The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-06

DONE IF TIE STATE GOES CONSERVA-
TIvE-DR. CURRY, &C.
RALEIGH, August 3, 1870.
like Raleigh decidedly. It is n bea,Iti-
full little city. Embedded in groves of ma
lcstlc oaks. Many Of those grand old trees
is we'll called " The City of Oaks" for they
constitute much of its pride and beauty.
The capitol is an imposing building, con-
structed Of fine granite quarried within the
limits Of the city, and stands in the centre
of a handsome square; not so large or so
picturesque rs ours in Richmond. but Or
namented with these same fine old oaks. and
laid Off and kept with much taste and neat
ness. At the four corners of the Capitol
Square arc located respectively the Episco-
pal Catholic, Presbyterian, and Baptist
church-houSes."
The Methodist church is not so well
placed. OF these churches, the Methodists.
| am told, have the largest membership !;
the Episcopalans more of the benton OF
society; the Baptists the largest congre-
CATIONS, the largest Sunday school, and the
most money; while the Prcsbyternns,
though the oldest, is the smallest denomi-
nation here except the Romanists. AS |
am an educator of course inquired about
schools, and sorry am ] to say that ! could
hear of no public schools in the city or
the counties around. In some parts of the
State free schools are in operation, but there
are none here save two or three small
parish schools. Schools there are, how
overland good ones, too, am told-tor
girls. Nobody seems to care much for the
boys in this place, and if they enjoy first
rate advantages they must go elsewhere.
'hn E,,iur a
school which has prospcred for twenty-five
years. DR.. and Mrs. Lacy, both born in
Virginia, have il good private school. The
Prcsbytcrians are trying hard to complete
the Peace Institute" large establishment
for girls, while the Baptists propose to open
on the I'D instant q tirSt-clasS female school
under the presidency of DR.. William Royal,
late Of Wake Forest College.
There are many indications of prosperity
here. The stores and public buildings
erected since the war would do credit
to Richmond or Baltimore. Indeed, we
have no such halls rs fuckers and the new
Metropolitan Hall.
But to turn from these local items, which
probably have but little interest for your
readers, | will speak of Governor Holden,
the kuklux, military arrests, etc, topics
which are profoundly agitating North Caro-
lima. and which should agitate the whole
country from one end to the other. 1T Is not
an easy matter for an outsider TO eliminate
the truth from the various and conflicting
statements and rumors which are rife
among the people, but after trying carefully
to slit them and separate the true from the
false, The following seems to he 4 Succlnct
history of the matter. Acts or violence
have been Dcrpetrated by both white ana
black men in different parts OF the state
during the past two years. Barns nave
been burned women have been violated,
threats of murder and outrage have been
uttered by colored men who were members
of the Union Leagues, it is alleged and on
the other hand colored men and white
men too, have been whipped, and muir
dercd, and driven from their homes.
The Governor, it is affirmed, made no
special effort to have the guilty parties OF
either color brought to justice, further
than to issue Understanding proclamations
against the kukluN klan, calculated to in
flame the minds Of the northern people,
and especially the President, against the
Conservative party of the State. Some time
since the Governor, Judge Setter, Of the
Supreme Court. and some other members
Of the Republican party, went to Washing
ton, and there the grand strategic move
ment of military arrests was concoctcd
Senator Pool, it is said, originating the plot.
Alamancc county had been declared in Il
state of inSurrection some time before, but
no arrests had been made. Caswcll county
was now declared in Il state of insurrcctlon.
The army which Governor Holden had
called out was equipped with United
States arms and uniforms, and headed by
Colonel Kirk, of Tennessee, began to make.
arrests in these unfortunate counties, until
over hundred Of the best men Of the State
are in custody, charged with almost every
species of crime. Some of the prisoners
pettioncd the Chief Justice of the State,
Pearson, and others Judge Mitchell, pray
ing that under the great writ of right, the
haJcGS corpus. they might be released from
the military power and turned over to the
civil authorities. Judge Pearson issued the
writ, and when it was served on Colonel
Kirk he refused to recognize it, stating that
" such things were played out, ana tAat
he would deliver up the prisoners only when
ordered by the Governor. ~
Judge Mitchell issued writs also, and Col
onel Kirk arrested the man who served
them on him. When the return was made
to Judge Pearson, George 5: Bragg ana
Graham, Mr.. i. f. Wren, ana Judges pol
fer and Mcrriman urged the Chief Justice,
in speeches of great learning and ability, TO
indicate the majesty of the law and have
Writ OF attachment issued against Kirk for
contempt. This the Judge declined to do,
because he said it would result in civil war
but he decided that the habedS corpus was
not suspended in the iuSurrcctionary coun-
ties, and he ordered the marshal of the SUI
preme Court to serve notice on the Gov
ernor requiring him to deliver up the pri-
sonerS. This the Governor refused to do.
On reelection, the Chief Justice sent the
marshal of the Supreme Court to CaSwcll,
l., Fnlnnal RI
ordered in the name Of the law to surren-
der the prisoners. A second time he re-
fused to do so, and when his return was
made to the Chief Justice, he second time
refused to issue writ to the sheriff of Cas-
we'll to arrest Kirk, affirming that he had no
posse cOn,itatus; that the power Of the jill
dietary was exhausted !; and he could do no
more.
So the law, as expounded by the Chief
Justice, is overridden by Governor Holden
and his military satrap, Colonel Kirk the
sacred writ of habeas corpus is trampled
under foot; the Judiciary OF the State is dis
honorcd and such men as Judge Kerr,
Hon. sam. Hill, Colonel Bingham, DR..
Sloan, Dr.. Mebanc, and many others of the
pureSt and best men of this Commonwealth
are left to the mercy of Kirk and his lambs.
1t may be that the course OF Judge Pearson
is wise, but the bar in this State do not
think so. They regard the dignity of the
Judiciary as compromised by timid and
time-serving policy, tor the Chief Justice
has declared that all the judges of the SUI
preme Court agreed with him. The only
chance the Chief Justice ever had, or ever
will have, probably, of making his name
immortal, has been ingloriously lost, and his
prospects for a seat on the bench Of the
United States Supreme Court-the cause, it
is limited, Of his present obliquity Of vision