The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-03-24

nesses In this case. Neither were citi.
zens of North Carolina, but they were
called from abroad by Holden as filing
Instruments for his dark and bloody
intent. In violation of the constitution
of his state, he made these two strang-
ers to his people officers Of militia and
having declared two counties tAla-
nance and CaswelI) In a state Of insur-
rection he gave the unhappy residents
over to the tender mereies OF these two
rufiians. The testimony discloses their
absolute denial OF having insulted or
maltreated their prisoners in any way,
and their perjury in these statements is
fully proved by the testimony Of Luci-
an Ii. Murray, Mr.. Kerr, MIR. Turner
and others, who were their prisoners.
The testimony quoted at length show
ing various kinds of maltreatment and
torture to extort confessions, ETC., and
the minority proceed in the same man.
ner to review the testimony of VIM. r.
| Albright, whom they term violent
inscriptions man, and of james r.
Boyd, upon whose sole testimony they
say the majority largely rely to justify
them in their remarkable conclusions
respecting the condition of society in
North Carolina. This witness, the mi
nority say, is a very young man, and
| by his own statements has little or no
personal knowledge of the matters
whereof be speaks. They review his
evidence minutely, and characterize it
as weak, corrupt and shambling. In
the same manner they impeach the re.
liability of the testimony of the remain
der of the witnesses, not one of whom
the minority assert testifies to facts
within his own knowledge, tending to
prove North Carolina to be less safe as
a place of residence than any portion of
the Union lying north of her bounda-
ries. The minority then enter upon an
extensive argument to show that the
disorders which have existed in North
Carolina are attributable to misrule of
the SO called carpet bag state officers,
the unwise legislation of congress, and
the Vaccinations of the loyal league
inciting and instigating the negroes to
idleness, disatsction and lawiessness.
In support of these propositions the
minority quote very largely from the
testimony of the Hon. John Kerr, ex-
member of congress from North Caro-.
lima, N. A. Ramsey, and others, and a
number of other witnesses who were
examined and cross-examined before
the committee. The minority say it
will be seen from the above statement
that there has been no resistance to the
execution of process Of the courts, nc
distractions to officers in the exercise
of their functions. The report of the
majority seeks to evade the force o
this fact, thus admitting the fact by as
serting that the ku kluX organization
is so banded together as TO defeat thu
ends of justice. by intimidating wit
nesses, packing juries and procuring
witnesses to swear falsely in favor o
the accused if he belong to that order
The reply to this is easy and complete.
The statute law of the state gives the
, solicitor and the judge the power to re-
move causes from any locality in the
state to any other locality, at the option
of the prosecution. Every judge and
every solicitor in the state was radi
cal; there were localities in the state
in which the radicals predominatet
overwhelmingly, and if the crime wa:
committed where the influence of the
ku klux prevented conviction, it was
only necessary for the solicitor to make
a motion and the judge would order the
removal of the cause from county tC
county until satisfactory venue was
reached. 1t is perfectly evident from
the evidence that the process Of the
courts could be executed without mill.
tary force, and that no resistance was
offered to its execution. 1t is also clear
that the causes could have been remov-
ed from any place to some county in
which fair trial might have been had
Why, then, did the governor prefer to
resort to the extreme measure of pro-
claiming the counties of Alamance and
Caswell in instruction rather than use
the remedies ready to his hand of re-
moving the causes to the counties in
| which convictions might have been ob,
tained? Why did he call on the Presi.
dent for troops, set on foot his negro
militia, led by ruflians imported into
the state on account of their extraordi-
nary brutality, and proceed to seize,
imprison, insult and torture his prison
ers? There is but one explanation.
His object was to strike terror to the
people and drive them from the polls,
and thus carry hedistrict and maintain
himself and his mscreants in power,
and thus be enabled to continue to
plunder and tyrannize over the unhap-
py people who had been subjected to
his sway by the direct action Of the
congress Of the United States. This is
the only explanation which can be Civ
en- for co nduct so utterly unnecessary.
Who ever heard before of the procla.
nation of martial law in country
where the process of civil courts could
be exercised without resistance. If he
had caused the law to be executed in
the ordinary way through the courts
the charge which had risen against him
and his allies for pillaging the State
and giving away millions of dollars t.
the desperate adventures who infested
the State like vermin, would have con
tinued, and carried the election agains
him. He therefore meditated his CON
d etat, and his grand military stroke o
policy which was to strike horror to thu
hearts of the people. He called tn,
President to his assistance, and tC
: whom he already looked as his future
emperor, who did not fail him in hi
. hour of need, but dispatched the troops
of the United States to sustain thi
worthless miscreant and conspirator il
: power. Having failed in his nofariou
! purpose, and apprehensive that h
+, might be dealt with for his crimes, hi
: first effort is to propitiate those whom
G ln ha