The Portland daily press., 1870-07-26

The first inteleible expose Of the North Car.
DINA troubles that we have seen in the papers
is furnished by a correspondent of the Boston
Advertiser. 1t is as follows:
Gov Holden claims that two or three coun-
ties have practically been in a condition of
Outlawry for some months; that the Ku-Klux
had organized and were raiding up and down,
committing OutrageS and murders without
number; that life and property were in con-
slant jeopardy, and that he had in vain appeal
ed to the better class Of citizens to create a
public sentiment such as would compel the
characters to keep the peace. Some weeks ago
he put these counties under martial law, ana
proceeded to organize the State militia on a
large scale. Then he suddenly called in one
Col. Kirk somewhat noted as bold and I'M
petuOus man, from Tennessee, gave him COM
mand Of five or six hundred negro troops, and
sent him into Caswell and Allamance coun-
ties where he has arrested several citizens on
the general charge that they are directly or in
directly responsible for the alleged outrages.
The regular press reports, though strongly par
tizan against the Governor, show that the
Chief Justice of the State is not disposed to
uphold Kinks proceedings. Gov. Holden is
sustained in his work by both the Senators
and some of the Representatives of the State,
and opposed by great many other persons
who denied that there was originally any seri-
Gus disturbance ia the counties named, say
that the Governors whole course was for DO
ltica effect, assert that there was no necessity
whatever for declaring martial law or calling
GU. the militia, charge that the object is to get
negro soldiers into the principal towns SO as to
carry the elections of next week in Holden's
interest, and declare that Kinks conduct is in
violation of law and the Constitution. That
the existing state of affairs down there in the
country west and northwest of Raleigh IS very
bad, statements from all sources clearly show.
An army aficer who has just been through
that section on business says that the reports
which have come North of outrages committed
are by no means exaggerated. No mans life
is safe who gives the least offence to those who
countenaLce the outlaws. The civil authori-
ties are powerless, and this officer thinks Hol-
den'S course the only one by which pe9ceably
disposed citizens could be afforded protection.
There are government troops at Raleigh, Ora
ham 1.-THE county seat of Allamance(, and YAM
ceyville 1.-THE county seat of Caswel.): but their
presence has little effect, since they can only
act in particular cases under the direction of
the civil officers. In any special case of out
lawry offenders are out of reach before the aid
OF troops can be procured. In this case the
sympathies Of the officers of the troops are I'M
| mistakably with Gov. Holden. In many in
stances it seems pretty certain that some Of the
prominent citizens have been arrested by Kirk,
principally as hostages rather than npon any
definite evidence that they have been directly
concerned in the crimes committed. Kirk s
idea, he says appers to be that if the best citi-
zens chose, they could SO discourage as to pre-
vent the Outrages altogether, and so he ad-
Judges them sufficiently guilty for his purposes.
So far as the necessity for the interference Of
the militia is concerned, the officers stationed
there seem to have no donbt, and SO side with
the Governor The manner in which Kirk has
performed his work, however, is doubtless open
to very severe criticism. He has brought about
such condition of affairs as it is feared will
cause still more serious trouble if the courts
fail to endorse Holden.