Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-08-19
From the Raleigh Sentinel
THB HORRIBLE PLOT.
CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE PEACE
OF THE STATE!
John P0Ol's Proposition to Assassinate
the leading Conservatives and
Democrats of the State
HOLDEN's WICKED CoUNsELoRs

HOLDEE'S WICKED COUNSELORS.
More than two years ago. by securing
the plobillzed vote Of the $4,000 negro
voters Of the State, through the exertions
of the carpet baggers and the Union Lea
CUES and the timidity of some white voters
and the sealawagry Of others, and the
bayonota of Gen. Candy, Holden and the
Radical party secured tue election, by an
immense nalority-more than 10000.
If Holden and his co a1jUtOrs had pos
se6sed the common feelings Of humanity,
| the common sense which dictates ordinary
prudence and propIiety and any common
! honesty or personal integrity, the Radical
! party might have held together and tri-
! 1mphei for twenty years But like an I'M
disciplined mob greedy Of plumber and
flushed with success, they gave loose 1oin
to their passions, throwing up their hats
81 tho Cttor prostitution OF the respectable
and yft!9qs ms. poErIiSn Of the o22EmGHitY
were now the top rail and that the rebel
eristOcracy were at tie bottom.
4 thorough partisan administration WAS
decided upon, IL which no Conservative OF
Democrat couId find peace consequently
tho most incompetent and bitter Office
holders Wcro generally collected anda spirit
If Wanting ond h:aGgartisn rredominated
with tho party.
". w. Holden, John Pool and others,
who knew too well tho energy and power
Of Intelligence, virtue and wealth TO ce-
main imprisoned and ogerb0rne by ignO-
rance nod shameless dopravity, had
scarcely gotten warm IL their robes Of
Office hofOrc they began - devise schemes
by which :heir reiarIOus and wicked plans
Of public plumber and embarrassment oE
the people of the Stale, might lot break
down the Radical party IL the State, bat
gave 70 1t continued triumph.
Holden is destitute az KeuiUs-he can
devise nothing, plnn nothing or bnild up
anything without fuGicnan and promter.
John Pool, however, Is az nreh-trickatef
and wirc-worker. At heart lie was bitterly
hostile to Holden, but stopped to serve
him for the sake of plumber and place all
the time hoping that Holden might be
caught IN the meshCs which he had devised
for him, but escape himeelf.
The scheme determined ulon, and in
this many besides Pool and Holden were
agreed, was, that fearing they could not
control the negroes long by the influence
, Of the Union Leagues, the powers of HOl-
? den must be enlarged by law and provision
made for strong military government, SO
, as to intimidate, force ami control by the
bayonct.
This scheme was inaugurated at an
! carly period. John Pool we loarn, drew
up the infamous military bill, which the
violent mon of the Radical party tried to
force through the General Assembly of
, 18G8'69, but which fortunately was rem
dered wholly Inefficient by valions amend
ments. The scheme being thus defeRCed,
it is said, Mr.. Pool drew up the Shoffner
bill-a most UBIQUITOUS measnre--toO hor-
riblo for Republicans even Of any respec-
Uability-hence, the bill was So amended
said received 2U6 Tor psesentfing g and q
managing this bill in tho State Senate.
All these measures were projected solely
for the purpose of strengthening the back
of Holden and his clique, but professedly
TO put down Ku klux outrages. Hence,
} the Radical papers charged every crime
committed upon whito Ku Klux, although
it was known that four-fiths of the crimes
! committed were done by negroes and Union
Leaguers.
The robberies and swindles committed
by the Radicals upon the Public Treasury
and the people, through bribery and
other means upon the General Assembly,
produced such universal clamor among the
people, that Holden, Pool and the Radical
leaders, generally, became greatly alarmed
and determined upon the most prompt,
efficient and bloody measures, however
laWless and sanguinary, to prevent the de-
feat % Radicalism III tho August election.
The Holden clan was convened il the
Executive Office in this city at sundry times
during april Gnd May last TO devise those
: means. Various schemes were suggested
and considered, All the persons who en-
gagged in the caucus and conspiracy against
tho peaco of tho State, will not now be
! given. Their names shall be forthcoming
- when necessary. The mention Of them
. and their diabolical plans viii make TIE
ears Of the people Jingle
In one of these Cau2uses John Pool. then
and now the So called I. s. Senator from
:, North Carolina-the man who authorized
: Senator DOolittie in the u. s. Senate to
L publish his infamy-that he become a
- State Senator il 1861 from BERTHE, and
took the oath TO support the Constitution
: OF the Confederate States ''fOr the purpose
Of embarrassing The COnfederacy." This
n said john Pool II the aforesaid caucus, we
: arc told. with Holden and others made
! the following diabolioal proposition;
- Il had been agreed that many leading
; Conservative gentlemen of the State should
10 bo charged as being leaders and abettOrs
CT ku.klax, and arrested. and II possible
gotten out of the way. Various plans had
j. beenssuggostcd. Among them John Poo
boldly proposed, it is said, that inhumRn
Satanic scheme which had been so success
fully adopted by Gov. Clayton, Of Arkan
9 sas, should be adopted by Gov. Holden
E. II is alleged that Clayton by the agency OF
, n band OF despera1oea had arrested a mum
I her OF the most offensive and respectable
. Conservatives of Arkansas, most Of whom
were assassinated by these desperadoes
Y and reported by them to have been lost OF
e made their escape Pool, we are told, m
: blushingly recommended to tho caucns
that Holden should organize Of once c
= band of desperadoes like them, and put al
their head a notorious pirate, whom be
0 named, who should arrest such mon as
s Hon. Josiah Turner, Jr., Gov. Graham
- Gov. Bragg, Gov. Vance and others, nn6
: should lose them, leaving no trace OF theil
. whereabouts
g Malicious and violent as the members OF
:, . this caucus were, this Satanic scheme o.
. Pools we are told, Was.too much for theil
= nerves or..their courage. The conspiratorS
: skunk from SO hazardous and vile a propo
y sition. 1t was then that the programme
= which Holden and Kirk have since car.
q riad ont WAS adnnked Rnk there Mare