The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-06-17

to a chain and hauled away $50 miles TO
Raleigh, without being allowed to say fare
we'll to his family or friends; when lie has
been marched through the streets of the
State capital with arms plnioned behind
his back. followed by a hOoting mob when
he has been arraigned on false charges. and
slandered day after dav by peri lreI scoun-
dreIs, partly frightened, partly hribed. 70
manufacture villainous stories. which chill
ed the hearts Of even the friends OF the
prisoner when he has been abused and
brow beat by Jeffreys Bond in the bitterest
manner; when he has seen the leading Dem
0cratic organ at the State Capitol declar-
ing that -''PuJLc sentiment IN this con,ntu-
mtg fully endorses ,Ju{ge Bonds sentence of
ShotreH and lbs accomphces," when, on
that same day. he has been handcutfed and
dragged away to a far Northern Penltentia-
ry at the most inclement season ofthe year
when for two years he has toiled daily from
dawn till dusk, in a telons garb, subject to
the driving and i~nsolence of a brutal over
seer, two years of existence SO cruel that
| each night he wished never to see another
dawn; when all through this period he has
undergone misrepresentation from pretend
| ed friends, and open abuse by every Radi-
cal journal from Maine to Mexico when he
has a dozen times refused to purchase re-
lease at the price of betraying his fellow
members Of the Brotherhood, yet on his re
turn has found that those very men had
helped to blacken his name and reputation;
finally, when he knows that 100, 900 copies
Of the "Ku Klux Reports" retailing the
| vile SANDERS against him, were circulated
by the GRANTEES for political purposes, and
are still in existence, ready to rise up, and
| poison mems minds against him wherever
he goes, outside of North Carolina, and that
INSCRIPTIONS creatures have already sought
to use them against him even in North
Carolina, is it, | ask, at all singular, or
''egotistic,' or ~''immodest," for such a
victim of political malevolence to seek to
make public the real story of his life
Bah! For shame on PrOgress!
In truth, Shotwell is blameable for allow
ing seven years to pass In silence since his
return from Albany. Justice to himself,
justice to his aged father, justice to his
family, and friends. Justice to his fellow
members of the Brotherhood, justice to the
Democratic party, and the State, and the
South, long ago demanded that the whole
history should appear, now while the ac-
tors are living, aud errors may be rectifled.
Few persons have more than a vague
knowledge Of the facts. Recollect that it
was the policy of the Democratic leaders at
that period to bow to the storm. Grant
threatened to put the whole State under
martial law, as was afterwards done in South
Carolina. Armed bands OF soldiery were
marching IN all directions across the State.
Attorney-General Alderman came to Raleigh
III person to put forth the power Of
the government against the hapless pris-
oners. Governor Todd Caldwell daily took
his seat by the side of the Virgil s. Lusk,
). f. Phillips, and jim Justice, the prose
cutors. Everybody conceded that the trials
were mere t%arces, as much SO as when the
Inlo. ,+4.o-c -, -. S.p1Al, t-r.,-'i 49,.
lstered the will Of his master by slaughter
ing thousands. SO everything went down
before the despot. Thomas Bragg, Daniei
q. Fowle, Thomas {. Fuller, and George V.
Strong. acting as toiuateer counsel tor Shot
well and others, made a brave fight for "a
few days, and THEN speeches, hurled In the
face Of Bond and Brooks, sitting in all the
arrogance Of their Star Chamber Court
should stand to the glory ofthe North Caro-
lima Barso long as ever Civil Liberty is held IN
honor among men. But they were atterwari
| persuaded to fall IN with the policy Of the
hour. For God sake hush, keep quiet
Don't do anything to provoke the Radicals,
Let all the excitement die out, this was
the style of policy adopted, both by public
men, and papers, with a few exceptions.
I'VE must keep perfectly still said a we'll
known public man, who twice has held
high State Offices, 1t will never do to
make a fuss, 40 matter what they do. The
state is lost at any rate and the more we
resist the worse it will be. Let Shotwell
90 quietly off to the penitentiary. he will
get out III a year or two; and meanwhile the
storm will blow over. Whereas If our papers
keep on abusing Grant, and cursing Bond,
and p~raising Shotwell, You see if they don't
arrest some Of the rest Of Us, and haul us off
to Albany
Thus it came about that many of the
most atrocious deeds Of the swarm Of
spies, speaks, and ''deputy.marshals' who
overran Western Carolina were never known
outside Of the locality where they occurred
and much of the indignity, outra re, and
humiliation heaped Upon Shotwell has
never been dreamed Of by the majority OF
| persons in the State. When printed, it
| will be seen how ''immodest" be has been
for six years past.
Reader, we beg your pardon for this tres
Ill -.