Year: 1872

SAAO 3VAASAoA0nss


The election for State officers takes place in
North Carolina to-day, and serious apprehen-
sion of o disturbance of the peace is ex-
pressed on every side. We regret to say that
the fear does not appear to be wholly ground
less. For several days past it has been asserted
that large numbers of negroes were being
imported into the State from Virginia, Ten
nessee, South Carolina and Georgia, for the
purpose of insuring the success of the repub-
lican ticket, which seemed to be endangered
by the active canvass made on tho conserva-
tive side. 1t has also been charged that
negro boys not over sixteen years of age have
been registered as voters in many of the dis
tricts, and these reports seem to have received
some coloring from the discovery Of a private
letter addressed by a republican register or
committeeman to one of the Congressional
candidates on that side, informing him that
eight hundred negroes had been registered
in his district. The conservatives represent
these eight hundred to be mostly fraudulent
registrations. These suspicious have led to
determination on the conservative side to
challenge all votes not known to be genuine
Under the Election law notifications of chal-
lenges are required to be given in advance,
and the republicans, discovering from these
notices the intention of the conservatives, have
accused the latter of an organized design to
prevent the polling of the full negro vote by
causing vexatous delay They, therefore,
incite opposition to the challengers, and while
on one side there appears to be resolute
determination to claim the privileges of the
law in preventing the polling Of fraudulent
votes, there is on the other side an evident in
tention to resist the right of challenge and to
endeavor to poll all the votes that are regis
tered. 1t would not be surprising if violence
should be the result.


While we do not pretend to decide upon the
merits Of the case, or to offer an opinion as to
whether the republicans or conservatives are
disposed to attempt the most shameless frauds
at the polls, We charge that, should any riot
or bloodshed unfortunately occur in North
Carolina to-day, it will rest at tho door of the
republican politicians who are so seriously
damaging President Grant by their unwise
and reckless conduct. Ever since Secretary
Boutwell, made his incendiary appeal to the
blacks to refuse to clasp hands across the
bloody chasm made by the war; and aroused
their worst passions by persuading them that
their white fellow citizens only waited the op-
portunity to strip them of their civil rights, if
not to consign them again to slavery, the re-
publican canvass has been conducted with a
view to keeping alivo the fears and hatreds
thus called into existence. The inAammAtory
speeches Of stump orators, black and white,
have kept the negro mind for weeks in fever
of excitement, and at the last moment the Sec
rotary Of the Republican Committee addresses
the black voters in the following dangerous
CIRCULAR


Democrats and so-called liberals are desperate
they are conscious that defeat stares them in the
lace. Consequently fifteen or twenty thieves peni'
men OF the backest and most damnable character,
have been sent to this State for the purpose Of in
timidatng voters, stufng ballot boxes, destroying
the registration lists, stealing and destroying regis
tratlon books; lastly, to captiously and without
registered voters to delay voting on election day,
and thus prevent republicans from voting Reliable
attempt is on foot to cSptiously and iiIe-
gally challenge republican voters In such numbers
dying attempt OF the democrats to Garry North
Carolina. These men are convinced that free and
fair sscSn w r IN Glorious sna
dishOn0rable means are to be used to prevent re.
publcans from voting, and IN this way thwart the
tces i e Of the TSmmany democracy Of New YORK city
into elections in this state. Evidence OF vlany
is mountain high. 1t must be detected and de-
feated. call upon every man, especially republi-
cans, who reads this paper, before the election Is
over to see to it that every legal regisered voter
exercises his right Of sunrage Call upon the poll
holders and judges Of ELECTION to disregard cap
| tlous chaengers. Watch the polls; take down the
names Of witnesses to every effort at intimidation
and captiOus challenging, to be used hereafter.


We have no hesitation in pronouncing this
the most reprehensble appeal ever made by q
political organization to the passions of the
electors on the eve of an election. 1t would
be dangerous if addressed to white men; it is
doubly dangerous when poured into the ears
of credulous negroes. The right of challenge
is given by the Election law. 1t has been held
to be the best protection of the republicans
against democratic frauds. The republicans
framed and passed the law, and hence it is
their own provision. The idea of captious
challenges is absurd, when the republicans
have in their hands all the machinery Of
the election and can dispose of any
untenable challenges in legal manner
with despatch. The meaning of the
Secretary of the Republican Committeeman
the negroes, with all their ignorance, under
stand him clearly-is to incite forcible oppo-
sition to any challenging that may be at
tempted. Should his appeal be needed, and
should conservatives be deferred from chal-
longing by negro violence or by the threat
held out in the Secretary's circular of future
prosecutions under the arbitrary bayonet law,
any fraudulent votes that may be registered
to any number, may be polled without
hindrance. Should the challengers insist Oh
their clear rights under the republican Elec-