The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-11-26

"A club Of 100 Democratic negroes
marched in the procession at Richmond.
They were from Charlotte county, 100
miles distant. An armed guard marched
near them to protect them if need be.
-"Jeffreys'' Bond and Judge Sey-
mour will open Federal Court in Raj
eigh to-day; but you will never again
see the victims of political persecution
under an unconstitutional law swarm
ing around the court room as was the
common spectacle a dozen years ago.
Apropos the subject, the firing of the
salutes over Cleveland's election
brought to mind the last time we heard
Democratic guns booming for the anne
purpose. In 1872, when the villainies
Of Grants dynasty had driven the Demo-
cracy to desperation, the old Abolition
list, Horace Greeley, was taken up in
the vain hope that he could, as Cleve-
land has done, cali off enough Republic
can votes to save the country. For a
time the prospect looked hopeful. All
was admitted to depend on the vote Of
the October States North Carolina
being at the head of the column, all
eyes were fixed upon her. Up in Albany
Penitentiary, 100 were Southern Demo-
Gratis had already spent two years in that
fearful, and who knew that another winter
would destroy many of those who sur
vived the first. The re election of Grant
would add a new seal to their prison
doors; hence every ear listened, and
every heart prayed, for Greeley's sue
cess. The election day was passed in a
fever of nervousness. All day long,
from sunrise until sunset, we stood in
one spot, toiling like a negro and sur
rounded by negroes, silent and sight
less (no prisoner in that prison is al
lowed to either speak or uplift his eyes
from his work. but thought could o be
trammelled, and our thoughts were far
away in the South where our brethren
were battling for justice and free gov
eminent. Deprived ofnewspapers, and
WY hIOCio VI lCdl lllC LCMS. we
could only-wait and hope! Or, as was
too often the case,-wait in despair!
But drowning men catch at straws, and
on the day after the election we grew
wonderfully elated over a flimsey straw.
namely that our guards and turkeys
were all IN a bad humor! Could it
really be true that the Democrats had
wOn?
Suddenly, at sunset, as we were being
locked in our cells for the night, there
came an heavy jar, and then the boom
OF cannon! Gun after gun Numbered
forth; and from afar over the hills, and
through the massive walls came the
sound of the multitude wildly cheering !!
The election news had come! Was it
Greeley, or Grant? Were we to stay
four years longer in hat torment, or
only four months?
Grown frantic, the writer took the
chances of severe punishment by beck
oning the turnkey to the door ofhis cell
and saying--'This is a matter of life or
death to me; it car do no harm to let
me know; are those gum firing for
Grant or Greeley 2"
Quick as a flash the brutal fellow
struck at us with his heavy iron KEY.
and but for the bars in front of the cell
might have hurt US. Then he poured
forth a volley of coarse abuse, with
threats of the dark cell,'' and so forth
We bore this tolerably well, because we
had the sustaining hope that he was
enraged over the news. But the verv
next evening the capnon doomed again. |
and the distant cheers were louder,
What could this mean? Alas! mine
enemy now was more laxative! He
came sufficiently near for us to hear.
and pompously read from a paper, to a
fellow-turnkey the kilograms showing
that the Democratic rejoicing had been
premature, as the Republicans had car
ried ven North Carolina, my own
State But it's a long lane that has no
turning!