The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-07-04
THE PERIOD FROM 1866 TO 1875.
BY ETHEL LEWIS HARRIS.

obulUtl otdIc5, III d VIC Eloi abic IOh
dition A great many of the soldiers
Of North Carolina had been killed
during the war, in fact, more North
Carolinians than any others.
President Davis, Generals Beaure-
gard, Johnston and Breckenridge had
a conference in Goldsboro and they
decided that the conflict should cease.
Mr.. Davis said that the Government
Of the United States had refused to
acknowledge him as an officer, and
that it was better for General John
stOn to offer terms Of surrender.
A letter proposing meeting to ar
range the terms Of surrender was
sent to Lieutenant General Hampton,
to be forwarded to General Sherman.
A reply was received by Johnston
three DAYS later, and the commanders
met at the house of Mr.. Bennett,
near Hillsb0ro. The terms Of sur
render were signed and forwarded to
Washington.
The Confederates disbanded on
April 26th, 1865. An election was
held November 9TH to choose Gov
ernor, Congressman, members of the
Legislature, county officers, and to do
other work.
North Carolina recovered her order
in 1866. W. w. Holden became Gov
ernor in the place Of Jonathan Worth,
who was one the best men of the
time. The Civil Rights Bill was pass
ed March 18th, 1866, and received the
veto OF the President. This bill was
to enforce social equality between the
white people and the negroes. This
was the worst movement the North
erners made on the people of the
South.
The Howard Bill, which was after
wrrds known as the .'Fourteenth
Amendment" was proposed June 18th.
1866. 1t said that the citizens of all
the States should be equal, and for
babe any State to diminish the rights
and privileges granted in this way.
This had to be subscribed to by
three fOurths Of the Legislatures Of
tie several States before it became
one of the amendments to the COnsti-
tuition of the United States. The
Union League was organized by car
petbaggers, who were men that
came from the Northern States, and
who owned nothing except the clothes
which they had in their carpetbags.
The carpetbags were used as travel
ing bags then. Many of these carpet
baggers were very dishonest and rs
soon as they were elected to an office
they became very rich.
These carpetbaggers taught the ne
groe> to believe that the Southern
people were waiting to completely en-
slave them. The Howard Bill WAS
passed December 18th, 1868. A bill
which put down all civil government
in the South was passed by Congress
February 20. The President vetoed
the bill on March 2nd, but it was
passed in spite of him by the two
thirds ma GRITTY.
Governor Worth was removed from
his Office under the bill known as the
. First Recon struction Act,' and Gen.
Candy was substituted. The South
ern people had all been excluded from
the halls of Congress by the Republic
cans.
The Military Governor. Of the South
ern States appointed officers to con-
duct a registration Of voters, as more
than 20, 900 voters of the white men
Of North Carolina had been disfran-
chised, while all the negroes of the
State were allowed to register.
The condition of the South was ter
rible, all of the homes of the white
people were marked by discord and
sadness, and the condition OF the ne
groes was still worse
The ku KIuN Khan was made up IF
men who were bitterly opposed to the
measures Of the reconstruction which
the United States Government had
taken. They never were seen in the
day time. and they went into the
homes OF the negroes and frightened
them very much. They were terrible
looking creatures, as they dressed
themselves in long strips Of white
cloth, and had over their heads pillow
cases, and great red horns on these.
They went to the woods by the road
side and very many times they killed
people who passed by. When they
went to the homes of people they
asked for water, and were given
oucketfuls, and the people thought
hat they were very strange people
TO drink all that water They had
arge leather bags that they poured
he water into, instead of drinking it.
Governor Holden had been elected
thief Magistrate of North Carolina.
lie was naturally intelligent. but he
vas never wise He was a partisan.
md had been hated for a long time,
wen by the men of his party.
Governor Holden appointed three
Major Generals of Militia, two of
whom were carpetbaggers Also Geo. |
". Kirk, who had plundered our
y eStern counties and murdered Major
John W. Woodtin and other citizens
n North Carolina, was put in COM
nand of some hundreds of troops.
After seeing all that Gov. Holden |
lad done the Democrats thought that
Holden ought to be impeached. and |
II December 9th, 1870. Strudwick, of |
orange. made a resolution in the
louise Of Representatives that Gov.
v W. Holden should be impeached
4 high crimes and miSdemeanors in
flee
Mr.. StrudwicE's resolution was
dopted by the House and was ratified
Y the Speaker. On the next day the
peaker, Capt. T. j. Jarvis, assigned
Messrs. Strudwick. Welch and
parrow the duty of appearing before
he Senate and demanding the i'm
eachment of the Governor. Major
parrow discharged that duty and
ov. Holden was impeached.
After his impeachment the Ku
lux Khan and the Union League dis
ppeared as the statute of 1869 made
felony for any man to travel in
lsguiSe al night.
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