CHAPTER VI.
The Union Aid Society Holds a Meeting.
The home of Mrs. West was one of the many snug little cottages owned bythe colored inhabitants of that section of Wilmington known as "CampLand." It also had the distinction of facing Campbell Street, the mainthoroughfare of that portion of the city. Although Mrs. West knewsomething of slavery as it existed in North Carolina, she was free born;her grandfather having purchased his freedom, and afterwards that of therest of the family before her birth. The rule that the free Negro was ashiftless being more to be pitied than envied by slaves, was not withoutmany exceptions in North Carolina. There were many Negroes in old NorthCarolina who by grasping every opportunity to earn an extra dollar byworking for neighboring planters when their own tasks were done, andmaking such useful articles as their genius could contrive, often afteryears of patient toiling and saving would often astonish their mastersby offering to purchase their freedom. There were others who paid totheir masters annually a specified sum of money for their time, thatthey might enjoy the control of their own affairs as much as possible.
For many years before the war my father did public carting in the townof Fayetteville as a free-man, his master receiving a certain amount ofhis earnings. Of course there were free Negroes whose conception offreedom was a release from manual toil, and who like poor whites, liveda shiftless indolent life, following the sunshine in Winter and theshade in Summer.
Free Negroes in North Carolina had the right to purchase property andenjoy other limited privileges. The parents of Mrs. West, known asBurchers, emigrated to the West in the forties, where their childrencould be educated. After the war Mrs. West, with her husband whom shehad met and married in Ohio, returned to North Carolina, prepared toenter upon the work of uplifting the newly emancipated of theirunfortunate race; and now well advanced in years, she could look overmany years of active useful service in the cause of her people. It wasthe evening for the regular monthly meeting of the Union Aid Society ofwhich Mrs. West was President, and several members had already arrived;but in such a season such business for which a society of this kind wasorganized would doubtless be neglected, so pregnant was the air with theall absorbing subject--politics.
But the Union Aid Society is composed exclusively of women. What ofthat? Some of our most skilled politicians in the South are among thewomen of both races. Although they do not take the stump and sit uponplatforms in public assemblages, they are superior house-to-housecanvassers, and in their homes noiselessly urge the men to do theirduty. For earnest persistence and true loyalty to the party of herchoice, the Negro woman of the South outdoes her sister in white. Givethe ballot to the women of the South, and give her dusky daughters anequal show, and a Solid South would be a thing of the past; for theNegro woman is the most loyal supporter of Republican principles in thatsection. So radical is the Negro woman, that it is worth a husband's, orbrother's, or sweetheart's good standing in the home or society to assayto vote a Democratic ticket. Such a step on the part of a Negro man hasin some instances broken up his home. The Spartan loyalty of theSouthern white woman to the Confederacy and the Lost Cause was not moremarked than is the fidelity of the Negro woman to that party which stoodfor universal freedom and the brotherhood of man, and whose triumphantlegions so ignominiously crushed Freedom's sullen and vindictive foe.Although the Government provides for the annual placing of a small flagupon the grave of each of the thousands of heroes now sleeping in theSouthland, it is the dusky fingers of the Negro woman, perfumed by thesweet incense of love and gratitude that places the lilac, the rose andforget-me-not there.
The Northern white woman in the South, in order to maintain her socialcaste, generally allows her patriotism to cool. But the Negro womansings patriotic airs on each 30th of May as she twines wreaths of pineto lay upon the graves of those _who died for her_. Of course, thesewomen who had gathered in the parlor of Mrs. West's cottage wereintensely interested in the coming election in Wilmington, and wereready to discuss the event with all the fervor of their patriotic souls."Ladies," said Mrs. West after the prayers had been said, and theminutes of the previous meeting read, "I confess that for the first timesince my election to the presidency of this society, I feel aninclination to waive the transaction of its regular business, sodepressed am I over events now crowding upon us." "I believe thats thecase with every one," answered Mrs. Cole. "I have received a letter fromthe Chairman of the Executive Committee," continued Mrs. West, "statingthat so grave is the situation all over the State that he is advised bythe Governor himself to withdraw Republican candidates from the field--arequest without a precedent in North Carolina."
"It would never do to show such cowardice!" said Mrs. Cole. "If I werechairman of that committee I'd put the ticket in the field and go to thepolls if the devils were around it as thick as shingles upon ahousetop." "I was of the same mind" answered Mrs. West, "but when theGovernor of the State--when brave Daniel Lane has become apprehensive, Ican appreciate the gravity of the situation. I have seen that man walkundismayed through the streets of Wilmington during very turbulentperiods in her history. I see that in the upper section of the State theDemocrats have already organized Red Shirt Brigades who are ridingthrough the rural districts terrorizing Negroes, and we may look for thesame to take place in Wilmington. Silas writes that they are determinedto carry the election. He has received two threatening letters and isafraid. You are aware that that monster has been, and is advising thewhites in our State to copy South Carolina's method of carryingelections, and they are heeding his advice. I am compelled toacknowledge despite my previous confidence in the integrity and honestyof our North Carolina white people that my faith is getting shaky. Thebuying of guns and other weapons by poor whites who are often unable tobuy food, means something. It means that the rich are going to use themto perform the dirty work of intimidation and murder if necessary tocarry this election." "Colored men must show their manhood, and fightfor their rights," exclaimed Mrs. Wise the secretary who had laid downher pen and was attentively listening to the president's talk. "But howare they to do it?" asked Mrs. West; "My son tells me that there is nota store in the city that will sell a Negro an ounce of powder. The bestthing to do--if such things should happen--is to stay in our homes, andadvise the men to be cool. Rashness on their part would be all theexcuse the unprincipalled whites would want to kill them. Editor Manly'sreply to Mrs. Fell's letter in August is now brought forward to be usedby their stump orators to fan the flames of race hatred." "I wish hehadn't written it," interrupted Mrs. Cole. "It was a truth unwiselysaid," answered Mrs. Wise, "and by a man who meant to defend his own; solet us make the best of it. I would not have Editor Manly feel for amoment that we are such ingrates as to say anything against him."
