The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-11-18

hope, which only bore him DER wave and
biilow to sleep upon the gloomy beach of
the forgotten and aforementioned dead.
The Riot in Savannah.
| The election riot in Savannah, Georgia,
turns out as we anticipated Report said
the colored men took possession of the polls
at six o'clock and held control until seven,
when the whites rallied and drove them
away. The fact is the polls were not opened
until seven o'clock, and the colored voters
had then formed long lines to take their turn
to vote. There were but three boxes for the
whole city, and the crowd was dense, many
fearing they should lose an opportunity to
deposit their ballots. Things moved along
smoothly, however, until after eight o'clock,
when quite large number of railroad en-
ployecs marched up in body, and attempted
to take the precedence Of the men in line
ahead of them. Certain officials said they
should have the privilege, in order that they
might not lose their days work, as it is al
legged. This was not explained to the col
ored men, and they did not choose to give up
their rights, on demand. The Democrats
tried to crowd them out, and it finally result
ed in clubbing and shooting till general
assault with fire arms was made upon the
colored men, most of whom were without
arms, having been advised by their leaders
to go to the polls unarmed. The fight was
short, and resulted as it always does when
unarmed freedmen attack (l) their former
masters-one white killed and four or five
wounded, five blacks killed and twenty five
or thirty wounded They were driven from
the polls, and fearing for their lives, but few
returned.
Before the riot commenced. the plan had
been carried out Of challenging every colored
man who offered to vote, and none who had
not paid their taxes were allowed to vote,
and the result was that nine-tenths of them
were rejected by Democratic officers. This
took too much time The Republicans could
not all be challenged before night, and the
Democrats, who arrived last On the ground,
would have no chance to vote. More active
measures must be resorted to. Force was
brought in to accomplish what could not be
done by fraud. The plea of pressing business
was advanced by those who claimed that the
colored men had no rights which they were
bound to respect, and they attempted to
crack the drivers whip over their former
slaves.
Their plan was successful, and the day
party OF Constitutional government, of civil
liberty, of virtue and intelligence, as our
moralists of the Sentinel and of the Ku Klux
sect would call it. The Sentinel naturally
enough speaks of how molly and manfully
the Democracy of Georgia did their duty
How nobly, the ghosts of the murdered inno-
nocents will rise up to testify. How manful-
ly, let their chivalrous act in shooting down
unarmed citizens be taken in evidence.
The freedmen of Georgia lie ground in the
dust. Rebels, murderers and traitors pro-
claim themselves masters of the State The
civil authority has been shown powerless to
give protection to its most peaceful citizens.
A wall of agony reaches US from the suffer-
ing masses, who are denied the suffrage
which is the birthright ofthe citizen. Losing
suffrage, they must lose every right as Amer
leans, unless some higher power intcrferes in
their behalf.
The same spirit that Expresses, robs and
murders there, is as fierce in North Carolina
as it is in Georgia to-day. The difference is
that here they have vigorous government
to contend with, and brave man at the
head of it. They assert that the govern
ment is a fraud and its officers are usurpers:
and that they shall submit to it only SO long
as they ere forced to do so. Men who
have the life and peace of the State at heart
can see danger so long as these men feel and
think as they do, no matter how closely they
may conceal their purposes That danger
will continue so long as treason is made hon
orable and traitors are applauded. How can
it be averted The Legislature must take
steps 10 intrench the State against rebellion.
Will they doit? The people await an an
swer.