Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-04-15
White or Black Secret societies.

The Ku-Klux Klan, so.called, is said
to be secret organization OF whites
South--in opposition, we may add, TO
the negro secret societies South, organ.
lied by Northern office-seeking white
men settling there, to use the negroes
to be elected to office. The Republican
papers of the North, while patronizing
and favoring the black secret societies,
bemourn the existence of the Ku.Klux
(white) Klan.
Let us think over this. Secret socie-
ties are the natural offspring, and inevi-
table results of despotism, military, po-
litical, or social. When the reconstruc-
ton acts created military despotisms in
the South, they, also, by law OF nature,
created secret societies in opposition. A
despotism, such as are the five military
monarchies, or an oligarchy of negroes,
such as is springing from them in Ten
nessee, necessarily, and by law of
human existence, brings into being
secret organizations against them; /;
and the more rapidly, as negro
secret societies are organized on one side,
must white secret societies be organized
on the other. And these opposite organ.
izations, founded mainly on race, and
the different physical organization of
man, necessarily lead to collisions. They
who created these military despotisms
must have known all this, or ought to
have known it all, for it is law of hu-
man nature, written out in all history,
from the foundation of the world
The men who are responsible for these
"Klans," white or black, are Congress
men, and Congress is the father and
creator of them all. The determination
of Congress to destroy this as repub-
lic-as a self-government, as govern
ment of the constitution and laws-and
to substitute therefor, government of
soldiers for the time being, to be followed
by an oligarchy of negroes, was prac-
tical-if not an intended, determination
to create " Klans," ETC., ETC., to resist
these military despotisms, and these
negro oligarchies. The same Con-
gressmen must have also determined
to keep up standing armies there, to
keep up these despotisms and these oil
garchies, and to impose taxes upon US OF
the North and West, to pay for these
standing arming. In all ages and at all
times, and all possible ways, man (God
so created him. will conspire against and
resist these despotisms and these oligar-
chies-sometimes by open war, at other
times by "kians," conspiracies, etc.
Our race of English and Irish blood
mas been, to great extent, educated in
self-government, and it will never
respect any other. The Irish have been
in rebellion for four hundred years
against British military government
and will be, if kept under it, four hun
dred years more-for, even while living
under English institutions, they have
been only the more educated to love
self government Hence, this imposi'
ton upon us, Saxons or Celts, of mil
itary government, or negro oligarchiac
government, is an. imposition always to
be resisted and hever to be respected.
The only question prudent men will ever
put is, phen and hosc to be resisted; and
this is to be determined by place, power
and opinion, sothat the curse OF the con-
uueror becomes everlasting taxation, and
the oppression OF himself, to govern the
conquered IN y Express