The Portland daily press., 1870-08-06
TIL It PR Il SIS.
Saturday Morning, Aug. 6, 1870.


The Democratic, aud some of the Republ-
can papers, have had good deal 10 say Oh
late about the hishhanded proceedings OF tue
Radicals in North Carolina, and great mano
well-meaning persons have been leu 10 SUP
pose that Gov. Holden was invoking force
merely for electioneering purposes under PEE
tence of preserving order. Tine New York
Tribune in order TO ascertain the true state of
affairs dispatched to North Carolina trust
worthy correspondent whose first letter W. s
published in that journal a few DAYS AGO, HIS
testimony is entitled to the more weight fro m
the fact that his original prepossessions we've
strongly against the course of Gov. Holden IN
declaring martial law. The correspondent
gets much of his information from judo
Pearson who is well known in that State as a
man of ability and sterling worth. His state
ments can be relied upon. and he is in f,ll
sympathy with Gov. Holden. Here are the
correspondents own words in regard to the
situation OF affairs:
may as well at this point, and once for all,
announces myself utterly unable to present
any adequate picture of the horrible tales that
nave come to my ears in one short day of my
stay here. All parties admit the existence of
the kuklux and its devilish deeds, but the
rebels ignore them as far as possible, and in
directly encourage and participate in them. l
came here prepared to find that the stories
of outrage which have reached the North
were greatly exaggerated; bat the reality
seems 10 be that the one-tenth part has not
been told. Last night l saw Col. Clark of the
First North Carolina troops. and who is in
command at Raleigh. Col. Clark is one of
the rare instances Of a thoroughly and hon
estly reconstructed confederate gentleman
and soldier. Col. Clark served in the Mexi-
can war with distinction, and was one OF the
bravest officers in the confederate army-col-
onel OF the twenty-nnth North Carolina vol
unteers. lie was wealthy before the war; of
an ola family, and OF high position. He fought
with heart and soul for the South during the
war, and lost his all in the struggle. When
the South surrendered, he surrendered; but,
differently from the great mass of the old
Southern aristocracry. he honestly giving up
enmlty. The mass of those with whom he
was formerly associated kept their enmity and
live in it still. He understands their feelings
from his own experience. They are embit-
tered beyond measure at the loss of property
they incurred, and because their slaves have
not only been freed, but made voters,
while they are disfranchised. Many
who were before the war; ano during it,
Union men, are now almost as bad as the
worst of the secessionists on account of
their loss of property and the enfran-
chisement OF the negro. Col. Clark said that
he was socially ostracised from the society of
his former ariStocratc friends and associates,
but that from the sincerest convictions of du-
ty he had taken his present stand on the side
OF the government and Gov. Holden, and that
he now heartily sympathizes with them in
their measures for the suppression OF the XII
kluX. Col. Clark informed me that there was
not the least doubt that the ku- klux intended
demonstration just before the election to
lntlmldate the negro and influence his vote
but that Gov. Holden'S move had checkmated
the plan. He thought that the ku-klu1 would
be broken up in the State through the present
effort. From Gov. Holden and Col. Clark
am informed that Gen. Grant is heartily in
accord with the present action of the State
executive. Gen. Grant said to Col Clark in
person at Washington, that he, Clark, should
act with energy, and that he, Grant, would
furnish him, If necessary, the whole force of
the nation. As Col Clark says, it is the re-
bellion over again here, on smaller scale.
de related to me more instances of kl,-klux
outrages, but, as have already said, | feel
unable to do them justice. Take your ideal
ku-klux outrages, whip your man or woman
hall to death, string up your victim to tree
and let him hang tor days, bring to mind the
worst cases Of rape you have ever heard of.
multiply these instances by hundreds and
throw IN every form of torture and cruelty
which ingenuity can suggest, with few thou
sand lesser whippings which separately count
for little, and you will Get some idea of the
state OF affairs in North Carolina. The truth
has not been told in the North. There is but
one correspondent, and his sympathics being
with the rebels, his statements are not to be
relied upon.