Year: 1876

RADICAL NOR LAW AND VIC


LESCE.


On Sunday morning last, as We
learn from the Charlotte Observer:


"John Henderson. acolored MEM
ber of the Tlden and sVance Club of
that city, who lives about five miles
in the country went ont to Caldwcll's
church which is situated at the fork
of the Beattie's and Crawford's ford
road, about fifteen miles from this
city. When entering the door of the
church he was accosted by number
of negroes who told him they had
sworn to kill any id negro who wore
a Vance badge, and demanded that
he not only pull off the badge,
hut leave the grounds immedi 4teiy,
both of which insoient demands he re-
fused to comply with. He then pushed
his way into the church and awaited
until the morning services were over.


When he left the church he was sur
rounded by about a hundred he groes,
who agaiE threatened his life if he did
not take off the badge and leave the
grounds within fifteen minutes. They
declared they ruled their race and re-
pea ed they were sworn to kill any ne
gro who vO. ed the Democratic ticket.
He then left the mob after being pull
en- by the coat and lay down a short
distance under the shade of q tree,
when about 25 little negroes were sent
to jeer and insult him. Meantime the
lob be came more demonstrative and
bOlsterOus. He shen went to the
house of a white Republican named
Hicks, and asked him to witness
his treatment and to see him safely
from the crowd, but as Hicks seemed
indisposed to shield HIM, he called
upon DIR. Edward Caldwell, who was
riding by at the time. Some Of the
| older negroes tried to protect him,
but the negroes became violent,
| abused his mule, cut uo the harness,
and made after Henderson with drawn
knives and cooked pistols.


The Observer says that John Hen
| der on is peaceable, respectable ne
gro and calls upon the officers of the
| law to see to it that the perpetra-
| tors of such a wanton and gross outrage
upon the rights and liberties of citi>
zen are duly punished in the proper
| courts


1t is apparent that, az last, some i'm
preston has been made upon the col
| ored mind and that there is now
some disposition among the better
class of negroes to take proper view of
their rights and duties as citizens.
only hope for the return of peace and
plenty to the State is in the realiza-
! ton of the reform promised by the
Democratic party and they have come
to know too that even black citizens
cannot be prosperous so long as the
State is poor. 1t is but natural then
| for them to desire the success of the
Democr tic ticket, and they would
doubtless give plain expression thereto
were it not for the fear in which they
stand of violence from men of their
own color instigated by white
partizan leaders for parti zan purposes
The Question this state of things pre-
sents is plain one aud demands a plain
answer If colored men desire to vote
the democratic ticket they have per-
feet right under the law to do so and
it is the duty of white men to that
they have the full enjoyment of that
right. They must not be interrupted
at the polls, before they go there or af-
ter they come away becanse they may
| choose to vote the Democratic ticket.
This much they have n right to expect
the white people to guarantee to them
at any and every cost. Plain words are
often times the best; certainly we
think they are best now, and Radical
white men and Radical negroes may as
well be told. once for all, that the
colored man will be protected to the
last extremity in voting the Democrat
ic ticket, if he desires so to vote 1t
| is the purpose of the Democratic
party to go through this campaign
peaceably, if possible, and i'll no event
is it the purpose of its members to
provoke riot or bloodshed; but onr op-
friends may as we'll understand, first
| as we'll as last, that we do not intend
to be deprived of any of our rights,
let the consequences be what they
may. The day for that sort of thing
passed when the Supreme Court of
| the United States declared Force Bills
to be unconstitutional. The intimida-
ton of colored Democratic voters
| must stop.