Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-03-24

AASW0E-1SS, B1fs
lation
Answer do /; the school is going o.
3 now.
Questlon-Have you, since you hay,
6een In North Carolina, found any preiu-
dice against you or unkindness on acconn,
OF your occupation q?
Answer have not found any unkind-
ness toward me among the people of NORTH
Carolina Z; no one has treated me unkind-
ly.
Question-HaYe you, on The contrary,
met with personal kindness from the peo-
pie there
Answer-Yes, sir the very best people
OF the State all through the community
have treated me with the utmost kindness
visited my family and myself
Question-Your duties there brought
you IN contact Immediately with the col
ored people who came to you?
Answer-Yes, sir.
Question Are those who are in your
school generally the more intelligent OF
the race?
Answer-That is our purpose to take
the more intelligent and educate them.
Qaestion-Do they talk to you freely
about the condition of their race and their
prospects in the State
Answer-They talk as freely as pupils
generally do.
Qnestion-Among these people is there
a sense of security az to their person and
property and rights in the State =?
Answer know of nothing among them
evlnclng that they do not feel perfectly
secure. think some of them may have
the idea that political rights are not Sc
cure from what they hear or read in the
papers, because it is charged that the pur-
pose OF the present administration in
North Carolina is to take away the rights
OF the colored people, and ignorant people,
those who are not thoroughly intelligent,
may be disturbed by such things.
Questlon-Does this lead you to the ex-
animation generally Of the cordition of
the black people of the State ?
Answer Certainly !; I am interested ard
constantly loquiring and converting with
the colored people and I may sny that I
organized, on going there, land and
building ASSOCIATION for the colorCd people,
which brought me- into intimate contact
with them. l am the treasurer of l.. The
object Is to secure to them homesteads.
QuestiOn-You spoke of the existence
OF Union Leagues did you obtain your
information that such societies existed
from the colored people around you
Answer-Yes, sir
Questionable they exist throughout the
Site?
Anawer--5U lar as I IA9ow.
Question: mean from the infor m alton
given you by those coIored people?
Answer Rather from the public state
monts. | do not know that the colored
people have said to me ia so mauy words
that it existed throughout the State. but
know of the fact of its existing in Raleigh
by the statements Of the cOlored people.
Question DO you know whether Gov
league?
Ans~er-l kno" az we'll as I can know.
"ltnout Deing III it myself. It was no
league.
Question-Do you know whether t,;s
league was bound by oaths !?
AnSWef--l understand that they woro.
Questton-Had they passwords and |
secret signs, ana other accomplishments of
secret societies? ~ that the genera! I'M
det5tendine in the Community
Auswer-That I undestccd to be the
case the way Of knowing taeir mambe~s
Qaestion-ln your opinion r, il perfectlv
safe for any man, black or white ~ Lon;I,
"a colo1ed school anywhere IN that State r !
he confines himself to the legitimate discs
of his prOfe SslOn?
AnSWer-Ihat is my opinion. |
Question-With perfect safety
Answer-I think SO.
Question-Would you hesitate to es.l
tablish colored school in any portion of
the State, under the care of judicious
and sensible man?
Answer-Not at all.
Question-Would you think his life and
personal property safe
Answer-Perfectly.
Question-You said you voted for Gen
eral Grant in tho last election?
Answer-Yes, sir.
Q1cstion-Have you had any conversa-
ton with Governor Holden relative to the
late election
lions with him.
Questiou-In regard to the condition of
| the State
| Answer-Yes, sir.
| Question-How did he express himself
in regard to the politics of those who were
opposing his election?
Answer had conversation with him,
I think, last April. < X Governor
Holden was very much excited about the
recall Of the United States troops, and had
received no assurance than that there
would be any troops to supply their place.
We'll, I spoke to Governor Holden and
said, Governor, what distresses me is,
that you should put these colored men up
for Congress. for responsible offices. L
notice in my work among these people
that there is great moral injury done to
them throughout the State; the elect IS
very bad it unsettles them: they dc not
seem 10 be disposed to go to regular labor,
because they are looking to political pre-
ferment." He then expressed himself in
respect to the colored people, and said that
Congress had seen fit to pass a law by
which they were admitted to seats in the
State Legislature, and be wanted them to
have some of the same themselves, and
therefore he went for sending them t.
Congress. Then be said to me. or rather
to us ALL 'Now, if the Government does
not send these troops, I shall arm the col
ored people. I can control by my word
so, 900 men. can go to the convention
that is to meet here next week, IA RepuE-
licau couvention,) and control them by
word' I remarked at the same time,
''That is dangerous power--very danger.
Gus power to be in the hands of one man"
He then said to me, in the presence of
these gentlemen, ''What is to hinder the
Ku- klux from taking you. DR.. Smith Are
you not afraid Z" "Not at all;'' said l.
Said he, ''There is nothing to hinder them
| from taking YOU or any other Radical. -