Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-03-25
The Kuklux Khan.

That there Is in Tennessee such an organization
The one above named, no doubt can be enter
tanned II is true the Conservative press sud party
attempt 70 ridicule the idea, snd 70 dsnounee and
stigmatize ss weak and over credulous those who
believe in the existence Of the Kuklux Khan yet,
does such ridicule dsprove their existence Does
il disarm them Of murderous intent and wicked
purpose2 Can the rebel and Conservative press
whistle high-bazded murder and terrorism down the
vipdY VIII d,rision and sneers give us back TO
life che male victim. Of their iendish wicksdness7
Ye. The Kuklu1 Klsns exist. They are known 70
D, formidable in Middle and West Tennessee Tsbeir
rsurderous, bushwhsckiDg conduct in the oo8rtes
Of Dyer, Lincoln and Rutherford are nov matters
Of history.
Their organizations have not appeared in force in
many points in East Tennessee, bat they are evi.
deutly organizing. As they burrow in darkness
and skulk behind mysterious names and forms, they
may think TO escape detection, and even 70 elude
suspicion Yet they are observed and their move
ments more known thsl they themselves imagine.
Who make up these organizations Thew are
rebels and Conservstives--nen who fought IN the
ranks Of The rebel armies during the war and those
Who thea sympathized with them, but who. through
cheer cowsrdiee gave the battlefield wide berth.
Those Conservatives fully sympsthize with thu
lost cause now They work for Il, vote for il when
they can, plan for IT, and now at last, go into Ku-
kluz Klsns, 70 help by lswless violence, riot and
murder, what can longer be kept alive by fair,
legitimate methods.
What are their objects Precisely the objects
that have animated the whole rebel crew, from JEFF
Davis down 10 the veriest pimp that huzzahed for
The rebellion all along during tho war. They hate
loyalty, and the men who uphold and cmbody It,
Loyalty, in black white is so odous TO them and
especially in black men, that they cannot refrain
from venting their hell-inspired malignity upon
them. They seek TO compass their objects by in
timidktsng colored men, and BY wrsaking vengeance
upon white Radicals Their objects are the over
throw Of loyalty, which they lostle and hate by
any and every means, whether right or wrong, law
ful or unlawful, honorable or despicabic true or
ase and more generally by toe latter than the for
mer.
Union men, leagurers, beware Of them watch
them spot them In nearly every county you
have strength sufficient 20 make yourselves terrible
70 these midnight assSssns and lawless desperadoes
and 10 visitswift and signal punishment on those
Eends in humsn form who may break the peace of
the country, and mob and terrify honest, innocent
citizens and If in any you lack the numbers or
The means 10 do this there are more than q million
swsrds ready 10 be unsheathed to avenge your fall
or 20 facilitate your victory. Especially in East
Tennessee are you numerous and strong enough TO
hold the situation Our counsel once FOR all H. that
whenever these vile misecrants make their appear
suce among Us, mounted, booted and spurred, and
however disguised, let the white and eolored Rad-
GALS meet them promptly, and in the spirit Of their
own lawless mission, and dsperse them, and need
require thi, in dispensing them, sxterminste them.
A. all events and nj whatever cost, let these nhu-
man scoundros learn that in East Tennessee at
lssst they will not be allowed 10 carry forward this
cowsrlly, mserably snesking kind Of warfare
We speak earnestly, because the occasion demands
L. But we are calm-we were never so.
Desperate cases require desperate remedies. If the
Kuklux Kans attempt 10 run riot over our law
order, and the public safety, by these midnight
raids ia disguise aud darkness then let force be met
snd punished by superior force. Pull Of their viz
ss and expose their faces and their foul crimes at
once 10 the light of the and 70 tho gaze of mer-
TED scorn Of al indignant, outraged public
10 prevent any Misunderstanding as 70 the su-
thorship Of this article, we append our name.
THE SENIOR EDIToK.