Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-06-28

eminent ana nlled the land with widows
and orphans and bankrupts ? Is 1t not
enough that they have destroyed our peace
and prosperity, our common schools, in.
ternal improvements, and every other in
terest, and left us poor and dishonored?
With their hands red with the blood of
sons and brothers slain, and their hearts
black with the boast of crimes-with muir
ders and thefts-the starving of prisoners
and the most revolving outrages upon
women and aged men, must they still cry
havoc and let slip the dogs of warp Are
we never to have peace? Are our sons to
be reared only for the slaughter-field, that
these nischiefmakers may enjoy, to the
exclusion of all others, ''their lands and
their houses and their meats" and that
they may have the refined pleasure of
kicking men better than themselves out Of
"decent society,"" Our older sons were
| killed or crippled in the late war. But
three years have elapsed. Have our
younger sons had time to grow up fat for
the slaughter? Shall they go into the
| bitches again, while others stay at home to
their meat" and keep themselves so
''decent" that if you attempt to enter their
| society you must be clicked out ?''
But let it not be supposed that all who
have lands and houses end meat are Of the
miscllievous class of which we have spo-
ken. We hope that a very large majority
of those who have lands and houses and
| meat are humane, christian gentlemen,
| who scorn to countenance the oppression
which is threatened. The Chief Justice
and the thousands who act with him have
lands and houses and meat, but they do
not have them to use for oppression. And
| we know that some of those who threaten
| have neither lands nor houses nor meat,
nor have they any decency to spare, much
less boast. But in times of violence eX-
| tremc men assume unWOnted importance,
and We therefore call on all reasonable and
moderate men, whether they have lands
and houses and meat OF not, to arouse
| themselves and prevent these desperate
country into strife, anarchy and blood
| shed.
| The desperate spirit which is manifested
towards the government has rendered it
necessary for us to provide the requisite
means to preserve peace and order. We
! have provided for organizing the militia
and rendering a sufficient portion of it eff
fective in case it be needed to overcome
violence and execute the laws. But white
| and colOrCd citizens are to be organized
separately. We have deemed 1t necessary
to pass Il stringent law against the bribery
and intimidation of voters. The object OF
| THESE anu OtI1cf measures HAS Dccn only
to provide for preserving the public peace
to secure a fair and llntrammeled express
sion of the popular will in elections, and
to furnish the government with the means
to enforce It's authority and have the law
promptly executed.
We now appeal to all the laW-lOVing End
laW-abiding people of the nation, but es
pecially to you, men of North Carolina
whose ancestors were the first to declare
for that Independence under which the
Union was formed and liberty secured; tC
you, who were the last to be driven into
secession and rebellion against the Union
to you, who were the most bitterly re
viled and the most grieyously scOurged by
Confederate tyrants, during the dark day:
of treason and blood. We appeal to you
men of the mountains, Of the midland:
and of the seabOard, to come forward il
defence of the Union, the Constitution anC
the laws, and to command the peace
Make known to these cver-restless anC
turbulent rCVolutionstS, who once de
ceived, and then oppressed and ruine(
you, that frcemen have rights which arr
sacred; that they establish government!
and make laws to be obcyed and tha
they possess the will and power to cnforc,
their rights, and to defend their govern
mcntS and their laws against the threats
and violence Of all who attempt to over
throw them.
We need peace. Who among the free
men of America has hand strong enough
TO maintain the authority of the nation
ant! awe turbulent and rebcllious men into
submission and obedience? That PRO
| violence which has ever seemed to takC
under especial care the affairs and ,lcstin
les of this Republic, has raised up for us
III these times Of trouble such a man. II
the struggle to establish this Government
it gave us General Washington. In the
struggle to preserve it against rebellion ant
treason, it has given lis General Grant
| With the reinS Of Government IN his hands
would any traitor dare attempt further dis
turbance of the public peace? They fee
and confess that their last hope is stakpt
on defeating his election to the Presidency
Will you, our cOulntrymeE, allow them tC
realize that hope, and again plunge this
land into strife, bloodshed and desOlation
You may avert it and secure lasting peace
by your ballots i'll the approaching clcc
ton. 1T not, you must submit to give III
your liberties, or prepare to resist tho
army which General Blair and his Prcsi
CtC1lt eject will ''cOmpel" to come down
upon you, to undo, overthrow and break
up; to substitute anarchy and war in the
place of order and peace. May we be
spared the dreadful scenes that must fol
low.
"Let us have peace :" These are the
words of General Grant. Sustain him
with your votes, ard you sustain peace
Like ''the still small voice. to the Prophet
on Lloreb, after the winds and the earth
quake and the fire, Sc now to the Ameri-
can people come the gentle words, "Let us
have peace" While the disconnected. the
proud and turbulent threaten war and
blood, let this people arise in their majesty
and command the peace And in order to
secure 1t Tor the future, let them place
General Grant i'll the Presidential chair.
We have thus plainly spoken to the PEG
pie OF North Carolina, because we believe
that to apprize them ofeXisting danger, and
to indicate whence it is threatened, is the
best means of avcrting it.
If the disreputable and criminal threats
to revOlutiOniZe and overthrow the Govern
ment, and to cOerce the voters of the conn
Try by starvation and social prescription to
vote with those who propose it, are attemp-
| ted to be executed, the most terrible scenes
of violence, bloodshed and civil war must
| inevitably come upon us. But if those who
| are warned IN time can be persuaded or
compelled to abandon their reasonable
and wicked designs and practices, to obey
the laws, keep the peace and submit to the
will OF the people, expressed in fair cleo
lions, untrammelled by violence, threats,
or intimidation, good order will prevail in
| every branch Of society and among all
| classes OF our citizens the Governments
will so on calmly and peacea5ly in the ex-
| erclse OF its legitimate and accustomed
functions, the rights of all will be protected,
| The public peace will be preserved, and
| prosperity, good will and kind feeling will
/ soon fettIn TO bless distressed and sui
fernS people, and to secure and perpetuate
| n CTEa1an not GI1C to