The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-09-06
WHITE MEN, READ.
ARE WE DRIFTINGf'
Something for thoughtful, Self-respect-
ing White Men to Reflect Upon.
Fayetteville Observer. ]

the scene of tumultous and wild dis |
order tor the past few days, which |
carae very near ending in bloodshed
and a war of races.
Two negroes had been committed
to jail for an assault with deadly
weapon upon a white woman. The
difficulty occurred in Rockfsh town
ship trial was had, the accused fail
ing 10 give bond, they were committed
and sent to Jail in Fayetteville last
Sunday.
Monday night following, the jail
and surrounding premises were occu-
pied by mob of negroes armed with
guns and pistols, led by a colored
man, Tom Broadfoot, who himself was
armed, and who had sent word to the
negroes to meet him there with arms.
The CO use of all this, or rather the pre-
text, for there was no cause, was SAID
to have been wild rumor that the
negroes were to be taken out OF jail
and lynched No such threat had
been made and no officer of the county
or town had any such apprehension.
The taller and family were aroused
about two o'clock in the night and
sent to the chief Of the night police
for assistance. Numbers of our white
people were aroused and sent over to
the Jail where, with magistrate d.
Jones, who seeing that trouble and
bloodshed was imminent, dispersed
the turbulent negroes after disarmlng
them.
Tuesday night the same scenes were
re-enacted, but Sheriff Fisher, who had
prepared for "any emergency" had
the Fayetteville independent Light
Infantry armed and equipped, ready
and within easy reach, whose presence
only was necessary to show to the riot
Gus negroes that they meant business,
and that business was to preserve peace
and order, and maintain the supremacy
of the civil law.
Only a few weeks ago a terrible riot
among the negroes occurred on these
streets; the officers were assaulted, and
a yelling, hooting crowd Of lnturlated
a and unreasonable blacks threatened to
/, rescue two prisoners from the custody
t of the City Marshal, whose GOODNESS,
courage and discretion then prevented
a bloody riot. This same City Mar
shall on last Tuesday night had two
guns presented at him by negroes
Much praise is due to the cool-headed
Judgment and courageous conduct o1
l. Sheriff Henry c. Fisher and City
te Marshal Flowers, and the other officer:
/ who by the we'll executed plans, pre-
vented the shedding of blood, which
seemed imminent, during the week
and before.
The independent Company, its of
fCers and men also deserve the thanks
u of the people Of the county and State
Ne as the protectors of our people, the de
Mt tenders of law and the conservators o
ry peace.
Now we are led to ask-whither arr
we drifting9
White men of Cumberland count
and of North Carolina, what is in stor
for us, with the condition of things a
here Indicated, to be followed by TIT
,nt IN, dire consequences of negro supremacy
of Farmers alliances, knights of labor
prohibition, all sink into utter insig
nihcance, when We are here cOntronte
with the fact that the negroes inten
to enforce the color line and precip
tate the race issue. The negroes stan
up in solid column and threaten III
ITO overthrow of all law and order, an
ial become a law of their own making
ID ID subservient only to their own unrea:
enable and untamed will.
We do not propose to threaten an
one, and while we deprecate all mar
ner Of riot and disorder, yet we war
the negroes and their leaders, that tt
law must and shall be enforced, if tt
tSe tSe whole power of the county and Sta
Gu is necessary to be used in its enforc'
ment.
We are informed that certain leae
ers among the colored race here u
violent, incorporate and lncendlal
Language Of late towards the whit
as race. The recent work is but Il
r,v natural outcome of such languag
We warn them to desist, before the e'
consequences OF such language is vi
tied upon their own heads. "Curs
will come home" to them who utt
them, and if any blood is unfortunate
split, these incendiary leaders will
held responsible, and the whites "
=, see to it, that the law is upheld, be t
" consequences what they may.
The offenders have been tried th'
purpose being here shown to be
;, precipitate a collision between t
,K, races. They have failed, and W
have to answer at the next Superl
Court. Shall it stop now9 We sh
ngs; seei