The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-22
home. THE FIRST LESSON HAD
BEEN TAUGHT.

About an hour after these occur
rences, without p~rovocation ecept the
hostility which had been inculcated
upon them against the white race. a
body of negroes fired On a small group
of white men at a point in the city.
fully a mile distant from the printing
office, and wounded two. The fire was
returned and three negroes killed and
three wounded. THE WAR WAS ON.
As one of the uninjured negroes moved
off he leveled a Winchester on a white
man standing on his piazza and dan
gerously wounded him. He ran into
his house, was pursued, dragged out,
and shot. At other points in the ne
gro district, whites were fired on, but
in each instance the negro was killed.
Where there was any doubt, he was
taken to Jail. In no instance was a ne
gro killed who did not invite his fate.
How many there were will never be ac-
curately known. Their friends and
families concealed the deaths and the
wounds for fear OF implication in some
way in the ofences committed. AS the
afternoon wore on, it became apparent
that the city needed organized protec-
ton, and the local military took pos
session of the disturbed district. Addi-
tional military was ordered to the city.
The Colts automatic rapid-firing gun,
mounted in a wagon, guarded by eight
plChCo AlCIl, ~ IN ~ OlA
in the city, but the grim menace Of its
presence was enough. 1t was not used.
The captain, W. R. kenan, sat by the
driver, calm and composed, and his
very quietness ave all h saw him
confidence in his ability to meet any
emergency. AS night approached, the
situation grew more tense. Armed
bodies of men were demanding the
lives of those Who were responsible for
the lack of government which had
produced such chaos. Not a leader of
the negroes could be DUN The mayor
finally made his appearance, begging
with tears in his eyes to be allowed
to resign, but was told he could not
so escape the responsibility of h sit
uation. The chief of police, stupid
with fear, remained in the city hall,
n no one had seen a police officer
anywhere.
Where were the negroes? Deserted
by their leaders, they were shiverins
in their homes, begging for protec-
ton, or had fled headlong by thou
sands to the woods. The king had
come to his own again. THE SECOND
LESSON HAD BEEN TAUGHT.
".
With a city government ~paralyzed
by fear, incapable Of controlling the
situation, with no police force, the
city in the possession of three thou
sand armed men, who, though ehav-
ing themselves with moderation, were
imbued with a feeling of resentment
for many a long remembered insult,
the time had come for the exercise
Of the ability of the white man to rule
himself. The members of the board Of
aldermen were allowed to resign, and
as each one did so, his successor was
elected. In a few moments, the whole
board was white. The disgraced
mayor and the chief of police, lnsen-
sible to disgrace, gave up their places,
n Wilmington was redeemed. Two
hours more and a dozen lynchings
would have occurred. Bands of in
sensei men were looking for obnox-
ious whites and negroes. and were only
stopped in their a search when told
that their own government was in
power, and should be respected. They
were told that the tine had come to
support the law and obey constituted
authority. The reign of order a be-
gun. Details were made to escort the
trembling laborers home. The negroes
who started to asseble when the first
difficulty took place, and were order
ed gack to work with the assurance
that with obedience they would be
protected were given that protection.
The same armed men, who were pre-
pared to shoot them, had a race con-
fict reached any proportions, convey
eU lIlcIH Safely 10 lue1I dwellings,.
v.
Wilmington was redeemed. Waddell,
the leader of a revolution in the morn
ing, was Waddell the governor Of a
regenerated city before the sun went
down. Incompetency, incapacity, lack
of will and power to rule, disorder
consequent upon weak government,
a fed-in their place stood the
strong mind Of a man, knowing the
law n competent to administer it,
while back of him stood the self-con-
trolled white man, willing to be ruled
by proper authority. The new govern
ment took immediate steps to make it's
power felt. Police officers were sworn
in. The old administration, with siren
uous effort, secured fifteen to serve on
election day under pay-tl.e new one
lac three hundred sworn in without
delay with services free. 1t was the
difference between contempt and con-
fidence. Almost the first act of the
new administration was to protect the
frightened wretcheS in jail against
a lynching party. The new mayor de-
manded obedience to constituted au-
thOrity. The men, realizing that it was
their own government, yielded the
obedience readily. TIE CRISIS WAS
PAST. The next day, the request tina
all citizens leave their guns at home,
n resume their usual avocationS was
complied with. A few reprobates were
afforded at their own request, protec-
ton to outgoing trains. Men were sent
to the surrounding woods to persuade
the thousands of negroes, deserted by
their leaders by Whom they had been
deluded into believing that they could
cope with the white man, to return to
their m Negroes who had declared
it their purpose to wash their hands
in the white mans blood were on their
knees, begging for projections; the
children, whom it had been boosted,
were equipped with kerosene and
matches, and told how to use them,
were shivering with cold, without
shelter in the forests, and clamorous
with hunger. The compassion of the
white man was aroused, and he spent
his time hunting them up and assuring
them of safety. The white man could
afford to be tolerant. The drama had
been played. The curtain was about
to ring down forever on negro assump-
ton, negro incompetence, and negro
government. THE LAST LESSON
Il II n pECN T4J-CIIT THIN Dn0y-