Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1868-04-16
A Costly Joke.

4 Tbe Radicals. With Forney as their head,
saws the Riehmoad Whiq. are trying hard 70
make capital out Ofthe Ku Klux Joke. They
pretend that II is the beginning Of another re-
bellion. Hear Fprney. He says:
The new assassination, long Threatened. and
an the while secretly organized hegins at last
70 select lis victims Hardly dav passes that
we do not hear of Union man murdered nv
the 0wbite gentlemen IT the South ms
heT-born cahal has its lodges in every Southern
State. and bv its midnight meetings. oa'ns
masks loaded weapons secret circulars anu
omen violence. has established a reign ri terror
nearly eonal to that during the rebellion
There Is not an cd rebel community that
cannot boast Of rs X. X. or IN hlux lodges
,ri,b lis members sworn n murder all Union
men white and black. who Will not fly the
south or stav and vote against the Raficals.
The result is that the Union people of the
South will he compelled 20 leave their homes.
unless they are protected BY the military
Tha. is the new decree.
Forney says that the Ku Kluxes have had
the audacity to invade the sacred precincts Of
Washington, n establish camps there, and to
serve their anonymous warnings upon such
high dignitaries as Wade, Butler, Bingham,
Stevens, &c, Sc. Forney protests that he
does not mean 70 he sensational, or TO excite a
panic BY his startling intelligence, but to adj
monish the country Of the menacing danger
All this is silly and ridiculous enough, but since
what we take to be bOyish Joke is thus inter
preted by some military commanders and by
the leading Radical politicians at Washington
and seized upon as pretext for "6ring the
Northern heart. and for inficting new perse-
cutions upon the South, it would seem to he
proper 10 drop the nike II may prove to be
too costly. We should all know that there is
nothing. however absurd, that the enemies Of
the South will not make use Of TO our injury.
They are constantly on the lookout for prete1ts
and expedients, and Just at this time the grsvest
and most influential organs Of Northern opin-
ion are endeavoring 10 make capital ont OF
this Ku Klux affair. Even the New York
Times speaks vehemently on the subject, and
calls for an increase of the military force now
in the South, with a view to its suppression
When a thing that begins in fun seems to be
tending to a termination in bloodshed and po-
Itieal trouble. it is time to abandon it. The
various articles that have appeared in the
Northern newspapers on this subject, and the
action Of two Of the military commanders in
the South in regard to it. have given it con-
spicuous prominence in the ever-Shifting scenes
Of American politics. The New York Herald
saws of the military orders on the subject
We approve Of the purpose intended but we
protest agai1s. the monStrnus idea that "citi-
zens not holding oficp" shall he held response
HE for acts committed hy a secret organization
Il is not only ridiculous. bur It contains the
verv essence Of despotism There should be
no discrimination or partialitv between the two
races in tho South. ANY attpmpt 10 suppress
the "Ku Klux Khan" without aitempting the
same with the "Tnval Leagues. viii be pns-
tive step towards nlacing the unhappy whites
If the South vet further in the power Of their
NEGRO antagonists: and tho evaporation which
will necessarily flllow such \ one-sidcA policy
will not fail ~ nrecintate conflict Suppress
secret organizations nv nj means hut let the
suppression apply 70 al classes and races.
Il looks very much 70 rs rs il the Radical
party is about n he frightened ont of its wits
nv roguish urchins who want TO have q little
fun out Of the supersiitions negroes. The
wicked fee when no man purSueth