Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-05-13
What VIII He De .


United States troops have been removed. Ii
he has the good of the State really at heart,
if he has an eye single to her welfare his
course is O plain and simple one. Ii he
really desires to act the patriot, rather than
the partisan, he will recall his proclamation
of instruction. The action OF the Fed
eral Government in thus suddenly with
drawing the only military force in an in
surrectionary district is an afront and sn
indignity to Governor Holden as the CHEZ
Magistrate of the State of North Carolina
that ought not tame1y to be submitted to.
It is direct reflection upon the tEAth OF
his proclamation declaring the existence
of an insurrection. It is more than this.
If there be any instruction it is an act Of
heartless cruelty and wanton abandonment
of the 10 al adherents of the Government
to the tender mercies of insurgents; an
abandonment made more complete and
cruelty made more wanton by the refusal
of Judge Tourgee to extend to them the
protecting arm of the civil law.
Alamance is thus theoretically and prac-
tically without any legal effective govern
ment, civil or military.
The dilemma in which this action of the
War Department places Governor Holden
is, we imagine, not very pleasant one for
him to contemplate, unless it was taken
with his knowledge apd in accordance
with his wishes. We would fain believe
the Governor was not privy and consenting
thereto.
Nothing but evil can arise from the use
of such worthless officers as Captain Bosher
and such worthless, undiscipined troops
as those he commands. or these troops,
the Detailed Militia, even the Adjutant
General Fisher himself, declares, in his
official report, emo drill is required, by
which alone steadiness. good order and
obedience can be readily secured ;" they
are liable to he called out by ga single
petty officer, whose personal feelingg
might improperly influence his con,inot.
and he recommends new plan of organ
ization in which "nOne but Intelligent,
responsible men of character should be
oppointed I" officers This is strong tes-
UIIuouy ugHingr Ene use OF tac'e troops,
coming rs it does frohl tue Adjntant Gen
eral OF the State.
In this connection it bocomes natural
to inquire why there arc not better troops
at the disposal of the Governor; in other
words. why has not the militia been pro
perly organized? The Radical party were
overwhelmingly i'll power in the Legisla-
ture, and could ct any time have passed
militia bill that would have put at tHe dis
posal of the Governor efficient, well-drlll-
ed troops and competent officers. We
have an Adjutant General, it is true, with
9 salary of one hundred dollars per month,
but does he earn the salt that goes into
his bread ? What benefit did North caro-
lima derive from the five hundred dol
lars paid him for expenses incurred in
going to Vermont or bpsine#s for the
State ?" What was the business After
burying our Senator Rich at his home in
Vermont, which was done by q Legislative
Committee, we know Of no further bust
ness North Carolina had in Vermont
What benefit did the State derive from
the one hundred and seventy-six dollars
and fout cents pai4 TO the Adjutant Gen
eral for the balance of expenses Eorth in /
procuring arms for the State What bene-
fit did the State derive from the four hun
dre1 and fifty dollars paid to the Adjutant
General under the "act to prescribe the
power and duty of the Governor in respect
to fugitives from justice" better known as
tie "Spy bill o. What benefit did the
State derive from the sixty-three dollars
and seventy five cents paid to the Adju~
tant General for travelling expenses while
North Carolina Militia ?" No
matter upon whom the responsibility rests,
whether it be the Governor, the Adiutant
General or the Radical party generally.
this is too much noneY to saend 4pon
the organization of such troops as Captain
Bosher and his command. They are
disgrace to the State and it is an outrage
to quarter them upon any community.
Such being the only troops at his com
mand, now that the Federal soldiers have
been Withdrawn, the Governor seems to
be reduced to the necessity OF sending
Capt. Bosher to Alamance or of declaring
the instruction at On end. If he does
not actually and literally occupy the
ground with military force of some sort,
Judge Tourgee can scarcely have the au-
dacity or tho mendacity to shut up the
Courts upon the pretext that inter arnsa
silent Leges. His Honor will be obliged to
hold the accustomed Courts. The pretext
for Withholding the Presidential Amnesty
Proclamation will be destroyed. The ne
cessity for National Police will be at an
end and Ku -Klux outrages will be among
the things of the past.
To bring about this contamination SO
devoutly to be wished is. we fear, not the
design of the Radical party. We have as
yet seen no evidence of their intention to
,et thu day for their own funeral and we
wait. therefore, with great anxiety to see
What the Governor will do. One of those
of atoning for great wrong. 10