New-York tribune., 1871-03-23
HOLDEN'S IMPEACHMENT.
TRIAL OF THE GOVERNOR OF NORTH CAR
OLINA.
HE IS FOUND GUILTY AND REMOVED.

cles of Impeachment preferred by the House, with the
following result:
Fortyninc members present and two-tbird vote
was required to convict
on the first article he found not guilty" Yeas 3
Nays, 10 charge-ntcnding to stir up civil in the
State, procaimng The county Of Alamance in a state OF
nsurrectOn and sending so awess armed men into the
county, when nsurTection existed.
On the second article the vote Yeas 80; Nays II
mot guilty" Chargc-Intending to subvert personal
and civil liberty. ana the Constitution OF the State by
declaring Caswell County in state of insurrecton and
| by desperate ndlawess armed bodies, arresting ct
Zcns by military force.
On the third article he was found "ilty;" Yeas 81:
Nays 49, chargc-On the 2d Of August in the County OF
Orange melting John Hunnout and Others to seize and
mprison for days Josiah Turner r in defiance of
| the Constitution
On The fourth article "guilty;" Yeas 33 Nays, l6.
| Charge-commandng, August 1, 1s7O George W. Kirk
and other desperate prisoners to assault and deprive Of
liberty for one month four citizens Of Ca5weu
| County.
On the fifth" guilty." Yeas, 40; Nays, Q; carge-n
! the months OF june July, and August recruiting and
armlng n large number of soldiers, with Kirk, Bur
gin, and Yates rcgimenal officers and sending such
soldiers into the County Of Aamance, where they ar
rested Adoplus G. Moore, WHO detained rs pris-
oner the or Ter OF Holden, in spite OF writ Of habeas
| corpus issued hy the Chef-Justce.
On the sixth" guilty." Yeas, II; Nays 8. Charge
same "a article g. with additional charge OF refusing to
| obey writ of habeas corpus
On the seventh" guilty :" Yeas, SO; Nays, 13. Charge
--Incarceatng j. Turner of Orange County in loath-
some dungeon with criInnals ordering certain men to
| hang Wm Patton and Lucien II. Murray; maintaining
armed force and making his warrant on the Treasury Of
| North Carolina for $4,000.
On the eighh-"g guilty." Yeas Sc Nays. 19. Charges
| in the months OF Jane. July, and August, making
unlawful warrants upon the State Trcasury-to above
$500 OOo-for the purpose maintaining large bodies OF
he
nize these unlawful warrants; also in obtaining other
money in the manner and commanding the Treas-
rer TO pay it, in defiance OF writ Of Injunction from the
! Superior Court.
| An order then passed removing Gov. Holden from
Office and dsqualifylg him from holding any Office OF
honor profit in the State on this order the vote stood
| sc in the affirmative aid 13 in the negative.
All the Senators present except one. The COM
plc1on Of the Senate is Conservatives and IA Re-
pubcans. One Republican was absent, Mr. Flythe OF
| Northampton
| GOV. HOLDEN IN WASHINGTON - HIS FUTURE
COURSE UNDECIDED-THE LEGISLATIVE PEO-
| CEEDINGs SAID TO BE ILLEGAL.
| WASHINGTON, March 22.-GOv Holden, who
is in the city, received early intelligence to-day, OF the
close Of Impeachment trial at Raleigh by his removal
from the Coyernorsp. He las not fully determined on
the course to be pursued and will consult with friends;
but as he claims that the twohrds vote by which the
act was c0nsUmmated Is not LEGAL one, 1t Is prob
able that steps will be taken TO get
the matter before the United States Supreme
Court Seven Of the Senators who voted for Gov Hol-
dens Impeachment said TO be disqualified under the
XIvth Amendment; and, by the 18th section OF the En-
forcemcnt act of last knowingly accept
ing or holding Office under the United States or any
state who Is ineligible under the Sd section Of that
Amendment, shah attempt TO exercise the
duties OF any such office, IS liable to trial in
the u. g. Counts for misdemeanor, and, on
conviction to imprisonment Of not than one year,
or of a fine of not than $1,000 In the discretion OF
the Court. The Ineligible Senators are necessary
TO make the twcrds To convict articles of mpeach-
ment. The Lieutenant Governor Mr.. Caldwell WHO Las
become the acting Executive IS native of the STATE
moderate Republican, hut Of cons 7dcrable decision or
character and the ku-kuX VIII not gam anything Dy
the change from Holden 10 mll
TESTIMONY As TO THE KU-KLUK oUTRAGES AND
TIE MEANS TAKEN TO REPRESs THEM-TIiE
OATH AND sIGNs-TIR SECRET MEETlNGS-
HOW ORDERS WERE CARRIED OUT.
That bands of men in disguise have from
time 10 time committed ourases on individuals In df-
icrent parts Of North Carolina has never been denied.
The victims were generally but not always, negroes, and
tle punishment was in instances not undeseryed.
But these made cover to the real designs OF
the KuKlux Kan, and led to the Impression that It's
acts were but species 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 oranzed association. Even when ii was proved by
the preliminary examination, in August, 1902 OF the
Ienoir County prisoners for conspiracy and arson that
thcre really regularly organized secret assoca-
ton known as the Ku-Hux Klan IL was generally be-
ueved TO he merely local combination 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 VINO were
known TO rowing about committing depredations ana
I'm some instances murder and al6on. But although hYe
of these prisoners turned states evidence ana exposed
the secrets Of the BuKluX, ana Tie crimes eJ h"u CUM
! lnitted no one convicted.
Gov Holden, finding that these murders and outrages
by bands Of persons in disguise continued 10 increase
and that although large rewards were offered Tor the ar
rest OF the perpetrators no arrests were lnade' OF,
made that the prisoners were invariably released on the
testimony OF men who were believed TO be members OF
tbe Klux KIan issued proclamation in March, 1870,
declaring the County OF Aamancc In a state OF ihsurfce-
tion III a letter to President Grant, informing MN Oh
this proclamation he said 81 cannot rely on INC ina
to rpess these OuTages, for the reason that III the 10
calties in which they occur white militia OF the proper
character cannot DC obtained, aud 1t would Dut agra-
votc o evil TO employ cooTed militia" In subsequent
letter tho Senators and Representatives OF he Ste vi
Ner Carolina in Congress, the Governor stated iha'c
called on the President for aid. but he Is restricted py
the r.ht OF the writ Of abeas corpus Matters cohh
ned to crow worfc not only in Alamance County, Dut III
tho adjoining counties, and every mail brought "''o'
elcI OF ouIages committed by the Kuklux' or ietail-
tion for such outrages the part Of Others pihcpay
negroes who burned bums stables, mills ana d"ehhS-
houses The Governor, IN July, 1870 sshed aprooaina-
tion declaring the County Of Caswe also III s'",e VI
inmrlcc,on and proceeded to call out detailed nlO"
selected from the at large. Had he beeh Jucous
in the selection OF the officers OF that battaoh Oh ma
which was sent 20 the injected counties ho'mnB Prop
ably would have been heard of his Impeachment i"cro
aWcars he doubt that both Col kk anu HIS ''ou'''
COL Bergen made unnecessary arrests, ue"'ou 'neir
prisoners with brutality. and enforced no ui'eiPiihe
| among tlcr troops.
Thesc acts led to the impeachment OF Gov hoiuch py
| the House Of representatives. OF North 'a'on' ino
ial commenced the a0th Of last January poc 'he