Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-10-06


to organize and equip a ''force to be
known as the detailed militia of North
Carolina" Under this Act Captain
Bosher's command was raised. On
the 18th of November, 1868, in his
first annual message. The Governor
announced that he had procured arms
and again called attention to the Want
of efficiency in the military depart
ment, at the same time, however, de-
claring that peace and quiet prevailed.
On the 10Th Of -FsbT uaEy, ~1S69,-a
bill was passed comforting upon the
Governor unlimited power to appoint
and pay spies. From that date sples'
inform ers and eavesdroppers infested
every community in this State. From
that date the Governor had absolute
control of the Treasury, of the State.
How he used it the Auditors books
plainly show. .rs .... -.....s in
In March, 1869, the Governor sent
Captain Bosher and his vagabonds Z"
occupy Alamance county.
On the Oath of March, 1869, party
of men, consisting of Joseph w. Hol-
men. Speaker of the House of Repre-
seutatives, various employees and OIL
GERS of the State government, and
othe.s, met Josiah Turner, Jr., at the
depot in Raleigh, and in body as
saulted him. Mr.. Turner's GOODNESS and
his pistol saved his life. The parties
were arrested and carried before the
Mayor. Tie Governor also appeared
ofhis own accord, avowed his previous
knowledge of the conspiracy to make
the assault. and his endorsement of all
that had been done. The Mayor
ordered him to keep silent, which he
utterly refused to do. He could not
he siIenced, nor was he punished for
contempt of Court. A few nights
thereafter an attempt was made to as
sassinate Mr.. Turner, by shooting him
through the window, near which he
sat writing. This time Mr.. Turner's
life was saved by the change of the di-
rscsion OF the ball caused by its pas
sage through the glass and window
slat. This was within few feet of
the Court House and during Court
week, yet neither the Judge nor the
Jury took any notice of the occurrence.
On the 10th of April, 1869, the Leg
islature passed an act making it a
felony punishable with five and ten
years imprisonment in the penitentiary
| to use . deadly weapon. When it Is
J remembered that good hickory stick
is deadly weapon in law. that the
Sheriffs, Solicitors and Judges were
ready to force an acquittal of p arty
friend, or in case of conviction, that
the Governor was ready to pardon
him, the practical operation of this
law will be readily seen. On the 18th
of April, 1869, two days thereafter,
the Painting Act or the one making
the wearing a disguise felony, was
passed. THIS act, as it was first sought
to be passed, III effect legalized the
shooting of men on the highway at
pleasure.
In June, 1869, the Governor sent
Captain Bosher and other troops tc
occupy Jones and Lenoir counties. Oh
Wake county, he also took military
1869, by 4 formal prOclamatIon, nr
| A.
Orange and Chatham counties to be in
a state of instruction. Be it remem.
bered that this was three months be
fore the passage of the Shoffner Bill
On the 3Oth of October, 1869, in al
editorial in the Standard. written and
acknowledged by himself, the Gov.
ernor, referring to the last named
proclamation declared that under the
Constitution and laws Of the State, he
had the right to declare county to be
in state of instruction, and that the
effect thereof would be ''to suspend
all civil law as it was suspended in
1866" 80. -.-s
On the 10th of November, 1869, il
his second annual message to the Leg
islature, he again renewed his demand
for more military power, complaining
that under the present militia law he
was comparatively powerless to en-
force the laws. On the 10Th of De
cember, 1869, in special message, he
again called attention to the necessity
for amendments to the militia law, and
again asked that the arm of the Elk.
ecutive might be strengthened. The
response to this appeal for more mill
tary power was the introduction into
the Senate, on the same day, of the
Infamous SEoffner Bill. This bill ut
tempted to authorize him to declare 6
county to be in Instruction Mr..
Cook, carpet-bag Sen ator from John.
ston county, urged as a reason for the
passage of the bill, that persons &C
cused could be tried by drum>head
court martial end shot. In the House
of Represents Gives, an amendment, in
the very words # the Constitution, was
proposed to the bill, declaring that
the military should be subordinate to
the civil power and was voted down. On
the 29th of January. 1870. the Shoff-
ner Bill was passed. On the 7th OF
March. 1870, the county of Alamance
was declared to be in a state of insur
rection. and Judge Tourgee refused to
hold court. A detachment of United
States troops was sent there, and re-
NAMED there quietly until the last of
April. when it was ordered away, and
the county, though in instruction,