Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-04-24

Nol Nili5i ANDlNG tnc tfTlDlc
scare given to Beast Butler, by what
are called Kulllux, we are inclined to
believe that all such mysterious no
tices, and all ghost-lilSe appearances
to ffigfiten negroes and excite curios-
fly, are bogus. If there lie Kullux
Khan 1t is not organized for such non
sensical exhibitions, nor does it merit
the denunciations heaped upon it even
by the Conservative press.
We believe there is such an organi-
cation, that it is composed OF first
class material and that it IL the Off
spring of political necessity. Tile
public has not now to learn that the
loyal leagues are armed organizations,
the members of which are sworn to
uphold such measures as are designed
30 crush the rights and liberties of the
better citizens of the State. 1t is also
well known that Conservatives fiinl
NJ redress OF wrongs ilr Radical
Courts chat murder, robbery and all
other crimes go UNPUBLISHED where
the criminal is n Radical and the vic
tim gentleman or If, perchance,
jury conyicts,. the Governor stands
ready o'pardon, and the villain en-
boldened Ny impunity and re, red
more desperate by disgrace, is turned
looseu upon an unarmed and deem :eless
community to re-cnact deeds of muir.
der, burning and robbery.
Under this state of things the only
hope of the Southern whites for secu-
rity to life AMI property is the exercise
o. the only right left them-that of
selfdefense--a right which no law
md no despot can abridge or destroy.
This right can not be made effective
by individual effort; it therefore be-
comes necessary to follow the exam
pie of the loyal leagues and the G.. A.
r., and band together. And sure if
villains may organize to pcrpetrate
crime and Cypress honest men, there
is ~ better reason why those whose
lives, liberties and property are en-
dangered should also organize for self.
protection. Out of this necessity, no
doubt, has grown the party known as
Kuklux, and that it is composed of
prudent but stern men, who scorn the
paltry tricks played Off in their name,
and who will be found solely on tho
defensive-quiet until patience can no
longer endure, and active only when
the murderer and thief are at their
door.
BY Radicals, such an organization
Is not held as politically, socially OF
morally wrong, because they have
sense enough to know that it is not
but, They ,dcprecAt II "a nhriIninn
their privilege to steal and murder,
and they call it sufferably impudent
because it defies their i'll gotten power
and questions their right to commit
wish impunity every crime in the
Dccalogue.
We treat this subject gravely, but
without the slightest knowledge of
thc existence of any such organiza-
ton, and because, if there be, there is
ample cause for its existence, and am
pie Justification for its purposes. 1t
must now be obvious to every reflect
ing man that constitutional govern
ment can never be re-established i'm
this country, without the aid of arm
ed revolution and that before that
point is reached, there must be an in
crease Of wrong and oppression call
ing for resistance, individually and by
combination, rs the only hope of pre-
serving life against open and secret
Niolencea and of keeping starvation
at bay Ivy protecting, at all hazards,
the means of subsistence. If there
be crime in this, it lies at the door of
those who force the people to have
recourse to the law of sclf-defense.
WE COPY from the NeiC York Hcr-
d'd the programme of the Radicals
after the removal of Andrew John
son. There Is nothing in it new to us,
for we have long forescen, and often
foretold it in these columns, hoping,
thereby, TO awaken public apprchcn-
sion of the danger and thereby avert
it. But the people of the North seem
10 care nothing for liberty, the Con-
stitution and the Union. And this
apathy confirms the opinion long en-
tcrtaincd, that they were induced to
take up aims against the South under
the belief that the danger was small
and the plumber great. 1t is an opln-
ion mwillingly entertained, but is
based upon subsequen, events, too di-
rectly corroborativc to be without
v eight in estimating the motives that
rIompted the war, and the passive
submission to wrongs greater than
could have followed the separation of
the two sections.
THE Boston Adrcrtiscr complains
of hard times, and says unless the