"The most important thing that I intended to mention, and which makes mefeel that our situation is a critical one," continued Mrs. West, "was aletter that came this morning from Molly Pierrepont." "MollyPierrepont!" echo every one almost in one breath. "Poor erring girl!"said Mrs. Wise slowly. "What has happened her?" "Molly has written me along and even affectionate letter. She writes, '_Ben Hartright confidedto me the other night the ghastly plans of the Rough Riders, a band madeup from the most respectable of the whites. They are to be reinforcedfrom all over the State, and even from other States for the purpose ofkilling and driving from Wilmington objectionable blacks and whites,John Holloway, Nicholas McDuffy, Editor Manly, John Brown, LawyersScott, Moore and Henderson, George Z. French, Thomas Miller, AriahBryant, McLane Lofton, Pickens and Bell and others of prominence andindependenence are to be special marks of vengeance. I beg you my dearAunt Betty, warn these people. I shall take it upon myself to give thealarm, for these are my people._'
"There is some good in this wayward child after all," said Mrs. West,pushing her spectacles back, and looking up. "But who of these peoplewould believe that such was in store for them? These men would not leavetheir homes without a severe struggle." "The Government should protectits citizens in their rights," sai
d Mrs. Wise. "Government? Bah!"answered Mrs. West. "Here's the highest official of the State afraid forhis own life." "Well if the Governor is incapable of coping with thesituation, the President has the power to send in the troops," said Mrs.Cole. "Yes, but will he use that power? I don't believe McKinley isgoing to do anything to offend the Southern whites if they kill everyNegro in the South. The interests of an alien race are too trivial torisk the sundering of the ties that are supposed by the North to bindthe two sections. Each State according to the Southern view, is asovereignty itself, and can kill and murder its inhabitants withimpunity. There is no John Brown, Beecher, nor Sumner, nor Douglass,Garrison, Phillips and others of that undaunted host who were willingand did risk persecution and death for us; this generation has notproduced such precious characters. God is our only helper and we mustlook to Him for deliverance. We are living too well for the broken downaristocrats and poor whites who are disappointed because we are not alldomestics.
"Molly expresses her intention to call, and I was hoping she would comebefore you all left. Perhaps you know Molly Pierrepont, for a woman ofher reputation cannot help being known to a small community; but you arenot all aware of the fact that I raised her, and took special pains togive her a good education, and I thought she'd requite me by trying tolead a useful life." "But you know Mrs. West, that Negro girls ofattractiveness in the South have a great battle to fight, if they wishto be pure," said Mrs. Wise. "That's very true" answered Mrs. West; "Ihave often pondered over the thought since she left me five years ago,that the conditions under which she was born may have had something todo with shaping her course in life. We, innocent as we may be, mustsuffer for the iniquities of our parents. Before the war, there lived inBrunswick a large slave owner by name of Philpot. He was the father ofMolly's mother, one of his slaves. After the surrender, this woman didnot leave the plantation of her master but remained there until herdeath. The child, Molly's mother, whose name was Eliza, at the time ofher mother's death was a pretty lass of fourteen; so attractive that thefather then an old man could not curb his brutal passion. It is needlessfor me to speak plainer ladies. There is a passage of Scripture whichreads as follows: 'The dog has returned to his vomit, and the sow thatwas washed is wallowing in the mire.' The young mother brought the childto Wilmington, gave her to me, and disappeared. Molly was then aboutfour years old. Those who knew of me and my affairs know how carefully Iraised the girl. She graduated from Hampton with honors, has a fairmusical education, and a voice that might have made her a fortune.Imagine how proud her foster mother was when she returned home fromschool, so full of promise. If she would only leave this place and seekto live a better life in some strange community I would be more content.It would be hard for her to do so here. This Ben Hartright and anotherwhite gentleman had a free fight over her about a month ago. Ben wasprevented from using his pistol by the girl's timely interference. Thatfiend of Georgia who is urging the men of her race to revel in the bloodof their fellows, would do them more good by urging upon them thenecessity of good morals. Doubtless this Ben Hartright is one of theleaders of this proposed raid in Wilmington to drive out undesirablecitizens, yet he is so low morally, that he leaves a richly furnishedhome, a refined wife and pretty child to fight over a Negro woman, forsuch he has I hear." "But this letter proves that there are redeemablequalities in Molly despite her birth and bad life." "Magdalene made adevoted follower of Christ, you know," said Mrs. Wise; "with God's help,she can if she wills, pull away from her present surroundings and be agood woman." "Yes, she says in her letter that '_never did the fullrealization of what I am, come so plainly before me, as when thisvillian so cooly told me of his plans. I drove him from my presence as Iwould a dog._' This shows that Molly's race pride is not entirelyblunted by dissipation and unholy living. I counsel you all ere youdepart, to remember that we are at the mercy of the whites, and each oneof us should do all in our power to show our men the wisdom ofcoolness. By this, with God's help, we may be able to avert the evilthreatened. I declare the Union Aid Society adjourned, subject to thecall of the president."