Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-02-17
RALEIGH, n. c., Feb. 9th, 1871.

RALEIGH, n. c., Feb. 9th, 1871.
DEAR JoURNAL:-The interesting debate,
which has engaged the Court for the past
three days, terminated to-day. The speech
of Gov. Graham. delivered Oh yesterday,
the greatest efforts of his life, and well
worthy of such a statesman upon such an
occasion. The Conrt, anxious to extend
every favor to the accused and give him
every doubt, decided the question might
be put to the witness, upon which the dis
cussion for the past three days had arisen,
the question propounded being ''do you
know of any secret organization known as
the Ku Klux Klau, the White Bother
hood, or Constitutional Union Guard ?''
ibe witness Ieplied il the negative to the
Question, which rather disconcerted the
Counsel for the respondent. who certainly
expected to expose a most terrible, bloody
bones, klan of murderers, &C.. and to ask
which question they had spent three days
in arguing. M0ntes rdrturi,t,etur yidiculnS
mus n0Scituy.
Quite a number of the most respectable
citizens of Alamance. including the Sheriff,
the Chairman of the late County Court,
and several Magi etratea, were introduced
as witnesses to-day, who swure that no
officer had ever been resisted, that they
knew of no person being whipped or pun
ished because of his political opinions,
that peace and good order reigned through
ont the county. and they knew of no secret
political organization whatever. And yet
1t WAS against these uncffending, peace
able people, that Kirk and his armed ruff
ans was sent to operate, and whom they SC
cruelty treated.
The prosecution have already made ont
q sufficient case to fully Justify the convic
| tion of Holden, and they are still making
the case stronger and stronger; to "make
assurance doubly sure" Holden himse. Il
has been present every day this week, and
! looks rather creetfallen.
Hon. S. F. Carey, of Ohio, was invited tc
seat in the Court on yesterday, and
wathced the proceedings with much inter
est, and will no doubt report to his North
ern friends in glowing language the wrongs
and cruetieS inflicted upon q freq people
by tyrannical Governor.
Capt. Ashe presented in the House to-
day q memorial signed by three hundred
of the leading citizens of your city. in
cluding nearly every lawyer, petitionine
for the abolition of ''The Special Court
and its despotic Judge. The memoria
was referred to the Judiciary Committee
and no doubt but it will be favorably
heard, and one CantweH go 80 where the
woodbine twineth." So mote il be.
The House to-day passed the Senate bill
prescribing the salaries and fees for State
officers, which greatly reduces them, and
gives an earnest of our promise for re-
| form.
The Radicals held secret conclave this
afternoon, in order to devise means to de
feat the Convention bill recently passed.
The delegation from your city to thit
grand council of sachems consists of Rus
sell, Rumley. Schenck and Grady. It is
said that they will induce Gov. Caldwell
not to issue his proclamation as ordered in
the bill, and thus defeat the will of the
people, but tie fate Of Holden viii
be too fresh in his memory for him tc
dare to attempt any such trick. And it il
also said that they will vainly cali upor
Congress to retain them in power, so thai
they may continue to plunder and oppres:
the good people of the State, but 81 the
best laid plans of mice and men oft gan
aQlee," HAL.