The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-04-13
For the Standard
III. &. Troops in North Carolina.

Mr.. EDIToR:-I saw in the Standard,
few days since, that Gov Holden had called
FIR U. S. troops to aid in maintaining the
majesty of the law and putting down mob
violence in some parts of our State.
No one, am sure, could regret the neGes-
sity for such call, more than Gov. Holden.
That there are some very wicked and law
less men in some sections of our State, no
one who reads the newspapers will deny.
That the effolts of regularly constituted
county authorities have been Intellectual to
stop such men in their riotous and unlawful
conduct, is too palpable for contradiction.
twas, therefore, the duty of the Governor
to arrest these lawless despeEadoes, and bring
them to the bar of Justice. Before calling
for Federal troops, l learn Gov Holden Or
ganized body of citizens and despatched
them to the scene of disorder These citi-
zen troops, however, being inexperienced in
such matters, and not feeling disposed to
risk their lives too much, in preserving the
peace of neighborhood distant from their
own homes, failed to put stop to the prog
ress of these reckless law-breakers; coDse-
qucntly the desperadoes proceeded on in
their mad career of crime-instigated thereto
in measure, perhaps, by political partisans
and tricksterS, who ridiculed the efforts of
the Governor to promote and maintain peace
and harmony in all quarters. The laws
were trampled under foot, citizens were
taken from their beds and whipped upmer-
cifully, some were hung, some shot, and
other outrages were performed, while riot
and disorder reigned supreme.
Under these circumstances it was incum-
bent on Governor Holden to call for I. 5.
troops-he did call for them; in so doing
he did right; and every friend of law and
order will sanction and approve his action.
For of what use are the laws unless they are
enforced! If wild and lawless body of
men are permitted to set the law at defiance
who will be safe, whose property secure
Let mob law rule and the rights and liber
ties of every citizen are in jeopardy. With
out law and the power to enforce the law,
all will be anarchy and confusion. Both
liberty and power are precarious unless the
possessor have strength and spirit to defend
them
A<Qe but political tricksters or partizans
who desire and seek to build up their for
tunes on the runs of their State, or the com
munities IN which they live, will counten-
ance lawlessness. If disorder prevails in
any section of our State and United States
troops are necessary to put stop to such
disorder, let the troops be sent for, and
every honest, law-abiding citizen will vel
come the aid given by Federal authority.
Federal troops have been employed in main
tanning the law, when necessary, by every
President, beginning with Washington, as::sd
always without complaint. Crime should
be arrested promptly, and punished; and
for this nurnose the sword of Justice should
always be sharp. There has been too mucn
crime in this State since the late war.
Emigration to this State has been checked
or greatly discouraged by the acts of bad
men who have too long gone UNPUBLISHED
Capitalists have passed us by or gone else
where under the erroneous belief that We
were not law-abiding people, and tina
their lives and property would be unsafe
were they to settle here Trade, too, In
measure has been crippled by the hagran
acts of violence and crime committed b.
desperadoes in our midst. And this is no
all for we see by recent statements, that thu
President of the United States has now ly
ing on his table, message to Congress re
eommending universal amnesty, which h
has deferred sending in, principally becaus
the outrages recently committed on col
red people in North and South Carolina
End Alabama. President Grants motto
Let US have peace" Gov Holden is eA
fting all his powers to promote and man
Pin peace. The people of North Carolin
Ould give him their aid, and determin
pit there SHALL BE PEACE,
Chatham County, April G, 1870