The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-23
Gov. H0LDEN's IMpEACHMeNT.
North CaroIina's Reward TO a Man Whe Do
holds the Law,


That bands of men in disguise have from time
TO time committed outrages on individuals in
different parts of North Carolina has never been
denied. The victims we're generally, but not
always negross, and the punishment was In
some instances not undeserved. But these
cases were made cover to the real designs of
the Ku-klux Klan, and led to the impression
that its acts were but spe, les of wild justice
not altogether to be regretted. Many persons
of both parties believed them to be committed
for private revenge, and not by an organized
association.
Even when It was proved, by the preliminary
examination, in August, 1869, of the Lenoir
county prisoners for conspiracy and arson, that
there really was a regularly organized secret
association known as the Ku-kluX Klan 1t was
generally believed to be a merely local combi-
nation Of the whites, in that portion of the State
where the negroes largely predominated, for the
protection of the farmers and country people
against bands of negroes, who were known to
be rowing about committing depredations and
in some instances murder and arson. But,
although five of these prisoners turned States
evidence, and exposed the secrets of the Ku-
klux, and the crimes they had committed, no
one was convicted.
Governor Holden, finding that these murders
and outrages by bands of persons in disguise
continued to increase, and that although large
rewards we're offered for the arrest of the perpe-
traitors, no arrests were made, or, If made, that
the prisoners were invariably released on tae
testimony of men who were believed to be
members of the Ku-klux Klan, issued a pro-
clamation in March, 1870, declaring the county
of Alamance in state of insurrection. In a
letter to President Grant, informing him of
this proclamation, he said:-'I cannot rely
on the militia to repress these outrages
for the reason that, in the localities in
which they occur, white militia of the proper
character caBnot be obtained, and 1t would but
aggravate the evil to employ colored militia" {"
In a subsequent letter to the Senators and Re-
presentatives of the State of North Carolina in
Congress, the Governor stated, 81 have called
on the President for aid but he is restricted by
the right of the writ of habeas corpus" Matters
continued to grow worse, not only in Alamance
county, but in the adjoining counties, and every
mail brought accounts, either of outrages COM
mitted by the Ku-klux, or retaliation for such
outrages on the part of others, principally
negroes, who burned barns. stables, mills, and
dweling-houses. The Governor. in July 1870,
issued proclamation declaring the
county of Caswell aho in a state of
insurrection and proceeded to call out detailed
militia selected from the State at large. Had
he been judicous in the selection of the officers
of that battalion of militia which was sent to
the infected counties, nothing probably would
have been heard of his impeachment. There
appears to be no doubt that both Colonel Kirk
and his Lieutenant Colonel Bergen made unue-
cessary arrests, treated their prisoners with bru-
tality, and enforced no discipline among their
troops. These acts led to the impeachment of
Governor Holden by the House of Representa-
tiyes of North Carolina.