The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-05-04


full whipping of anegro man in Wake county,
by disguised persons. Such occurrences
are doing the State vast amount of harm,
and, if continued, will cause terrible trouble
hereafter All good men, without regard to
party, ought to unite and bring disguised
nlght-mobbers to speedy punishment
Charlotte Democrat.
The Democrat is right, and we heartily
endorse all that it has said, and hope that
good men will unite to bring to punishment
disguised night mobbers, who are indeed
accomplishing wonderful amount of harm
all over the State.
But recently two gentlemen from New
York waited upon US to know the extent
and. meaning of these midnight torays.
They desired to purchase lands in our West
ern counties, hut felt that the investment
would not be safe one, if life and property
were at the mercy of armed bands of dis
guised men
We told them that there were localities in
North Carolina where these outrages had
been perpetrated, and still continued to be
perpetrated, and where it seemed that civil
law furnished no adequate power for their
suppression. But these eighborhoods were
known to all the State, and had most un-
enviable reputation. They could purchase
lands and settle there if they wished to do
so, but they must first learn to do as the ku-
klux would require of them, or they would
be scourged like others had been scourged.
On the other hand, we told them that
there was freedom tor labor, for POI
litical sentiment and utterance, IN near
ly the entire State, with the exception
of the localities mentioned, and if they
wished to settle here that they would find
suitable bargains in almost any section of
North Carolina. The gentlemen went West
on the next train, and we hope that they
have concluded their purchases in that re-
gion Of the State as they wished to do. y.
. Now this feeling of distrust Of our people
comes from the i'll deeds of bad men
amongst us, who take the law into their
own hands and spread terror through
whole communities. 1t is said that the
people do not approve of their actions
But we seldom see an instance of their ar
rest, and not one of their conviction. The
victims tell their story. of the wrongs
which have been done them. The whole
nation is informed of it through various
channels harm is done to the charac-
of the State and all her material interests
made to suffer.
But harm is not done because the story is
told-it flows from the evil deed itself; and
is result of the long list of outrages, which
go UNPUBLISHED in the face of civil as well as
military officers. There is but one remedy,
and that is the enforcement of the law. Its
guarantees are sufficient for all purposes.
Public sentiment once pointed in that di-
rection as steadily as the needle to the
pole. Great and good men educated the
people, who made the laws, to see that
they were executed in justice as well as in
mercy. But the ligaments were severed by
the sword ofcivil war; Even when they are
oined together again, the slightest strain
threatens their separation anew. Still they
must not part, for society and all that socie-
y now contains of good for the future, de-
oends upon their strength and security. 1t |
will not be long before this fact will be real
zed, but 1t may be only after commissions and
orrows, like those which once came in |
'alamity upon us. Our voice is for law and |
rider and peace. We do not desire to see |
evenge executed, but we do desire to see a
air quantity of justice meeted out to |
nough of the mid night-mobbers, who
lisgrace the State, to deter others from fol-
owing in Their footsteps And rn1s IN the
lame of the law, and for no other purpose.