Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-04-14
iMPEACMnE<T OF GOV. HOLDS
GPiktO< Or sENAT II McCLAMMY OF
THE TaiaTEESTH DISTRICT

As Senator sworn III this behalf. ]
have to submit my judgment nrisiug from
the facts and arguments presented to this
Court during the trial.
| 1t appears from the evidence before the
Court that there were sundry violations of
the law IN Alamance county during the
years 1o68-G9, embracing two murders and
numerous whippings. There were also
two murders committed in CasWell county.
and in both counties running through the
same time, there were instances of barn
butnlngs. the perpetrators of these outrages
against the peace of the State were, it ap
pears. acting against each Other-Were
taking retallatory steps. It is proved that
there existed secret societies Of various
names, one composed almost entirely of
blacks, and operating in the interest of a
political party. and others composed of
whites AMI having also. perhaps, political
objects. IL Is not by any means estab-
Ilshed that these secret organizations had
any purpose to subvert the Government,
but were rather organizations, like vigi.
lance committees, to puniah those offenders
against the law and against society
VINO were not punt ,hed in the Courts. It
does not appear that there existed any
thing like struggle between the races.
Republican negroes were, it is in evidence,
treated In the same manner in Alamance
and Ca5We'' rs III other parts OF the State
whenever their alleged crimes did not rem
der them obnoxious to the communities
In which they resided, and in general the
two races were found there occupying
much the same relations to each other as
in other sections of the State.
1t Is IN evidence that the respondent
Issued frequent proclamaticns calling on
the people If these cou. ties to maintain
orde1 and that LIE subse Qnentiy proclaimed
said counties in state of insurl ectiop.
that be, on or about the 21st day OF June
1871, organized mi ltary force by APP
pointing Geo. ". Kirk, Colonel. who
called for rec uits in the following procla-
nation, printed from a document proven
to have been in the handwriting of the
''Rally Union men
IN defence of your State
Ially soldiers of the old n, O. "a and id
Federal Troops.
Rally to the standard of your old Com
mander.
Your old commander has been commits
stoned to raise at once regiment of State
Troops to aid in enforcing the laws and IN
putting down disioyal midnight assassins.
The blood of your murdered country
men, lnhumanly batchered for opinions |
sake, cries from the ground for vengeance |
The horrible murders and other atrocities |
committed by rebel K. K. z. and South. |
ern Chivalry on gray haired men and |
helpless women, call in thunder toues on |
all loyal men to rally ia defence of their
State. The uplifted hand of justice, North |
Carolina End and 3rd Federal troops, must
0vertake these outlaws" under which
proclamation he organized a regiment
claiming to be State troops, over two hun
lred (200) Of whom were from other States,
and three hundred and ninety nine 1897
1nder the age of twenty-one. These troops
ne distributed at several points, but chiefly
n these two counties. It appears also
hat there was besides and prior to the or
yanization OF this force, a company of
United States regulars in each of these
counties. under instructions to enforce the
aw and amply sufficient to do so if there
lad been any resistance thereto. That i
hese State troops proceeded to arrest di-
'ers persons named in the articles,
I'd to detain them against their
will, the persons being inca rcerated
nd badly treated, and in some instances
to torture. Some of these par
les petitioned for and were granted the
states writ of ha6eas corpus. which was
erved on the military officer having the
'etitloners in confinement, who refused to
hey the writ that the respondent sane
Toned this refusal of his military subordi-
ate, claiming that the writ Of Ha6sas cor