National Republican., 1885-07-15
TIE OLD Nonrrt STATE.
How Coiored Men are Treated In the
City of Salisbury.

How Coiored Men are Treated In the
City Of Salisbury.
EDIToR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: The
feeling which obtains in the north that the
spirit Of anto-bellum times In the south has
completely died out; that a citizen from one
Of the northern states can express his
opinion without fear and trembling; that
he can critlcise the action Of those who are
in authority and condemn outrageous con
duct, whether the person be n high official
in the state or town or city, Is one which
can be easily disproved.
There Is also feeling that the negro In
the south has full right 10 express him
self in all political aud other matters;
that he is allowed to give utterance to his
sentiments touching the administration of
Justice In oil the courts OF law; that he Is
permitted, as a citizen of the United States,
to exercise the right given him by the CON
stitution in critlcising the unjust decisions
OF a judge and the unfair and inequitable
dealings OF all public officials. The Hon.
Carl schurz tells the people Of the north
that the ''old south has passed away.n
We beg leave TO say that thugs have not
undergone such great changes as the peo-
pie OF the north have been made TO think
and believe. To prove that our statement
is true we ask the American people TO allow
us to submit to them the facts. We are q
negro and citizen Of Boston, aud went to
Zion Wesley College, Salisbury, N. c., last
March to manage the farm connected with
the institution. Salisbury is governed at
the present time by the bitterest and most
interruptions Of Democrats Several weeks
ago an unprovoked assault was committed
ON Prof. W. Harvey Goler, OF Zion Wesley
College, by a bully called Shaver. We gave
the facts OF the case, and II appeared in the
New York Freeman of the 9th ultimo. We
stated nothing but Gospel truths, but they
were received In the spirit OF fiery indigna-
tlon. The city was in an uproar, and our
life was threatened. The aforementioned
article was as follows:
Prof Joseph c. Price and Prot W. Harvey
Caller attended an auction sale last Saturday.
Saturday in Salisbury is usually busy day,
and the streets and square are filed with peo-
pie. There was very largo crowd at this sale,
places there is always little jostling, aud il is
not an easy matter to determine who Is the
one that pushes you. The two professors were
standing ddeby side; Presently burly white
man, who, no doubt, had been jostlcd by one of
his own color, turned around and charged Prof
Goler as being the one who did II. Prot. Goler
politely replied that he did not. The white
trash renewed the charge The colored gen.
tleman again, In polite manner, denied 1t.
The swnggercr repeated 1t for the third or
fourth time, receiving the same answer from
H.
liar, and that IL he disputed his word
again he would knock him down--at tho same
time striking at Prof Golor. The rascal did
not hit Prof Goler, for the muscular arm of
Prof Price was raised and the blow parrled
off With this powerful arm on him the
southern bully could not strike at Prof Goler
again, an this the bystanders did not like.
efforts were made by several white Villains to
break the hold Prof Price had on the rullan,
whom they called shaver, but without avail.
Prof Price was collared by a dirty scamp, but
this despicnble thing found he had Il man to
deal with, for no sooner than he laid his hand
on Mr.. Price the latter had his strong arm in
his throat Several of the white men cried
down, and for what? Simply because Prof.
Goler had disputed his word. This disputlng
the words Of white man had always been
considered terrible oiiense, and the punish
ment in slavery days, rs many OF us we'll re-
member, was Q severe scourging. Very many
white men to-day, especially that class of white
trash and scum like Shaver and his sympnthiS
ers, whose origin is the sewer, the smell of
which place Is still on them and ever viii be
as long as they live, believe that they still have
fright TO whip the negro If he disputes what
In justice to the respectable element of Sails.
bury-the Holmes. the Klutzs, the Dearborns,
and others-we shall describe the crowd of
last satuTday-a mob made up of mon of no
character nnd standing in the place.
The leading citizens cry out against the out
rage committed against Prof Goler who is es.
teemed and highly respected by all as q pol
ished gentleman and scholar. There are n few
facts yet TO be stated which show the kind and
quality of Justice a colOred man receives in
the courts Of Salisbury; In plain English, the
mob was justice. What 1t said was done.
What 1t decreed was irreyocable. We have
only to repeat what was said by the chief ones
| when Prof. Goler was being outraged Several
remarked that the assaied ought TO have been
Knocked down. and cried out to Shaver to dc
SO. Another commanded the policeman to
'Iock up Prof Goler. Instead of his assail
ant being the one to lock up, he who simply
defended himself must be the one Mr.. GoleI
was arrested, and also the bully. They were
taken before the man Neave, who, to tho dis
| grace OF Salisbury, sits In the mayors chair
He is the man who, when in a position some
/ time ago SO to do, secured the passage of q
| charter to disfran chise large number of col
| ored citizens and white ones. He Is simply the
tool Of the worst element. We are told thai
and election, and that he was placed i'm tht
| chair by the ward heelers and low politicians
| This is the man who acts Us judge and Jury II
such cases, and has his room at the cour
house.
Shaver was called up and acknowledged
that he was the guilty one, and also his wit
nesses admitted he was. Prof Goler wa
called up, and made plain statement of facts
| Neaye, In obedience to the command of tho
rabble, made out that the language employed
by Prof. Goler was calculated TO disturb The
peace" Prof.. Goler was fined $40; also the
| ruffian Shaver.
Because this outrage was given to the
people in plain, vigorous English, the mayor
calls his cronies together and decides Il
| indict us for libel. This took place las
| Tuesday afternoon, the 18th instant. As
| soon as 1t was known the warrant had beer
issued the mobocrats began to assemble II
the streets, and such choice words wer,
freely INDUCED in: "We will cut his throa
at first sight" "We will show that ID
j. Gordon Street what 1t means to tall
about our mayor in such manner.n TIL,
excitement was intense, and our friend
expected every moment we would fall int
the hands OF Judge Lynch. All the trains
bound for Boston were closely watched, ant
our escape at one time seemed impossible
The sheriff came out to the college Il
serve the warrant, but fortunately we wer,
away on business at the time. Had W,
been there, we would have beei
taken, and matters had been so fixed tina
no bondsmen could he obtained, and there
fore must have been placed In the Jail. Th
mob planned II so as to take us out at mid
| night and hang us on tree In the cour
house front. But for the good and kin
friends in the country we must have bee
slaughtered by the mob at Salisbury.
Let not the people of the north believ
the spirit Of 1860 is dead. Let them no
think that all Is well with the colored ma
or the white man from the north in tn
south. j. GoRDoN STREET.
WASHINGTON, d. c., July ii, 1885.