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Title
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The Negro Insurrection in Green County, Alabama
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Source Type
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Newspaper
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Publisher
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Ledger-Enquirer
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Publication Place
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Columbus, Georgia
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Publication Date
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6/30/1867
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Transcript
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The Negro Insurrection in Greene County, Alabama.
The Greensboro Beacon of the 22d gives us full particulars of the killing of the negro Aleck Webb by Orrick, and of the outrageous conduct of the negroes in that vicinity. We make the following extracts:
As to the cause of the fatal occurrence, though no person heard what passed between them in the very brief interview, the facts which immediately preceded have been brought out, showing clearly that Aleck’s official position had nothing whatever to do with the affair. We are entirely satisfied that the difficulty was a private matter, in no way connected with Aleck’s official position or his political opinions; and this we know to be the opinion of the community generally.
The community, then, is in no way responsible for the killing of Aleck Webb, nor is it for Orrick’s escape. But notwithstanding there were not the slightest grounds for holding the community responsible, either for the killing or for Orrick’s escape, the colored people of the community became greatly excited, and many of them were up most of the night after the occurrence, parading the streets in the most inflammatory manner and making threats of what they intended to do. The diabolical crime of setting fire to the town was boldly threatened, and, as we are entirely satisfied, was contemplated by many, as was also that of murdering the white community.
During a period of three days the town was the scene of great excitement, crowds of negroes collecting on the streets, some armed with guns, others with pistols, knives, bludgeons, etc., and giving unmistakable evidence that they were ripe for the most atrocious crimes.
The natural consequence of such demonstrations and threats was that apprehensions were felt by even the coolest men in the community that an attempt would be made during the night to burn the town. On Saturday afternoon steps were taken on the part of the whites to make preparations to meet a conflict, which they endeavored, by reasoning with the more sensible of the colored people, to avoid. Happily, however, the precautions taken by the whites, aided—as we are willing to believe—by the counsel and influence of some of the more conservative of the colored people, prevented a conflict.
And now one word by way of comment. Among the colored men who were prominent actors in the scenes we have described are some who enjoyed, in a high degree, the confidence and respect of the whites, of whom better things were expected. Their course was especially calculated to excite disgust and distrust, and we doubt if the future relations between whites and blacks in this section will ever be as kind as they have heretofore been. Confidence, we are sorry to say, has been destroyed.
In this connection we would like to know what the military authority of the country was doing to keep the peace while the above-mentioned occurrences were taking place.
