Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-12-08

IMPORTANT DEBATE IN THE SENATE:
The following message WAS received from
the Governor .a.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.,
Raleigh, \. c., Nov. 30, 1871.
Honorable Z. j. H'Uyrca,
President Of he senate :
SIR i: ] have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt Of resolution adopted by the
body over which you preside, requesting the
Governor to furnish the Senate with any
information he may have regarding the seiZ-
ure of any citizens of North Carolina by
Federal troops or officials and the carrying
of these hey On1 the borders Of. the State
and their Imprisonment without hearing !;
and also to inform your honorable body
what steps the Governor has taken to in
quire into the facts, AMI to vindicate the
dignity of the State.
Inreply to this resolution, lave the honor
to inform the Senate that l have ,eived a
communication from persons purpOrting to
be citizens of cleveland county, informing
me that Federal troops had entered the
county of Cieaveland, from South Carolina,
and arrested one Allen Belts, and took him
beyond the limits Of this State into the said
State of South Carolina, and the said COM
municatiOn called upon Inc as Governor, to
have the said Allen Belts returned to his
home in Cleaveland county. l have also
been informed from other sources that said
Allan Belts is charged with being either Il
principal or accessory to the murder Of one
Thomas ROundtree, in the State of South
Carolina, by band of disguised men, and
that lie was arrested as above described by
orders from an officer in command Of the
Federal troops stationed in said State, and
that he is held to answer for the crime
alleged against him before the CiIcuit Court
of the United States for the district of South
Carolina.
In further answer to the resolution Of the
Senate, | have to inform your honorable
body that l forwarded the communication
above referred to, to the President Of the
United States, and invited his attention to
the complaint therein contained.
AS it does not appear that the Governor
or other civil authorities of South Carolina
had anything to do with the arrest Of said
Belts either directly or indirectly, but that
it was done by the Federal troops, deemed
it entirely useless to open any correspond
ence with the Executive of that State upon
the subject, as feel confident that said Off
cial would not be inclined to take upon his
State our cause Of quarrel, if we have any,
with the Government Of the United States.
| have the honor to be,
Very respectfully,
Your Obed't Serv't
i. Il. CALDWELL
Governor.
Nh. Robbins, of Rowan, characterized the
message as most extraordinary. The tone
Of it showed that our Governor G!d not feel
called upon to do much in regard to the
seizure and abduction Of citizen of North
Carolina by persons from a foreign State
The fact is admitted by the Governor that
there is citizen of this State in the jail of
another State under such circumstances,
and whether innocent or guilty, his arrest
and detention should have been by lawful
means. BY such illegal means as pertain
to this arrest despOtism begins, and
once the precedent is set, the whole
field is thrown open for the exer-
else of despotic power. 1t was a mclan-
choly Tact, that al! the States are fast
becoming mere provinces; and it was high
time, and it was the bOunden duty Of every
lover Of the republic to demand that justice
be done, and the rights of the citizens re-
spected. 1t should be ascertained whether
there is yet one man in the country so high
as to defy public opinion. Public opinion
should be invoked and be brought to bear
upon these acts so viOlative of liberty. The
Governor had, been direlict in his duty in
a
turn of a fellow-citiZen thus violently drag
ged from his home. Mr., Robbins alluded
to the case of the Governor OF Illinois, in
promptly arfaigning one of the highest
officials of the government before the law.
He, Mr. Robbins, would never hold his
tongue while the rights of the citizen were
being trampled upon, but would denOunce
as tyrant, any man guilty of such acts, &c
he President or any other. He addressed
himself to the subject not as a politician,
but us an American eitizen. In tho old days
of the republic, no such act as the one conf
planned of dared have been done. He NOV
ed to refer the message to a special commit
tee of three.
Mr.. Graham, Of Orange, moved, as SUBJ
stitute, to refer the message to the cOnsde-
ration of the Acknowledgement, with au-
thority to employ the necessary counsel to
have the matter tested by writ of hdbeds
corpus before Judge Of the Supreme
Court.
Mr.. Robbins accepted the amendment.
MIR. Graham said he had no objection to
the arrest Of any man charged with crime,
but the arrest should be made in the proper
! mode. He never would submit tamely to
the Unauthorized arrest Of citizen by fed
eral soldiers or othera,
Mr.. King thought the Governor had done
his duty, and he justified the arrest COIN
planned of.
Mr.. Robbins asked Mr.. King if it was his
opinion that the vilest criminal should be
taken up by an unauthorized federal soldier
and carried beyond the State
Mr.. King replied in the affirmative-that
a murderer should be taken anywhere and
| At any time.
Mr.. Speed was surprised to see the eX-
| element displayed by such level-headed
! elderly man as Mr.. King. He saw no ne
! cessity for any excitement if the parties to
| this complaint had acted properly. The
resolution simply asked that we should be
| permitted to look into the matter. Even il
t the murder had been done, no member Of
| the Senate should attempt to justify the I'm.
t lawful means to arrest the criminal. Mr.
! King was satisfied the arrest was all right
| yet Notwithstanding that high opinion, he
Mr.. Speed, desired to know what Judge
Chase thought of it. The resolution might
| be objected to on the ground Of expense
| but not otherwise nationally. Mr.. Speed
| was satisfied that the course of such men as
| King was the cause of the outrageous VIC
| lations of law by those who pretend to he
| its conservatOrs. 1t was outrageous to de-
| clare that the government had a right tC
make this arreSt-nay it was the fashion OF
certain men to declare everything rightly
done, provided it be done on a certain side
He denounced such conduct.
Mr.. King denied the correctness of Mr.
Speeds construction of his language, anC
proceeded to show Mr.. Speed was correct
by repeating his opinion that the arrest wa.
rightly made.
| Mr.. Robbins explained to those who op