New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-08-03
Ku-KL1Xin NORTH CAROLINA
WHAT 4 TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT HEARD
IN RALEIGH


OTHERS. ~,
P,Ir1cU. July 31.-The North knows little or
o,hne of the state of aairs in North Carolina ana II u
not to be wondered at Both parties nave lsaucu NAM,
toes and sent them into the outside world iequcSOe
suspension Of opinion upon the political tfouoies noi0
until the truth shall be made evident and partisan P
have been giving the lie to one another so eloH '
ono uuacoueued with the state, the situation anu 'no
nen concerned would form opinion with an! conn
dence at all. TIE Geographic reports when uro So
North from this point are all OF one cohpieA'o"' -
Associated Press agent and the teegiaph oPV
are accused of being rabid Rebels, ana tio lev
sent Is what they please 10 sem"
consequence is that Northern people geneiaIy' mciu
ING large portion of the Republican party nave pe
come biased against the State authorizes mere, anu aS
nv observations thus far indicate, most m0usuy ils
irossthIo that so much dirt should be thrown at Gov
Holden and his administration without some of 1t suck
g. 1r,o outbcts OF lar" thief" traitor" scala
-, 80 40 literally hurled at the Governor by the
Rebel press Of the State, and their columns OF TRADE IN
his abuse have their effect. We at the North who read
these things OF course double discount the accusations
and examinations thus suphurousy concocted and dis
charged a their object but st the apprehension is left
that there must be something Of truth in all this clamor
and that the Governor and administration have taken
too handed course and hardly justified by cir
Cumsauces. What the circumstances are, is most i'm
porant to be Und, rstood. and what information have
obtained as TO the situation shall be briefly told.
My first effort at Gscetaning the state OF public feeling
i North Carolina was made in Weldon when waiting
for the Raleigh train had Is minutes TO spare knot
Of three or four gathered about the door of
bar room opening the platform sitting tilted back
in chair and he in lstless langour standing by
addressed mvs II to the leading mind among them, the
tng chairman Of the OCCASION nQurng TO the state
OF feeling political matters, and how about these ku
Kux outragos, and what did people thnkof Holden &c.
&C. 1t was an interesting study to observe them: They
had not been talking politics together, and the subject
appeared 10 DC Of little interest TO them. general air
Of langud "dontcare-a-damn- ativeness" wac their
most evident characteristic One in lazy way
thought they could MT get bigger rascal
for Governor than Holden, and the rest
appeared silently TO to that article in their
creed. As TO the KuKluX outraGes difficult to get
an opinion expressed from the circle, but there seemed
sentiment assent TO the inquiry, Were they all bos
As 10 the coming election they did not know appear
10 care anything about it, They seemed possessed OF
lazness and while they appeared to have an indefinite
injury and injustice were too lazy to think OF
care much about it.
lett them impressed with the feeling that reconstruc
ton had hard material to deal with Very possibly
they were KlKux themselves, and could be lively at
night with dcvtry going After tedious ride OF iVe
hours reached Raleigh at midnight, and was asreeaby
disappointed in finding excellent accommodations.
good bath, a comfortable bed in pleasant room,
and SIX hours SLEEP, put me in fair condition
yesterday morning to hunt up the public sentiment
OF the capital of North Carolina. became for the day
an interviewing reporter. The first person with whom
had any considel able conversation the Hon. James
H. Harris cOlOrcd candidate for Congress in the district
He seemed very intelligent man, ready III speech, quick
in perception and impartial in his views He proud,
e said 10 meet representative Of TIE TRIBUNE which,
Of course put your correspondent in high good hunor
We took chairs the hotel piazza, and dscoursed or
rather questioned and he discussed In response 10
my inquiries Mr. Harris said that he was not surprised
10 hear that there very strong impression North
that Gov Holden exceeding his authority at least
acting unwisely in calling out the military at this time
and that the stories Of KuKlux ouTages were greatly
exaggerated. Gov Holden, he said, was hated by all
the old arstO ratio families of the state because he had
grown up among them and made himself what he was.
To rise from humble origin and by hard work to attain
eminence species Of social crime with these arlsto-
OF the State. Gov Holden no carpetbagge but
failing in that his enemies take delight in calling him
"scaawag" Harris considered him man OF remarka-
BILE moderation and Kindness of heart and that he had
exhausted every in his power to suppress the Ku-
Kux before rcsOrting TO military force
In TO the inquiry why the state of affairs was
worse North Carolina than elsewhere in the South
Harris considered it, to great extent due to the fact
that the liberal policy adopted toward the Rebels
IN this than in other states had encouraged them to
greater efforts for political power and in order to get
political power it necessary for them to either Sc
cure the vote them from voting at ALL and
IA the former impractical, the latter plan was tried
In the thousand of whipping negroes by the Ku
Klux nearly every has had political cause, either
CO revenge or repress Republican vote. The KuKlux
he thought had singled out North Carolina as field Of
operations Of its large white vote, as they
could easily turn the scale here for that reason
against the blacks and tho loyal vote. Harris said that
he had never been extremist in his views; that he
had always advocated liberal policy toward all
classes and that year ago he had favored general
amnesty from his observation Of the effects Of liberal
treatment upon the old bitter element Of savocracy
De now doubted its adysability. Men were pardoned
hafo
the Government that pardoned them. Gov Holden had
time and again secured pardOns for those who aterWard
turned against him and the Government he represented
They were an almost hopeless class to deal with With
regard TO the KuKlux Mr. Harris told me Of numerous
Of outrage that had under his personal cogn
2ance negroes he had seen in capital with LAGER
ated backs FROM the scOurgngs they had received and
the scourngs Of the ouages perpetrated
only small part of the crimes and cruelties
of the KuKlux brought to light, nasmuch as the
terrible threats used to make those victims
who not snced by murder keep silent through fear
Harris is acknowledged by all parties TO be amoderae
man. and his views he is the prominent repre-
sentative colored people hereabou worthy Of
much consideration. After our conversation, called
with Mr.. Harris Gov. Holden. The Governor had
carewOrn and troubled countenance, and from the
account he gave Of affairs in North Carolina,
Il was not to be at all wondered at.
told him of the impression that prevailed North, that
the KuKux Outrages much exaggerated, and that
the negroes in great measure the perpetrators OF
the enonties which noised abroad. The Governor
then gave account Of such Outragcs he lad evil
denoe Of and listened said that every civil process
had been tried had proved utterly poweress to sup
press the KuKux outrages, and that last resort 1t
had become necessary 10 call out the military He had
tried prOcamatOns and celebrations, and every means
in power put end 10 these horrible cruelties
which were OF daily occurrence, and one would or
hnfn