The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-04-14
The Ku.xLUx KHAN.


Northern Democratic papers are disposed
to pooh-pooh and ridicule al serious consid-
er.tion OF the new and villsinous secret organ
;zat;on ia the South caliedfhs Ku-Kiux Kisn.
But the nasses eapnoe - be disposed d The
brutal nerler u Hon. g. ". Ashbafs, the
growth Of the secret order in the Southern
States, their multiplying deeds Of violence,
the reign of terror they are seeking to estab-
lish. theircold blooded murders and maltreat-
ment Of the freedmen, the military ordas Of
General Meade, and mseh oshsr csmnhsiye
evidence Of the widespread existence add Vi
cious purpose Of the K. K. T., make ridicule
utterly improper and aqssst countehAnce Of
most dannable outrage. They make Light Of
murder that laugh 1t this secret combination
Of Malignant rebels as Radical bug-bea
Take, for consideration, tho murder Of Ar.
Ashburn. A prominent and influential man
and Southernsr. His crime was that he
was Union man and Vas IN favor Of the
enfranchisement Of the freedmen. Upwards
Of thirty OF the K. K. K. enter his house ia the
sight Of all the citizens, and murder him in
cold blood. They do the deeds like demons,
not satisfied with bis death, they riddle his
body With bAllA And 90 having done ihe
deed, they dispsrse, and mono modest them !;
having disposed Of their disguise they came
back as citizens to look on their own work.
For the murderers were we'll dressed, but
their faces were concealed. They wefe I'M
doubtedly just 50 many Of the unreconstruct>
ed chivalry, and call themselves Southern
gentlemen when they have on their citizen
dress.
The indications are that the order il grow
ing in the South. Whatever Of brutality, OF
lawiessness, Of violence, Of rapacity, Of dis
regard of right, of hatred to the Union that
was engendered by the rebellion, will fall into
the ranks Of the Khan, unless stern military
and police rule extirpate the mischievous or
SCR. A large part of the Southern people
had acted for years on the assumption thai
Northern men, and men differing With the
dominant majority on the subject of slavery
had no rights that that majority were bount
to respect, That conviction, foseered b,
slavery, grew by four years Of the yiolenc,
of treason, and now, kindled into new life
as one of the consequences Of the accurse,
and Internal policy of Andrew johnson, i
running riot in the murder of freedmen ans
loyal white men, under the cover of this Sc
cret organization. And in all this, as il
nearly every atrocity that the South has Wit
messed or the country has suffered since th,
close Of the war, the deep and damning gull
of Andrew Johnson-his guiitiness befor,
God and men. is 30 patent, 80 palpable, e
keenly felt in it's appalling magnitude, tha
it almost drives one to frenzy as it is though
OF. Three years ago the South WAS ready 70,
peace. Congress, the law-making power to
whom the matter exclusively belonged, would
have settled Reconstruction in two months.
Then johnson, in his folly and criminal OBJ
stinacy. stepped in to prevent peace, and
here for three years the country has remained
unsettled Union men have been murdered.
as in this case Of Ashburn freedmen have
been robbed and maltreated there have been
Memphis riots and New Orleans massacres-
the saddest chapters Of violence and disorder
and wrong that have ever been in the history Of
this countryin time of peace and all this MACS
Of wrong and grievance because one man,
Andrew johnson, has set himself above the
law and above the will Of the people. John
son is responsible for al these years of disor-
der, and for the blood that has been shed in
Stem. Andrew johnson ought tobe hung, If
that is the proper penalty for those guilty of
the death of others.
The ku-Klux Khan is one of the hurtfnl
onsgrowths Of Johnson's pernicious in.erfe.
renee with Reconstruction. And it is very
serious matter. It will organize al
the violent rebel element in the
South into mobs Of desperados hostile
to the government and to social order, Il
will do much damage to the South and be !.
fountain Of baneful wrong, unless the sner.
Eeslc measures Of Meade and The military
commanders shall speedily suppress the Or.
Ranization.