Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-10-29

Ia COW that the assertion, that we think n
;r-v oonld be found daring enough TO con
viot q Ku,K2ux, was made without an
ro-ront or authority on the part OF tn
gonda,d from anything we have said
W. have neither said or intimated an.
= such thing.
liz it be true that the ''warning of tn
Standard" is ssa simple statement of facts
and not mere threat; that it would b.
next to impossible to get q jury to convic
, Ku-Klux: that the warning had no refer
ence to the Governor and his ''efforts t.
crush out murder in the State" il
follows that this resistless power preparing
to crush people in Orange is power un
! known to the Constitution and laws of tn
State that this terrible punishment which
is soon to come upon them like an ava
lancb, which is to bind them hand ant
foot, is a punishment unknown to the law
and Constitution of the State, one to b.
inflicted not through Sheriffs and Jailor
and Hangmen nor even the Governor, the
chief Magistrate of the State and Captain
General of the Militia, but to be inflicted
by persons whose right thus to punish car
be traced to no law. It follows too, tha'
if, in this crushing process, the life OF the
greatest unconvicted criminal In the LAND
be taken, it will in law be murder pure and
simple, the act not having been committed
in the heat of passion, in self defence Or by
an officer of the law in the execution of
the sentence of the law, and that the
''crushing" can be lawfully resisted even
unto death by those unconvicted men, even
though they be criminals in fact.
If the warning of the Standard be a
simple statement of facts and not a threat.
it behooves the people of Orange speedily
to provide themselves with the means OF
defence If there be such o power among
them, so terrible in its punishment, SO
swift, so secret, they need something more
than the experience of the past or the as
surance of the Standard to make them safe
from harm with no other shield from
danger than innocence. Even though
they may be as innocent of crime as
children unborn, it would be more prudent
to be prepared to demonstrate and to de-
fend their innocence. After this " crush
ing" process is over, we take it that it will
be too late, practically, to correct the mis-
take of having "crushed the wrong man.
We think, therefore, it would be more
prudent to prevent the occurrence of the
mistake.
We are informed that the negroes are
constantly drilling in Hillsboro' =, and that in
other acts their conduct is calculated to
excite reasonable apprehension.
Does this fact give point to the warning
Of the Standard?
The condition of affairs in the State is
such as to demand our most serious con-
sideration. That feeling Of security which
usually attends faithful and impartial
execution of the laws does not exist in
North Carolina. There is rather a growing
feeling of insecurity, resulting in emigra-
ton from the State and efforts to secure
protection by means of secret organizations
outside of the law. The Masonic is the
only secret organization Of any kind of
therefore, speak by Authority when we ex-
press the belief that there is scarcely a
community, in town or country in North
Carolina, in which there is not secret as
ISOLATION, entered into for mutual protec-
ton, as they consider it, by good citizens
and true men. We are of opinion also
that the numbers, power and influence
OF these associations are daily not
These are white men who
are opposed to Radicalism and who think
the acts of our Radical rulers justify them
in banding together for mutual protection. |
On the other hand there is the secret asso-
citation known as the Union League, con-
sisting of Radicals, both white and black,
ed as having been formed to place the
black race in organized hostility to the
white race. The successful accomplish
ment of this purpose is thought to be felt
in the onerous taxes recently imposed upon
us and to be seen in the numerous daily |
of the Sheriff's Offering for
sale the property of delinquent tax payers
In addition to this we have ''simple
statement of facts from the Standard,
whose editor is not member of the Union
League, declaring in the most emphatic
language, twice repeated, there is yet
another secret power in the State, just on
the eve of crushing out guilty criminals,
as it chooses to designate individuals who
certainly have not been convicted of any
crime and who regard themselves. and
whom others regard, as innocent OF any
criminal action. The Majesty of the Law,
its terrors and its authority, seem no long
er to be remembered-no longer to be
thought ONO longer to be relied upon.
This we regard as the source from which
have sprung all the evils that are upon us.
We do not deem it necessary at this time
to enquire upon whom rests the heavy re-
sponsibility for the present state of affairs.
We desire now simply to deal with
facts as we find them. In certain por-