Political Conspiracy?

“What party was supposed to be interested in these burnings? How was the election to be affected by these exaggerated reports? We did not know that either party in the contest was accused of house burning so that it might be beaten by exaggerated accounts of such incendiarism. Was Dallas and Henderson burnt to affect the late election? And has all the incendiary attempts, as confessed by negroes, been made to help defeat the party to which the Intelligencer is attached? Have all those white men and negroes who have been recently hung for inciting rebellion in our midst been victims to the same political cause?”¹