Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-11-10
rroc,amasss. sy the cevsr.er.

by the Cover1er.
 WHEREAS, The counties of Ashley, Bradley, Columbia, Lafayette, Miesis- sippi. Woodruff, Craighead, Greene, Sevier and Little River nrc in state of insurrection, and the civil authority is utterly powerlcss to preserve order and and to protect the lives of the citizens unauthorized bodies of armed men Gin most cases disguised) arc engaged In act of lawlessncss and violence; the county officers have either been killed or driven from their homes, or intimi- dated from the performance of their duties the quiet and aw-abiding citi- zens in many instances, have not been allowed an expression of their senti-. ments, or the exercise of their duties and privileges of citizenship, and, while hundreds of them have been murdered, in no inetancc known to the executive have the assassins been brought to pun ishment by the civil authorities; the state is being invaded by bands of out laws from Texas and Louisiana, who are committing murders and depreda- tions upon the citizens the registration laws could not be fairly executed, and were necessarily set aside and in many of these counties perfect reign of ter TOT now exists.
 AND WHEREAS, This deplorable state of affairs is, to great extent, attribu- table to the existence of a secret organ
 ization, military in its character, styled "Kuights of the White Camelia,' but
 more popularly known as the "Ku-
 Klux Klan," whose object is treasona-
 ble and murderous and subversive of all government; that this organization
 while it declares in article 76 of it's con-
 stitution, that "the order shall not as a body nominate, adopt or support any candidate or set of candidates for any
 office of honor, profit or trust under the
 constitution and laws of the United
 States" thereby protessedly disclaim-
 ing all political character, is at the same time secretly plotting to overturn the
 state government, which they hope to accomplish by creating vacancies in office by assassination and intimidation
 thereby preventing the loyal citizens from the offices thus made vacant, and from performing the necessary duties
 of citizenship, and rendering the state government imperative.
 It is believed that many of the law
 abiding people of the state have be- come members of this band through | the ignorance of its real character and
 misapprchension of it's diabolical de- signs, or for the purpose of obtaining protection for themselves and their pro- perty; all such persons are advised to at once abandon this organization and
 purge themselves of all connection with it.
 Now, therefore, l, Powell Clayton,
 Governor of the State of Arkan sas, do
 hereby proclaim MARTIAL LAW in
 the aforementioned counties. All un-
 lawful organizations will, upon the
 receipt of this proclamation, or notice
 of the same, at once disband and abstain from all illegal and violent acts. All
 who fail to do this will be treated as
 outlaws, and not entitled to the protcc-
 tion of the government, and will ccr-
 tainly be brought to speedy and meri-
 ted punishment and all bodies of armed men (not organized in pursuance
 of the laws of the state and the United
 States) will at once disperse and return
 to their homes and 1 hereby call upon
 and request all law-abiding citizens to
 use their influence to prevent disorder
 and preserve the public peace. Citi- ZCnS OI tne COuUtlcs uOt uNOcT naTI1At law arc requested 10 abstain from all
 unauthorized military organizations.
 or from any interference in the affairs of other counties. Unless this is done,
 martial law will be extended to them,
 and war, with all its horrors may be
 prccipitated upon the state, which is still suffering terribly from the former l rebellion. Those who participated
 then are admonishcd that to engage in a second rebellion would in all proba-
 bility preclude the hope ortheir obtain
 ing mercy from the state and general government.
 All officers of the state guards will
 at once perfect their organizations and
 hold themselves in readiness to respond
 to the orders of the commander-in-
 chief; and all well disposed persons
 not members of the state guard are
 earnestly urged to volunteer their scr-
 vices to the support of tho govern ment.
 In testimony whereof l have hcrcunto set my hand, and caused IL. :. the seal of the State of Arkansas, to be affixed at tho city of Little Rock, on the 4th day of Novem- Der, A. D. 1868.
 POWELL CLAYTON, Governor.
 By the Governor:
 ROBERT J. T. WRITE,
 Secretary of State.