Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1868-05-01

dragged him up and down q creek, pulled
ou, his beard and hair, and left him for dea 4;
broken up Republican meetings by armed
yioer ce ; and pusillanimousiy mobbed aud
murdered numerous persons for differences
Of political opinion. These are but few
counts in the Indictment against the klan.
who have, in mos. brutal and hideous man
ner, mutilated, and kicked, and euffed the
bodies Of their victims, in some cases, after
| life was extinct.
In bis navel, the Wandering Jew, Engine
Sue delineates the operations of an iniquit
Gus ecclesiastical society, secret and oath>
boand, which held in its thraldom great
Gus origins which no man can trace, and 60
out into issues that none can follow. No en-
terprise OF business, no policy Of government,
no interest Of society, could thrive or attain
to success, If il stood in the wsy Of this all.
pervading, oceus agency, which was felt but
not known. A similar spectacle new finds
realization in the South. There we have an
active association Of the most desperate and
reckless ssce ssionisis who ssrviyed the re>
belIion, who have Joined hands to frnsirate
the ends Of the Natiosal Government, and
to drive out, subordinate, or extei inmate all
who insist on psonstiny those ends. II is a
Brotherhood OF crime that Fossesees ;hs sym
patty a theassuls who de not belong - il, |
and contains within itself political elements |!
strong enough to enforce acqulescenee,
whore it cannct secure active cooperation I
among native Southsrners. II designs 10
accomplish, by mysterious and destructive
agsncies-by persecution and dishesrten>
rnent, by orseuiar menacss, by conviction Of
impending psrils, and, as circumstances de-
mand, by arson and murder, tho very ends
which the great mass Of the ex>rebels would
rejoice to see eonsnmmatsd, in grati.icaiisn
Of their hate and revenge, bafied pride and
maddened desperation, though they might
shrink from putting forth their hands 90
boldly to bring about the result. II 10 this
very phase ofthe hesituation-this powsr'easncss
or unwillingness to prevent the most brutal
atroci,ies-this pracsicAl connivance Of pub~
lie sufferance, on which the Klan thrives IN
harmed and ndisturbed-which constitutes
the chief cause Cor alarm. When whole
States are apathetic or exultant about crimes
of ths despest dye, so long A. the victims are
those who support ardsn,ly the laws Of the
Union aud the paramount ends Of the Cow
ernment, We have manifestation which
points the way 10 anarchy or civil war.
There 10 necessarily step in such calamit.
Gus state Of affairs which cannot Be taken
without producing general crash in socie-
ty. With present indications, that fatal step
cannot be far oG. We wriis these words
with no intention Of creating sensation, Or
Of breeding an alarm. but with Q eonscisn.
tious regard for our duties Is public jonrn. |
alists, and with m urgent conviction Of the \
truth Of our statement. We believe that the |
natioA stands at the threshold of startling |
developments and serious complications. IN
less the earnsstness and vigsr Of our milita> |
~ commanders, Is exhibited in Georgia and |
Alabama, shall lie able to bails and put |
down the most powerful, most unscrupulous, |
most darisg, and most viudictive secret po> |
li,ical society which ever came into being |
within the borders sfths Republi:.