Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-04-03

Come Vi our excnanSeS, IN ana out
of the State, ale dealing the Kuklux
some heavy blows. We are not dis.
posed, blindly to follow suit, though
readily endorsing the idea, that secret
political organizations are, Prima Ja-
cie, detrimental to the public good.
But the objects of that organization
are not known to the public; they
may be purely benevolent or strictly
defensive, for aught that is yet known
to the world, and to strike. them in
the dark, may be assassination rather
than justi6able homicide.
But suppose the very worst of the
Kuklux, are they then more culpa-
BILE than the G. A. II. and the loyal
leagues2 And is it a settled point
in ethics, that an evil which counter
acts greater, can not be good?
Or if one evil necessarily begets an
other, upon which should the weight
of censure fall? In the physical
world, we see the unsightly fungus
sprouting.from the rotting stump, and
in the police. moral world, secret socie.
ties growing out of rotten govern.
ment-fungi as necessarily the off.
spring of the decay Of public virtue,
as the other, of vegetable rottenness
Then before condemning the Ku.
klux, it is due to them and to justice
to give them the benefit of every plea
in abatement that can be based upon
the corrupt government which forces
upon them the duty of self-preser'
vation. 1t may be, however, that the
clan is made up of the par loned pets
of Brownlow, that his splitting fire
at it is a ruse to hide its true charac.
rer under a volume of sulphurous
smoke. We do not suggest this as 9
, probable solution of the mystery
but who can say it is not? Brown
lows denunciation proves nothing
If the klan be made up of his owr
political brood. it is flimsey device
to shield the guilty by denouncing
the innocent; if they be rebels and
Conservatives, as Spitfre charges, hi
abuse is the highest compliment hi
can pay them and strong presumptiv'
proof that they are engaged in {
righteous cause. That which is goot
is never approved by the wicked.
But the truth is, that Brownlow'
charred and shrivelled heart thirst.
for the blood of the noble and good
and nothing could please him NOR
than such a war as he is attemptin;
to inaugurate. And hence his or
der to his leagues to assassinate al
whom they may choose to suspect o
being members of a supposed secre
organization, Can it be that an asso
citation for protection against the law
less violence of such tyrant is a
unmixed evil? On the contrary
it not natural, and therefore right
that such devilish motives and act
should be met by any means Of pre-
lection within the reach of an oppres
sed people? And were the work {
determination, urged by Brownlov
directed against him and his clan, N
principle of Divine or human justic
/ would be violated thereby.
Viewing the question in this ligh
our conclusion is, that an unqualifie
condemnation of the Kuklux is bot
S premature and wrong: premature bt
n cause we know nothing of their mC
tives and aims, and wrong becaus,
though at variance with trite polit
cal axioms, they may prove an inva
i liable security to life, liberty an
property. We shall remain neutr'
until facts enable us to form ccrre'
=, opinion.