The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-04-04
(From Our Regular Correspondent

me. He threw himself upon the lounge
by my side. He reached up and took my
hand in his.
1t was the hand OF a man who had
worked for his State and his party and
lis people-as soldier as well as states
man-always with the approval of those
whom he served. A man OF whom have
had it said to me, this: Had he in time
have had the opportunities OF his brother
he would have been the smarter man OF
the two. His name was second on the
had been predicted of him.
He had voted guilty"
His hand was in mine: every pulsation
OF his noble heart was throbbing.
=
Leak, of Arson. was now responding
mot guilty" That made six Democrats.
But l didn't look down to see the MAN
whose actions for two months had oft
that hand-clasp was enough for me. In
moment President Turner said:
"Mr London, what say you? Are the
respondents, D. NJ. Furches and Robert
NJ. Douglas, guilty or not guilty?''
Not guiltyP'
Then it was looked to see what 1 was
confident l would see:
What was it?
Can you ask?
He said-Ben Aycock said: THAT set
ties it!'
Oh, the accentuation OF these words!
The manner, the blessed forgiveness,
the great, pulsating heartbeat that l
felt with my hand still in his)-oh, who
shall say what it all meant?
Mr.. Editor, if you will permit it:
Along the coast of this worlds side of
the Ocean of Time are bold and bald and
threatening promontories and frowning
cliffs of jagged rocks and unseen tongues
OF fishes we wot not of, against which
the ocean waves and ocean surges have
beaten for more than sixty centuries
with here and there q cove or bay form
ing the harbor for city of right and
righteousness where crafts OF becoming
rudder may find anchorage and mooring.
And although along these shores are
boats, stranded and bottOmless, with
many ruined hull and shivered keel and
broken mast and splinted spar-thrown,
most of them, and wedged in tissues
ploughsd by the ceaseless pillows and
running currents of an often too-exacting
political ocean. Yet, there's port to be
found-a country sublimely beautiful and
imperishably magnificent-a country OF
yclept "Conscience!"
"Conscience''
Know yeti?
the High Court of Impeachment in the
trial OF the late respondents-the judges
| who on Friday last resumed their seats
| on the Supreme Court 'bench' -purified
| by fire, let us hope; let us believe.
could talk to your readers about the
alleged political considerations that
entered into this unhappy case-unhappy
| for all concerned.
| l might put down here upon this col
umn the party expediency" argument
that was urged by some. | might say
| here what has been said to me and ar
hundred others during the last three
weeks, viz: that the Supreme Court
might be called upon to pass upon the
| new Constitutional amendment.
| l might record here that l have hearG
that the Supreme Court will never be
asked for an Injunction or other lega
| proceeding by a Republican manager OF
leader-but what's the use?
| Suppose | should add that some o
the wisest and ablest Republicans who
have been here within q week had sale
they were satisfied with conditions an(
the outlook, and hoped the negro ques
ton would never again be the cause o
the white men of North Carolina disagree
ing or agreeing. Would it be anything
new to you, MIR. Editor, or to your read
ers?
Il
The Senators who voted for ant
| against conviction on the first articl
were as follows:
For impeachment-Alexa AIRING
ton, Aycock, Broughton, Bray, Bur
roughs, Calvert, Foy. Gudger, James
Justice, Lindsay, Mcneil, Miller, Morri
son. Morton, Scott, Smith, Speight
Thomas, Travis, Vann, Ward, Warren
Webb, Wood, Woodard-27.
Against Experimentation Currie
Foushee, Glenn, Henderson, Leak. Lon
don, Long, McAllister, Mcintyre, String
field, Sugg, buchanan, Gambler. Crisp
Dula, Marshall. Mcintosh, Michael, Miller
of Caldwell, Pink, Robson. Stike
leather-23.
On the second and third articles tn
vote stood 20 for acquittal to "a for cor
victiOn, Messrs. Aycocl, Lindsay an
On the fifth article the vote was onl
Is for conviction to "a for acquittal. an
some one was unkind enough to remar
that: THE impeachsrs We're impeached!
When Senator Joe Brown, OF Column
bus, appeared in the lobby. in rear of tn
Presidents seat, man said to him:
Senator, that was a very courageou
vote-the first not guilty vote cast-an
coming from Democrat like YOU
Il always try to do my duty as m
conscience dictates" was his modes
reply. as he passed on
A man, high up in the councils OF tn
party, sitting near Senator Simmons
quoted these lines within the hearing c
all near him. as the Senator from Colum
bus passed out of his hearing:
"His life was gentle and the elements
SO mixed in him that nature might stand u
And say to all the world,
This was A NAN"
The prevailing sentiment here, Nj
Editor. is that the verdict in this cas-
will rebound to the credit and glory {
| the Democratic party OF North Caroline
and put the lie to those who have sal
there was no justice in the party OF Whit
Supremacy in North Carolina "whe
drunk with undieputed power"
The opponents OF true Democracy VIII
! regardless OF all but party advantage
have said, here in Raleigh, among eac
| other in the businesses OF their chamber
in the hotels, that conviction meant til
| disenthronement of the Democratic part
+. in North Carolina, are left to the obloqu
and infamy OF their contemptibl
I EUv