Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-07-22
Echoes of Bad Government.

Governor Holden is evidently satisfied
with the military arrangements which he
and his master, John Pool, are perfecting
to over-awe the people of North Carolina
With Kinks operations in Salisbury and
his threats in Morganton; with Bosher's
services around Raleigh. and with Clarke
grandiloquont address, he seems we'll
pleased. These military movements evi-
IDENTIFY have very exhilirating effect upon
our cheerful Governor. He telegraphs
Senator Wilson, Chairman of the Radical
Congressional Central Committee, that the
State of North Carolina will be carried by
triumphant majority"
We shall, however, content ourselves
with exhibiting to the people the diabolic-
al means 10y which he expects to succeed.
We clip the following from the New York
Herald, and it gives a fuller history OF the
operations of Kirk in Salisbury than we
have yet seen:
SALISBURY, July 10, 1870.
The excitement among the people of North
Carolina at this time over the military movement
of Governor Holden is quite alarming. The
movement has been inSugurated by the Gov
ornOr without the shadow ct aut hOrity and with
out the slightest necessity. The movement Is
Justified however. on the part of the Governor
on the ground that 1t ls necessary in order to
rest and punish Ku-kiuX and stop laweEeness
&C Yet there is no resistance to the Cffi sers OF
the law in any county in the State. Our courts
are open and untrammelled in their adjudication
OF all matters coming under their jurisdiction.
There is not Sheriff in the State who may not
arrest and commit or secure any known or iminal
in their respective counties; so that the Govern.
Or's excuse for armlng the militia is believed to
be by The best, most prudent and lawabiding Cit
1ZoQS utterly 0QEeDaOIS, II not the SQOter-
fuge.
The body OF troops he has thus far succeeded
in getting together is composed of the worst
class Of our population. The vsgrants, the vaga-
| bonds, the cCt-throats and rOwdles of the noun
| tain Districts have been collected and placed
under comm and OF Colonel KIRK. man of
| notorious character. On last Friday evening
! Kirk battalion arrived in this place from the
mountains route for Raleigh. We hear of
many outrages committed by Thorn on peaceful
| and unoffending citizens while on their way to
this point but an outrage committed by them
! here and the language OF their commander will
give you some idea OF their animus and charac-
! ter. While supper was being servod at the NJ J.
sion Hotel a number of this command, who
werS promenade & the pavement in front of The
dining room, began to lire OFT their pistols and
carbiues, exclaiming, as they did it, They are
firing into us that shot came from the dining
ROOM! and imme diately they rushed to the
doors and windows of the dining room, with their
guns and pistols led, sAbres drawn and
leveled upon the unoflending and unarmed
ladies aud gentlemen sitting around the taIIe.-
A general stam~e ensued, of course, and the
dining-room cleared In the crowd
who INDUCED in this pastme was !ieutonsnt
colonel. Kirk soon made his appearance aud
| although not citizen had fired gun offered
the least resistance 20 single one of the militia,
they insisted that they had been fired upon,
| and 1t with difficulty that number
of respectable and intelligent citizens
| who had witnessed the whole affair were enabled
| to satisfy Kirk that not gun had been fired ex-
cept by his own men; yet he did not rebuke
them for this disgraceful and unsoIdierly act,
i but drew himself mp and haughtily exclaimed,
IF gun is fred into my mer tonight will
not leave house in this town; will burn every
ono to the ground" This ia the character of the
men Holden has got together to keep the peace
and to protect the life aud property of the peo-
pie of North Carolina against the Ku-Klux.
Further comment is not necessary.
With such man as Holden for Governor, and
such militia under him to do his bidding, the
more quiet portion of our people are greatly
alarmed lest fearful conflicts viii be precipitated
upon the State, it it does net, indeed, assume
the character OF that most to be dreaded of all
evils, civil war. The excitement in some places
/ is already: too great, and the conduct of the
| troops is intended to increase it. Our people
would much rather have Federal troops If they
must have them at all. But there is really no