Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-11-12

bQo welfare or the entlfS otale Is CouceIu
ed. Party platforms must not be bni!t
!. upon the sites Of destroyed dwellings OF
J the graves Of good citizens. The press OF
both parties shoa'l do everything to res
tore order and prevent conflicts which
can only result detrimentally to both parties
and to all citizens.
!, So long as Governor HOLDEN showed
!. himself to be a mere partisan in handling
this serious matter we were foremost and
stoutest in our denunciations, but we
will go moro than half way to meet the
Governor of the State in reconciling these
difficulties and quieting these disorders. -
We feel for the anxieties and appreciate
the dangers of those people. We fear to
contemplate what may be the result OF
overruning those counties with undisciplin-
ed and lawless militia, white CIR black,
under imprudent, ignorant and preju
diced officers. Those remote from the dan
gers should be the more careful not to com
plicate matters by hasty aui imprudent
utteranceS.
Governor HOLDEN can control these diff
fculties, if he really desires, with credit to
himself and with benefit to the State. But
to do so he must not continue as he has
begun. He must not act upon the pre-
sumption, as urged by his accredited or
gan, that peaceful citizens are being muir.
dered or outraged" He must comprehend
the situation as it really exists. Men are
not being shot down or hung by bands of
lawless men because they are loyal, but
rn-burners and ravishers caught in the
commission of their crimes, have been vio-
lently punished-have been shot and hung.
Ku Klux are not rushing about the coun-
ties chilling and numbering innocent
men" but highly excited and exaspera-
ted people, alarmed for their common safe.
ty, are laying violent hands upon known
culprits.
We do not applaud or justify this course,
but we will not censure those people. HUI
man nature is the same the world over, and
men before this have taken the law into
their own hands to meet necessities which
the law itself failed to do. What we de-
sire is, that the Governor shall deal justly,
wisely and prudently in this important
business. More can be done by modera-
ton than by violence. We will uphold
him in maintaining the supremacy of the
law-if he does it az Governor of the State,
and not as the President of the Leagues.
All good men will thank him for his honest
efforts in behalf of order and peace. He
will have, too, 5heapproval of his own con-
science, even f he brings down upon his
head the wrath of his party caucuses.
lay AND FESTIVE EsIEs-THE LITTLE
Boy WHO CAME TO GRIEF. -Rumor has had
it for day or two past that L. q. Estes,
the gay and festive Collector Of Internal
Revenue for this, the Second Collection Dis
trict, was defaulter to the amount of sew.
eral thousand dollars. Yesterday the mat
ter was of "ially brought to light at the
U. S. District Court, Judge Brooks pre-
siding. The grand jury returned two true
bills of Indictment against Esees-one for
embezzIing public money to the amount of
fifteen thousand 1915, 0OO) dollars, and the
other for making as Collector false returns
to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue.
! On motion of the District Attorney the
cases were transmitted for trial to the u.
| S. Circuit Court to be held in tbs city of
| Raleigh on the 29th of November and
capias was directed to issue to said term.
! For many months past Estes has been
residing upon his Tor his wife's) plantation
in Edgecombe county, forgetful, apparent
| ly, of the business of his Office but not of
the money which passed through his
+ hands. To pursue the quiet avocation of
farmer, he resigned his seat, to which he
was elevated as all carpet baggers were and
are, in the Legislature from this county
In fatal moment Mr.. Perry, the Super
visor for North and South Carolina, ap-
peared here and made an examination in
to the accounts and books of the Collec-
tors Office. From entries and correspon-
dence it was discovered that the Collector
had embezzled the public monies, and sum-
mary proceedings were taken. Estes was
not here to attend to his business, but he
was the responsible party to whom all re-
!
Government funds, be was proceeded
against, and the indictments of the grand
jury have thus far been the result.
DR.. S. P. Wright, the senior Deputy
Collector of tho District, for some time
past stationed ut New Berne, has been
placed in charge of the Office here for the
present.
The signors of Estes bond we hear are
Mrs. L. G. Estes, JOS G. Abbott, E. r.
Brink, W. Fl. French, and probably one or
two others. How far their responsibility
extends, will no doubt be ascertained by
the Government, the party Immediately
interested now.
And this so far is the story of the little
boy who came to grief, to be continued
when the Circuit Court shall meet in Ral-
eigh. Gay and festive Estes, he who was
worthy follower of Fitzpatrick, worthy
representative of the carpet.bag tribe, a
worthy exhibitor of their naoneyed object
and O worthy type of their official honesty.