Year: 1863

The Charlotte Bulletin-The Mob.


Some person who writes in the Charlotte Bulletin
over the signature of "Meckenburg," states that
he has had conversation with several of the Geor-
ga troops who mobbcd our Office, and that they
told him that North Carolina troops knowing they
would pass through Raleigh, asked them to mob the
office, and that they, Sin generous spirit" offered
"to finish off the matter themselves" What gen.
erosyl This writer further states that on arriving
at the Raleigh depot the Standard became topic of
common conversation, and "some of Mr. Holden's
admirers entered into fierce and irritating conver-
saton on his conduct and paper management" 1t
is not true that any Of friends entered into any
dispute with the Georgia or any other soldiers 1t
has been stated to u.s. and doubt truly, that one
or two of citizens, lost to all sense of shame
or decency, were at the depot a subsequent night
or nights, urging the soldiers as they passed
through to complete the destruction of our Office;
but no friends of ours were at the depot, at any
time, engaged in ga fierce and irritating vindca
ton" of our course. This writer further says:


As there was delay in the transmission or trans
portation of the troops, company of men, about
one hundred in number, without consultation with
their officers, being prepared by previous converse
LOiGS, Quetly proceeded 10 hOQen ONCE anu plLcn
ed his things into the street."


This is also false. The men were led and COM
manded by officers. One of the officers came to our
dwelling and told us some gentlemen desired to see
US in our Office thus adding deception to violence;
and it can be proved that several officers were seen
in the crowd at the Office and one of the officers,
when Gov. Vance arrived, ordered the men to cease
their work and fall into line


But these Georgans and this correspondent, by
attempting to shit the responsibility for this out
rage to the shoulders of North Carolina soldiers ad
init that they ashamed OF it. If it be true that
North Carolinians urged them to the commission of
this crime, let them give nameS-let them state who
they were. North Carolina is nsulted in her own
capital by troops from another State-the freedom
OF the press is assailed, and private property de-
stroyed and those who did this refuse to give their
names, but endeavOr to saddle our own soldiers with
the act They did this, it seems, in a generous
spirit" The truly generous are always frank and
brave; and if these Georgans are men of this char
acter and If they think they acted patriotically in
mobbing our Office why do they not furnish their
names to the Governor Of this State or to the Grand
Jury of this County?


The truth is, the Charlotte Bulletin, the State
Journal the Richmond Enquirer, and the Raleigh
h6gtSter are as much responsible for this mob as
the man is guilty Of murder who stands by and ad
vises the killing of another They had called for
mob law against US for months. They could not
meet US in argument-the great body of our people
were against them, and they sought to destroy US
by brute force. But the blow aimed at US was in
tended for every one of readers and for every
friend of law in the State 1t was intended for eve
~ subscriber Of ours who has son. or a brother,
or husband in the army, as we'll as for every SOL
dler from this State who reads and approves the SEN
tments Of the Standard


One of the most painful indications of the decay
OF pubic morals is to be seen in the fact that apollo
gles are offered in the newspapers for mob violence
If we are not contcnding for government of law,
and free press and free speech, we had as well
give up the contest If the bayonet is to take the
place of the prosecuting officer and if force is to be
substituted for argument among ourselves the SOON
er we know it the better. We have called for vo-
lence against no one We have uniformly, under
all circumstances, inculcated submission to law
We shall continue TO do so. government of bay-
onets, with no civil law, is hell upon earth. A
mob is u many-headed monster which devours in
all directions, without thought or mercy. Those
persons who advised and inaugurated mob law in
this City are bad persons; and if the adminstra-
ton at Richmond should fail to bring to condgn
punishment the officers and men who mobbed our
Office and especially the officers, they will write
themselves down in history as bad men.