The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-08-21
TERRORISM AT THE SOUTH.

while the Democratic press through
out the country is loud in its outcry
against what it is pleased TO call the mil
itary desPotism and satrapies of the
South, it omits to tell its readers that the
body oi armed men, which il would make
them believe are ruling the States, lately
in rebellion. with a rod of iron, are una
bic 10 put an end TO that reign of terror
ism which prevails there. and which, by
the aid of such executive forces as the
hu klux klan renders the lives of Union
men OF almost as little value as they
were during the war. 1t having been
found impossible to kill the Union senti-
ment by an open rebellion, an attempt is
now made To- smother it by secret
leagues and the organization of bands
of assassins.
An attempt is made to hide the whole of
the South beneath crust of treason.
Occasionally this crust is broken through
and the confined Union element beneath
1t, for moment makes itself known by
deeds that are furious or fanatical just in
proportion as the oppression has been
severe There is negro disturbance of
meeting OF their prosecutors and some
split rails over the fence. \ howl goes
up from the Democratic press from
Maine To Texas; from Oregon To Florida
But when actual murder ~eddens the
hands of their brother Democrats, when
not n day passes that they do not assas-|
sinate some lover of the Union, and hide
his body in some corner as black as their
own hearts, the Democratic press of
the North has no word of public COM
ment. but its controllers privately
chuckle in their sleeves, congratulate
themselves that the Confederate" arms
in their work OF secret slaughter are SO
much more successful than in the open
war in which they played part, and
that the majority against Seymour and
Blair is being 50 rapidly diminished.
But. fortunately for the cause of truth.
there are other sources than the Demo
cratic press from which to derive infor-
nation, and by these we are constantly
being apprised of the reign of terror
which now prevails at the South. Off
cial reports inform us that 939 Union
men have been assassinated by the Ku
RlQx Klan in Texas since the close of
the war. The Governor of Louisiana
states that one hundred and fifty mur-
ders have been committed by unrecon-
siructed rebels in his State within six
weeks Gev. Brownlow has had his life
threatened by the band of villains that
invest Tennessee, and have made an
arming of a State militia necessity.
And so from every portion OF the South
we could show the record of that red
handed treason which is endeavoring by
every means in its power to accomplish
the ends of the rebellion. To-day comes
an account of further outrage, a descent
of the n. X. *, upon jew and his as
sistants and their murder in Tennessee.
In the same lot of dispatches comes
the statement that rebellion is SO ram
pant at the South that is is thought the
attempt will be made by the members of
the Democratic party 10 choose Presi-
Dental electors 10y force of arms, and the
protection of Congress is therefore
sought. What do these few words that
come flashing over the wires mean2 Do
they mean that we are on the eve of an
other rebellion2 That the Southrons
purpose attempting to obtain their own
President as they did when they fired on
Sumter What else can they mean
than that the reign of terror in the South
is TO be terminated by an open resist
ance To the lawsT The most energetic
efforts of Congress can then. alone, avert
the calamity, and such efforts the nation
looks to see il exert. unmindful of Dem
-. IL. L.,r..Is or Is 4 Is inractiNes