Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-17

i
was voted down. On the Goth of January,
1870, the Shofner bill was passed. On the
18th of March, 1870, the county Of Ala
nance was declared to be in q state OF in
surrection, and Judge Teurgee refused to
hold court A detachment of United
States troops was sent there and remained
in quiet until the last of April, when 1t was
ordered away, and the county, though In
| instruction, was without soldier Inc
! Federal troops had shown there, as else
where, their unwillingness to tyranhlze
! over un offending citizens. ..#
! The people of Alamance were once more
able to breathe freely, but the lull was both
short and deceitful. The August election
was approaching and it was seen that the
people would no longer submit to Radical
rule unless at the point of the bayonet, and
thereupon bayonets were provided.
, 10th March, 1870, Governor Holden
wrote as follows the President " If Con-
g gress would authorize the suspension, by
g the President, of the writ of hdbeds cor
g pus in certain localities, and if criminals
" could be arrested and tried before mill
" tary tribunals and shot, we should soon
! & have peace and order throughout all this
" country" On 18th March, 1870, Cover
i nor Holden wrote as follows TO the mem
/ bers of Congress Il have called on the
President for aid, but he is restricted by
:: the right Of the writ Of hooeds corpus
We want military tribunals by which
" assa.sins and murdererS can be summa-
:. rily tried and shot. We cannot have
these tribunals unless the President Is
:. authorized to suspend the hdbeds corpus
& in certain localities"
On 18th March, 1870, Governor Holden
wrote as follows to United States Senator
Abbott :. We have Federal troops, but we
g want the power to act. Is it possible
! :. the Government will abandon the loyal
g people, to be whipped and be hanged
:: The hubeas corpus should at once be sus-
pended"
Next comes .he speech Of Senator Pool,
made in the United States Senate, advoca-
| ting Senator brakes amendment, meas
ure " whose, efficacy " he said, 9 consisted
.
/ 12us may be suspended, and that when
the military make arrests they shall not
g be compelled to turn the offender over TO
:: the civil authorities to be tried by jury
| :. of his own contedCrates."
On 18th April, 1870, Senator Abbott
made speech advocating the same measue.
In the first week in June, 1870, there
were held various councils Of war in tbs
Governors Office at Raleigh. 1t was then
| and there agreed that regular military
! force to be under the control of the Cover
! nor, should be raised, because neither the
| State militia nor the United States troop;
could be relied upon to accomplish the de-
sired purpose. Then it was, also, accord
ing to sworn testimony, that Senator John
! Pool proposed to put into service a desper
ado named McLindsay, who would raise 6
company that "would give Governor
Holden 10 trouble, for that if any Of
the men arrested 10y him undertook
any resistance, he would kill then
or they would be lost and never b.
, heard OF again and suggested that th'
Governor should follow the example o
Governor Clayton Of Arkansas, ''who has
g taken military possession Of diSafiecte'
& counties and tried and executed larg
=, g numbers of men by Military Courts.
Immediately thereafter ". J. Clarke wa
commissioned Colonel Of the LIST Regimen
n. G. State roops, force raised withoti
ia, | and DrOpapI
f ed to Washington City and procured a
outfit for his regiment.
On the 11th June, 1870, the GoyerIo
+, alarmed, or affecting to be alarmed for III
/ personal safety, authorized the insertion c
the following in the Standard, his of1icla
+ organ, and edited by his son: 8 We ar
. g authorized by the Governor Of the Stat
p {" to announce that these outrages mus
5 /" come to an end. He intends to have II
e {. demnity for the past and security for tn
q g future. The Governor will do this an
1 {. there are threats that he will be assasS
f &c mated for so doing. Let them try i
t " The Governor does not fear these 1iend
Y g in human shape. If he is even person
g ally menaced, his friends will resent
Q g and punish the man or the men who ma
: :. do tiff he is slain, or even wounded,
+ g is already determined that leading Den
. u ocrats and Conservatives who might l
: " named will lie Instantly put TO dealt
I :. The GovernarS mind is made up"
e In this same month OF June, 1870, kirl
L who had been appointed By Governor Ho
: den, Colonel Of the ''2d Regiment of Mort
i Carolina State Troops" carried 10 Il
Standard office and had there printed a
: aa -ertise1nent for recruits addressed
} Union men in general, and to the isolde
e of the NOr.h Carolina ID and Sd FEEDER
/ Troops" [Eirks bushwhackers during IL
It wary in particular. This advertisemel
e was in Governor Holden's own hand wri
$ ing and declared to tho cut-throats an
thieye- addressed, :. The blood of vol
Il :. murdered eo,sntrynneIr nlv butcl
: =. cred for opinions sake crles frO'.- -
. :, ground for, vengeance. Rally 10 u
:, standard of your old commander In
i ..Old commander" this man Kirk, was n
q torious, especially when acting
n military character Gas proved by b
Il crimes as a bushwhackei during the W
g and as an officer of Brownlow 8 militia
Tennessee after the war; as appears fro
j. sworn testimony, as desperate, mer'
: CHESS. criminal, violent, cruel man, plu
4 derer, guilty Of many outrageous dee
= and murders.
! o. Of. Two 1S-n this Col Kirk wi