Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-11-25
sIgna of the Time.


One of the most striking features of the
late State Fair, none the less pleasing.
However. because SO plainly manifest, was
the marked change in the character of the
people present. Carpet. baggerS and scala
| wags were at % discount. and for the first
time since the war, showed some sign of
consciousness OF their owl utter yiIeness
and moral leprosy. or at least, conscious
ness of the detestation with which they
are universally regarded by the true peo-
| pie of North Carolina. It was good
thing to be North Carolinian and to be
there. The reunion of old friends was, in
deed. ~ ost pleasant. The personal graft
icatlon, however, though great, was not
the only cause for congratulations III the
meeting OF friends who, since their last
| parting had been confined In vile, filthy
dungeons, ana had even been subjected to
the halter itself, who had, indeed, been
subjected to every danger to which life,
liberty aud property could be exposed. -
Ninety days prior thereto w W. Holden
was, by the help of Richmond H. Pearson
and on the instigation OF John Pool, an
absolute irresponsible monarch in North
Carolina. By authority OF this criminal
w. w. Holden. men were arrested and de-
prived of property, and put in Jail or. burg
as to him or his minions seemed best. =
This same guilty, traitorous, usurpipg
Grim nal, w. W. Holden, was upon the
Fair Ground, and yet in spite OF all his
fresh crimes and surrounded by his still
smarting victims, he was unframed The
only vengeance taken upon him was to leave
him to the solitary companionship of his
own upbraiding conscience, too low, too
degraded, too despised for even sycophan-
tic hattery to fawn upon What a COM
mentary upon the w-abiding character of
the people of North Carolina Chief
Justice Pearson and Senator John Pool
were not present tn support their compeer
in villa,ny. Ii there had been honor
among villains generally, as there is said
to be among thieves, Chief Justice Pear.
son and Senator Pool would not have al
lowed Governor Holden tn bear alone the
brunt Of the feat in the late batsle
against honor and patriotism and EOrn
duty in which they had made common
cause.
But though our people were thus quiet
and peaceable and law-abijing, il is by no
means to be inferred that it is their iuten-
ton to allow these guilty Wretches 10 os
cape punishment. Jchn Pool may be be-
yond our reach. His infamy can, however,
! be made manifest to the world By re5o-
luton Of our Legislature TecitiDg all his
high crimes and misdemeanors, and asking
him. for the honor of North Carolina, to
resign his place as Senator. He will not
resign, nor will bis compeers OF the United
States Senate convict him OH impeach-
ment CT expel him, although the necessary
proof might be piled mountain high, but
we can forever disgrace him before tue
whole American people.
Chief Justice Pearson has, it is said,
been publicly Intoxicated, and This alone
is sufficient TO insure certain conviction
and speedy punishment. His other crimes
will not tend to raise up friends to protect
him.
Governor Hold4u's fate is fixed It is
the Interchangeable verdict Of the people
that he be driven from the Governors
chair, and declared forever incapable of
holding Office in North Carolina.
1t seems to be the universal sentiment
that our great August victory would not be
complete that the peace aud quiet that
has recently prevailed would not be per
manently assured, IN ess all these things
were done. There wi5 a general feeling
that the dawn OF Il new era OF law and or
der and honesty and confidence was ct
hand. Il was the existence Of this feeling
that brought to Raleigh SD many real rep
resentative North CarOIinians--many of
them who on the day Of election felt that
any attempt to exercise tho right of suf-
frage would be resisted by bayonets; some
Of them, men who we're actually in prison,
all OF them, men who upon the oaths OF
perJurcd negroes and no less perjured
white men, or without any oath at all,
We're liable To 10 arrested aud hung by the
neck until dead, or until it pleased Hol-
den's soldiers to cut them down.
These we're the men who, in three short
months. could assemble in the broad light
OF day at the Capital Of the State and IN
der the very eye of the Governor, and
congratulate each osher, ard denounco in
plain, unmeasured terms the tyranny OF
the Governor aud his accomplices in
crime, aud openly to declare their pur-
pose to take such means as the law placed
in their hands to insure the merited pun
isbment.
This on the one side.
On the other it must be borno in mind
that Bergen was actually in Jail. and Kirk
III the custody OF the law. and Holden pow
er!ess to lift even so much as the weight of
his finger in their defence What d con-
trast Verily'it was good thing to be
there Carpet-baggers and ecaiavags,
your punishment draweth nigh Had VIC
ever doubted the intelligence or the cour-
age Of the people. or their capacity for
self government. we could never do SO
again. Had we ever lost faith in a Demo
cratic form Of government it would new he
firmly re-established.
North Car0ltr Eseopte Em5ara4fnr