The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-18
read With passionate eager ness
Never did a newspaper do be

A>C'Ci uiu q uS "spopCI Oc VcltcI
| service IN moving the hearts
OF men, inspiring them with Q
a fierce .eselve to defend their
lioerties and avenRe the blood Of
! their brethren who had fallen in q
common cause.
Happily for Ne, With our iDsti:u
tions ordained by the will of the
people and firmly nxsd by means
of written constitutions, ordained
! by the will Of thu people aud ad :
mlnlstered by public servants fre>
queDtly changed at the polls, the
llberties of the people are not often
put IN jeopardy.
There have, however, Cesn some
Instances, within our lifetime, and
| the press in dealing with them has
! indeed earned the proud title Of the
defender of the liberties Of the peo-
pie
i After the late wSr had ended,
under the influence of unscrouu-
lous leaders the party IN power
at the Federal capital, adopted
measures utterly subverslve OF llb-
liberty in the conquered States,
and by redex action dangerous to
/ tho whole country. There was
then witnessed at the South a
very striking spectacle. The press
With singular uuanimlty, nnmov-
ed By the Establishments of power,
stood firm as rock 10 defence
of the liberties OF the people.
BY it's persistence, by the strong
battle 1t waxed, IFS fine reasoning
; and admirable Eollcy, 1t at length
made breaks III the rauEs OF It's
opponents, until eventually 1t came
about tLat the small remnant Ct
papers at the North acknowledging
sy mpsthy with Us, grew 10 be tue
greater portion III Influence, III
commanding toue and real const.
quenco, and victory WAS schelved.
Ihe service which the Southern
press thus rendered our whole
country Is beyond computation,
meritlng everlasting applause and
entltilng it indeed to br honored
as tue defender Of thu peoples lib>
critics.
During that period tive incidents
happened tbst we're especially
noteworthy. Here in North Cai.
DINA in 1868 and 1869 and 1870
unhappy differences arose. In the
course OF the memorable strDg.
gle taat followed, the Raleigh Sen
tine|, then edited by josiah lurner,
became indeed 4 faithful sentinel
vn the watch tower OF liberty, and
made defence of the liberties OF
the peulvs III \ maon>r t:Iat dese,r.
20 to 1--we in sous AID rtorH nhtiI
tue Iaa, syllable, OF recorded time.
;be other was III 1875 at New
Orleans Ger. De T!";,rlaud OF
Jhe United States army under the
directions from President Grant,
led hie troops into the Stare House.
aud having seized possession, Luin'
I'd out sufficient number ot Drm>
ocratlc members to change the
.:omplexion OF the body.
1t was like Napoleon disso!v:u2
tn French Aes embly--oT CIon'-
yell dispensing the Eus slish PaIlia>
ment, when with stimulated anger
Nc cried, "Get you gone, aud give
place to better meu u
The newspapers her.lded the
Gews with trumpet tongues. The!
then stood forth, ali over the broad
lard, almost as a unit, As cham
pious Of our American institutions
and defenders Of the liberties 1T
the people, And eventually Grant
withdrew his military aud the leg
lslatu,e formed by De TrObrland's
oa,onets felI--evtn as an arch falls
whose suppoGtlog pillars are sud.
denly removed--and passed into
history. 1t gas the work Of the
press-it's victory-and the press
IL entitled 10 wear the ]aurels.
The press representing the intel.
lsgence OF the people may indeed
be always relied on TO mark The
true course, aud if united IN any
CONTEXT, it muat eventually prevail.
Under our American institutions,
there are not apt TO arise perils
threatening eucroacbments on pop
ular rights at the hands of men al
mlnistering the functions of govern
mxnt.
The chief apPrehs n.lon 10 rather
!