Wilmington journal., 1876-09-01
.Tar.sG r. SErrA.E.


Judge Settle and his friends attempt
TO hraak the force of the complaints
against him {. for not enforcing the
writ of Ha6eas Corpus in the Kirk
war" by saying that it was done in the
interest of pence. They plainly
declare in the words of the Greensboro
AteW North State, of the central
organs of the party. that it was
done to prevent the loss of 'many
valuable hves' and the burning of
''towns, vii!agas and farm houses. 1t
is true, and was proved by Judge ker,
and Others in the Holden Impeacii,
ment Trial, that Kirk did declare that
lie had orders to kill the women and
children aud burn the tOwn of Yancey-
vile in case rescue of the prisoners
was attempted. We remember nothing,
however, about the burning of farm
houses. Governor Holden's orders.
so far as proved by the declaration of
the commander Of his forces. extended
only to the killing of the prisoners, to
the killing of the women and children
of Yanceyville and to the burning of
that particular town.
But this is not thepoint to which we
wish to call attention this morning.
The special wonder, just now, is that
il does not seem to have occurred to
the Ne,o North State it's candidates and
It's friends that men will ask if Judge
Brooks could enforce the writ of Hd
be0s Corpus without men, women and
children being killed and without towns,
villages and farm houses being burned,
why Judge Settle might not have done
the same thing The majesty and the
power of the law was as omnipotent
in the haads of tn State Judge as in
the hands of the Federal Judge, and
the moment it was known that the writ
of Habeas Corpus would be enforced,
Kirk and his master Holden FASTENED
to humble themselves at the feet of
Court aud messenger was seat trav-
cling post-haste. night and day, to
Richmond Hill to bring the exhausted
Chief Justice to Raleigh.
The people of North Carolina will
never forget what might anc power
there is in that little piece of paper"
as Judge Settle contemptuously calls
the sacred writ of HabeaS Corpus
It made the Governor of the State
with band of armed men, desperate
and blood thirsty and recognizing no
law but his will, come suddenly to
their knees-just that ''little piece of
paper" and nothing more What
precious inheritance it is!
The people of North Carolina can
not be fooled in this matter. They
know now as they knew in 1870, that
the way to prevent bloodshed and to
prevent the burning of towns and villa
ges and farm houses was to enforce
the writ of IIaJeas Corpus promptly
and vigorously. They knew then as
they know now, that to refuse to en-
force that writ no matter upon what
pretext, was, as Holden ieclal ed, to
sustain him substan TALLY. They
knew that drum head court martial
was being organized to try and shoot,
like dogs, some of the best citizens of
the State, then already in vile dun
geons. Everybody in the State
knew all about it. The thing was not
done secretly nor in a corner, but pub
licly and in the face of all men.
Judge Settle consented to it all, con-
sented to it when he knew that by SO
doing, he consented to the death, aye
to the murder of men as pure and
spotless and as innocent of crime as
any the sun ever shone upon.
The people of North Carolina can
never be made to believe that had
Judge Settle enforced the law, Kirk
and Holden would not have yielded as
humble obedience to him as they did to
Judge Brooks.
And yet this man Settle asks the
people of North Carolina to make him
their ruler