Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-07
CARNIVAL OF CRIME-THE
FRUITS or RADICAL RULE.

government with which that once proud
old commonwealth is cursed. Negro
riots. murders and robberies in Florida
have been the burthen of the news from
that carpet-bagger ridden State since the
close of the war, and now orders have
been issued to send United States troops
to jackson county to prevent further
bloodshed. Such is the social and political
condition of these States, which were recon
structed lin the interest of carpet-baggers, but
from all accounts the condition of affairs
in the old North State, ever distinguished
for the moderation and conservatism of
her people, is even more alarming. An
organization called the Loyal League, of
which the Radical Governor, Holden, is
the head, extends all over the State, en-
bracing in its membership the negroes and
vagabond carpet-baggers who infest it.
These leagues, instigated by carpet-bag
and scalawag politicians, have brought
about a fearful state of affairs, forcing
the whites to organize for their own pro-
lection, and provoking them to acts of re-
taliation, which threaten to embroil several
counties in civil war. To increase the
dangers of the situation, and still
further to exasperate the white people
of the State, Holden, who was an ex-
IRENE secessionist before and in the
early part of the war, and afterwards
traitor to the Southern cause-has issued
proclamation declaring the counties OF
Jones, Lenoir, Chatham and Orange in
state of instruction, and is organizing his
negro loyal-league militia to be turned
loose upon the whites under pretence of
suppressing the Ku-Klux and protect life
and property. That outrages Lave been
committed in that portion of the State
mentioned in the Governors proclamation,
none doubt, who are at all acquainted
with affairs in North Carolina. But who
instigated the offensesl Who broke the
peace and ''from rank showers of blood
and the red light of blazing roofs"
called forth the demons of revenge ?
This is the point to be ascertained.
The Wilmington Journal a paper
in every respect worthy of the fullest
credit, stat es that for months a series of
Outrages, consisting of murders, arson,
robbery, barn-burning and larceny, car
ried on for months by members of the
Loyal League and spreading terror through
out Jones and Lenoir counties, caused the
formation of counter organizations.
These were doubtless organized originally
for self protection, but incensed at the
bold and heinous outrages of the Leagues,
the passions of the members excited by
the murder of innocent men, wO-
men and children, and the flames
of burning dwellings, their acts have been,
in some cases, as lawless and yiO-
lent as were those which gave excuse and
cause to these organizations. The murder
of Col. Nethercutt, while surrounded by
his family at evening prayers, and the
burning of his dwelling, his wife and
children deprived by the act of husband
and father, and homeless; the murder OF
the Foscue family, including father, moth
er and child; the burning of barns the
highway robberies; the numerous thefts
committed entirely by members of Sc
cret, oath-bound organization, under con-
troll of strangers and yagabonds, left in
that immediate section by assertions from,
and the debris of, the disbanding Federal
armies, and all traced directly to the agen-
cy of the Loyal League, excused, if it did
not Justify, the formation of organiza-
tons for self-protection where the law was
Intellectual to stop these crimes and punish
their perpetrators. Some of the crimes
xzsieh were committed in portion of the
territory referred to in the proclamation of
Gov. Holden, and upon the perpetrators of
which was visited swift retributiOn, are
thus reported by the Raleigh Sentinel i:
"Wright Woods, colored, lived on the
waters of Little River, in Orange county.
There if pretty white girl in the neigh
bOrhOod, who has many beaux and adj
mirers. Wright Woods had made his
threats that he intended TO force her into
compliance with his british wishes, when
the white men of the neighborhood were
all gone to the State Fair at Raleigh, in
| October.
"On Monday night, the 9th of Septem-
Der, four mounted men appeared where
| Wright Woods was burning coal-k1ln,
in company with his father. Wright was
taken off, and nothing was heard of him
until Sunday, the 18th, when a neighbor,
attracted by the flight and futtering OF
buzzards, approached and found these foul
birds preying upon the dead body OF
Wright Woods To his foot was attached
the following note:
"'If the law will not protect virtue,
the rope will
"Within the last few years, the crime
which Wright Woods threatened has been
frequently attempted in Orange and Other
counties of the State.
"There is member of the League now
in Orange jail for an attempt at rape on
child of thirteen.
''Two years ago Judge Cilley, riding the
Circuit, a member of the League was con
victed and sentenced to death tor commit
ting rape in Orange. The conyictbro
jail and escaped.
"a negro put his hands upon the wifi
of one of7our neighbors, in Orange, wheI
the husband had gone out at nightto gath
er his fodder; little girl blowing tn
horn brought the husband in haste to tn,
house and thus the wife was saved. w
know that men with young wives ant
small children feared to leave their wiye
at night while they went out to gather fod
der, lesSs0me Wright Woods should visi
in their absence.
"a most brutal outrage was COMMITTEE
last year in Edgcombe upon the person o
white girl by black member of tn
League. When Judge FOwle rode tn
Orange Circuit last, anegro was tried be
fore him for an attempt upon white lady
Two cases were tried before him in Ala
nance. Since the surrender there ishart
ly a county from the sea-shore to the p
lot Mountain, that has not been the seen
of outrages such as were threatened b
Wright Woods.
These acts of irapine and murder were IT
ported to Gov. Holden, and the partit
implicated pointed out. Appeals to thi
functionary were neglected for Ion
time, and when noticed, the Goyernt
| eaes notbinr To condemn In the barn-burl