Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-01-06
GaYernGr Holden.

Governor Holden.
We have thought that with the impeach-
ment OF Governor Holden by the House
of Representatives our obligation as pub
iic Journalists had been fully performed.
30 far as it reQ1ired of Us to demand it,
It vas the duty Of every editor IN tho
State who believed the Governor had vio-
lated the laws he had eworu to uphold
and execute, to endeavor to bring him to
trial. No personal considerations could
poes'blV iLttlvepe to relieve item OF this
duty to the people # The Site. 1t would
have bee a. wrong 10 ba7| attempted to
hide bis offence from e'anDal Il political
partIality, as TO have he'd for punishment
through personal or political prejudice. -
Convinced that Governor = olden n Id will
fully and ruthlessly violated hjz eolemn
obligations, had deprived citizens Of their
rights and personal liberties illegally and
violently, merely 20 advance MS personal
and political ends, NC have IaOOged etreuu-
ously to bring about hIs IL peach ueLt =
Thls being accom- p.isntl We eye.B wiling
to leave the result with the S nate upon
evidence 70 be submitted before that body.
We desired uud asked cor han far and
impartial tri.i we want him 10 nave the
benefit OF the oest c~1neaI w'tbous regard
TO Their political -..rico7; - deraad
ONLY that .ae law shall 10 vi1iica.aa win
out reforcrce % the accIaa5.
We had supposed. too +Ga> Governor
Holden woul1 ls.s l.' me gooa ,enia
if not the Opposition. t. t,taa.n silent. --
He can III Afford TO ongoodsr ps~,E Sect
ings. His conduct - closely wstcLad, and
but little disposition is exhibited, even at
the North, 10 trust his recent professions
made under the most solemn oircu nstan-
ces. We have been disposed 10 remain
silent IN regard 10 all these matters, fully
approaching the awkward situation of the
Governor. But if he will throw down the
gauntlet be must expect hia challenge to
be accepted.
We published yesterday the report Of q
conversation between Governor Holden
and a correspondent of The New York
Herald, IN which. among other things,
thas official is reported as having 8aid:--
Given those people who are politically
"opposed to me-ay, who hate me poli:i-
f'oalIy-wil1 do me the justice to say that
ST am sincere in all / do
"that what I have done has bee l
" from an honest conviction of right, truth
sand Justice" We hope, in view of re-
cent events, that Governor Holden believed
what he said, but how man can be SO en-
&iro1v an 70 1Na4oO& FoxztC 80 o.so .
loss to know. We are satisfied that there
is not one man in each thousand opposed
to him politically in North Carolina who
believes anything of the kind. They do
not believe he was sincere in all that he did,
or that he has always acted from al hon
est conviction OF right, truth and Justice
They cannot believe that Alamance ami
Caswell were in state of insurrection. for
1t was false, and Governor Holden knew
it; they do not believe he had the right
TO seize, imprison and punish indisorimi
nately the citizens of these counties, Or
that be had the right to arrest single op
Of them without proper warrant. or that
he was either sincere or honest in doing
so. The people of North Carolina know
LnaL LReIe COuIu nave UGtu 10 ueCe sSlNS,
much less AUTHORITY y, for the arrest and
confinement Of J I'm KERR, SAMUEL P.
Hull, JESSE G. GhIFFITH, aud the doasn.
of others of peaceful citizens. against
whom there va not the least shadow of
evidence, or that he va sincere or hones
in having it done.
Humanity Gas as mach outraged as were
the laws Of the S ate, n the euploym r
Of Kirk, q motor Gus des perado lfom Ten
nessee. and two other deaperadoes from
the same State, to reCIQ I, arm and eqnip
@ large body of men of the most reckless,
desperate, rnfianly and lawle>s character,
and he is legally and morally bound for
the outrages which they committed. No
one believes that Governor Holden was
sincere or honest in this.
II, therefore, Governor Holaen be in
earnest in his protestations to this cores
pondent, and not talking merely for the
''pubiic eye" he is mos wonderfully blind
to the heinousne Of his offences and
their effect upon the public. If his inten-
tiens NeEs really good they were Of the