Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-05-05
AIMING: NEGROES,

the latest ana most IND prOyeu HILLS anu
accoutrements, and invariably refuse
to arm white companies may or nay
not have any political or any other
Significance, and may be the result OF
accident. Both are aspirants for Office
from the negroes, and the most Chart
able construction which can be placed
upon their conduct is that they are
counting the favor and support OF this
class of our people.
But the fact has an ugly, If not an
alarming outlook to say nothing more
The military ardor which has lately
sprung up among the blacks
extending to all ages and condl
tions, is not confined to Wilmington
Throughout the State negro companies
are forming and drilling, and beng
furnished with arms, while the april
cations of white companies are re-
turned, and even their commissions
are Withheld.
Very recently negro company at
Raleigh was supplied with arms by
the order of the Governor, and still
more recently one hundred stand OF
the most improved arms were received
by negro companies in this c!ty-c0"a
11o,a5es qUhich sUere already armed aOSth
the uery 6estnseezzle loading Sloringt7eSd
rites. New accoutrements were also
sent, and knapsacks and canteens IN
part were supplied, the remainder,
with camp equipage, are expected
soon. The old arms and accoutre-
ments have been given to the negro
cadets, who are nightly drilling through
our streets.
In Newbern there is military COM
pany of white men and the only one in
that city, organized in May, 1875. A
correspondent of the Raleigh NeaCS
writes from Newbern as follows:
Application was made by Captain
Pool in accordance with the law laid
down in Battles Revisal. The bond
offered for the arms was a good one,
the three gentlemen signing it being
worth in the aggregate about $780, 900.
No objection was made to the bond or
to the form of our application for arms.
Governor Brogden promised Captain
Pool that he should have the arms in
very short time, that at present the
State had no guns on hand, but was
expecting the arrival of arms from
/ Washington every day, and when they
were received he should have them
sixty stand of new, bright,
breech-loading Springfield rifles.
How anxiously the members of the
company looked for the arrival of
these arms none but the victims of
misplaced confidence can tell. Gen.
German said we should have them;
Gov. Brogden said we should have
them, and the members of the Greys
did not dream for moment that Een
holding two such high offices as that
of Governor aud Adjutant General
would be guilty of wilful violation OF
promise made in sober moments,
and upon an occasion when deception
would have been Oat of place; there
fore after the arms reached Raleigh
from Washington, some of the menu
bers of our company actually met the
| freight train at the depot upon It's ar
rival from Goldsboro for two success
sive weeks, expecting every day the
arms would come.
German has since returned the bond
! to Captain Pool, with printed crcu-
lar which stated that no arms Won d
be furnished to companies until the
Legislature passed another law or
amended the present one, giving it as
a reason that it was dangerous to give
out arms Unfortunately to all who
applied for them.
In our own city we have company
formed for more than year OF the
very best material and differed by
gentlemen OF character an experience,
who have not only been refused arms,
but their c0mmissi 0ns have been with
held.
Yet in the face of these facts, and
giving the lie to the miserable pre-
subsel Went and convenient Adjutant
General puts up as excuses for refGs-
| ing whites, we have the assurance that
arms have been issued to a negro
company in Raleigh, and we know
that arms have been sent to negro
companies here, some of which were
already well armed. The form alton of
one or more of these negro companies
has been much more recent than that
of the Newbern company.
| What all this means We are not pre-
pared to say. The facts should be
known and considered by our people.
! IF trouble comes we shall at least hold
| ourselves blameless, for this is not the
first warning we have given of what
| appears to be evil intentions on the
part of the Governor, and all evident
purpose on the part of the blacks. IF
the situation requires no action on the
part Of the white people, then we are
mistaken, but we have no apologies to
make for having called attention to it
\ MYSTERIOUS ROMANCE OF
THE SEA.
won an was taken sick while on a
| passage from New York to Fernan-