party delight to honor. But it suited the
purpose of Radicalism to ascribe this MUIR
der or killing (for the exact facts have
never transpired) to members of the Con-
servative party at Columbus.
"In a free country, governed by laws, a
false accusation against citizen may be
dangerous under special circumstances,
but there are very many safeguards to in
nocence. The citizen is arrested, but he
has a right to know at once the nature OF
the accusation against him, to be present
counsel, to have visits from counsel and
relatives, to be tried by jury, with known
rules of evidence; whatever is done against
1im must be done in the light of day.
"How different is this case! Without any
proof, four respectable citizens are arrested
md confined in separate apartments at
Atlanta, denied all communication with
friends save under military surveillance,
and all opportunity to confer with counsel
rwo white men are in Fort Pulaski, con-
ined in cells, and denied all access to
friends or counsel. To-day, we believe,
these six parties are to be brought out of
their dungeons and hurried to trial, for
heir lives, before military commissi on
one of those institutions which Mr.. Web
ster says are always organized to con-
Wet.
"Such q state of facts is sufficiently hor-
ole, disgraceful to us as a people, damn
.ng to every officer and agent engaged in
It. It is hardly possible TO realize that such
thing can be while We dare to hold up
our heads among civilized nations, and
claim that this is land of liberty to which
we have proudly invited the oppressed of
all nations.
But this is only part of this Infamous
record. Whilst these men are thus i'm
INJURED III dungeons, cut off from access to
artful and incessant malice, have been busy
in procuring false testimony. Large and
extraordinary re wards are offered for testi-
uony, and lest base men be not found
ready to earn this blood money, the uni
form of the nation is degraded by the mil
,tary apprehension of ignorant and i'm
pressible negroes, dragging them by force
before secret military board, and there, by
threats, curses, starvation, and solitary con-
fnement, endeavoring to extort from them
the false testimony upon which the lives
ofinnocent men may be taken away. The
testimony we publish to-day establishes
these facts. It demonstrates the character
of the government under which these peo-
pie of the South are now living.
"Let every man ask himself, under such a
system, what safety there is for the life or
liberty of any man, however pure or blame
less may be his conduct. Any man is liza
BILE to be convicted by these base instru-
mentalities. No man is safe for one mo-
ment. And now shall we fold our arms
because these things happen to mon far
off, whom we have not seen, of whose
names we have barely heard, and possibly
would never have heard but for this das-
tardly outrage? If we do not make this
case our own, five do not mark by our own
indignant protest and Reproduction, then are
we by our silence the accomplices of these
tyrants. In this matter neither we nor
Congress nor the President can escape a
just and solemn responsibility if either fails
60 do his part towards arresting this act of
atrocity. While we read, this crime, this
incredible shame, this deed of cruelty and
cowardice may be pushed to its consumma-
ton. 1t is in the power of the President
or of General Grant, either of them, to ap-
ply remedy to this proceeding. 1t is but
just to both to suppose that the reason why
they have not heretofore acted is because
they have not been made aware of the facts -
The Campaign Journal.
We call the attention of friends to our
liberal offers to single and club subscribers
during the Presidential campaign. The
political history of the country has newell
furnished q no ro11o1 IN the coming canvass