The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1869-10-27
"A PROCLAMATION.
BY HIS FxCELLENCY. THE COVER
NOR OF NORTH CAROLINA.

RALEIsH, Oct. Goth, 1869.
NoTwITHsTANDING the existence Of peace
and good order IN other portions of the
State. ! regard it as my duty to announce
that in iour Counties, to-wit: I.enoir
Jones, Orange, and Chatham, there is, and
hassbren tor some motnhs.- past, Ia 1eeling Of
insubordination and insurrection, insumuch
that many good citizens are put in terror
Tor their lives and property. aud il is difl-
cult, ii not impossible, To secure full and
lair enforcement ul The law. Information
has reached, and continues to reach the Ex-
rcutive, that in the above Counties state
Of feeling exists which Is totally incompati-
Bile with the fee exercise. by The friends oi
the Government, of that independent ex-
preston OF opinion, and that freedom Of ac-
lion. which is the birth right of every A.
merIcsn. In Lenoir aud Jones various
theits and murders have been committed
jails have been forclbly opened aud the
prIsonrrstaken thence have been murdered
an officer Of The law has been wsylaid and
slain on the public highway. and another
officer OF the las has bren slain in The open
day while engaged in his ordinary avoca-
tions. Private dwellings have been entered
and the occupants terrified, and sumo oil
them whipped or murdered; others have
been shot Or hanged or cruelty beaten; aud
the Results tlat thus far the civil Law,
ihuugh firmly asserted and maintained, has
MOI been adequate to bring the insubordinaie
and The wicked 10 cundIgn punishmen..--
In Chatham the jail has been iorcibly open
ed and prisoner, confined under sentence
Of Court Of the United States, has been
liberated and is now al large. In Orange
the Jail has been iorcibly opened and two
prisoners (colored nssnl taken on. and shot,
one Of whom has died Of has wounds. Three
other coiored men have been hanged until
they we're dead, one has been cruelty mutt.
lated, and others have been Nhipped.-
White citizens have been injured. insulted
and terrified. The University Of the State,
sacred TO the cause OF learning, has been
repeatedly invaded By bands ol armed men
in disguise on horse back, and acts Of yio-
lence have been there perpetrated on unof-
Tending citizens and aficers 81 the law
Many Ui the colored people in these Coun-
ties, aud no inconslderable portion af the
white people, though nbedient 10 The law
and good citIzens, are living under can-
slant apprehensians that they may fall yic-
TINS al any moment to the malice Of their
enemies. Ass i
Its made my duty under The Ccnstitu-
iion "to cali ou, The militia 10 execute the
law, suppress riots Or insurreclion and 10
reptl INVASION" | deeply regret that il
seems necessary 10 rssuft to the military
power 10 enlOrce the law and 10 protect the
citizen. But the Law must be maintained
have waited in VAN. hoping that return
ing sense Of reason and justice would ar
rest these violations OF The law, but these
evils. instead nf diminishing have increased.
aud no course Is lelf TO me but TO issue this
proclamation Of admonilion aud warning
10 all the people oI the Counties mentioned.
whether engaged in these hagrant violatlan-
OF law, or VIII, tlier indifferent or insensible
10 what is Occurring IN their midst. | now
call upon every citizen Ia The Counties
aforesaid % aid the civil power in = fear.
less enforcement af the laws. No set oI
men can take the law into their own hands.
Every citizen, however humble, or what
ever his color, has right TO be st peace 10
! his own hausr, and cannot be taken thence
except by due process, and cannot be pun.
ished save by lhe Law. II there be illass
/ Who counsel resistance 10 establish authnri.
", such persons are traitors, aud should be
punished sccordingIy: u there be those
who, disguised or masked, enter the dwell
ling Of others by force and commit acts ol
violence, such persons are guilty Of Ielony.
and should be punished by hard lsbur ~
The peuileniiary; II there be those who,
Nihout prscepi of order. hang, Or shoot. o.
otherwise deprive any one ~ Ile, such per.
sons are murlefers. and should be punish.
ed accordingly. go ,'a
4 1 now give notice in The most solemn
msnnrr, that these violations of law and
these ou,rsges in the aforesaid Ceuut les,
i must cease otherwise, will proclaim those
Counties 10 state Of insurrectipn, and will
exert the whole power Of the State 10 en-.
Ifnrce the law 20 protect those who are a..
sailed or injured. and tc bring criminals 10
justice. ln matter like this there should
be no porty ieeIing. Il is my fixed purpose
TO proiect every citizen without regard u
his antecedents, his color or his pali,ica
| opinions, butis do this the law must bs
spread over all alike, and must be inilex'b
! N mainlsined.
ENi4 A A8N