The Portland daily press., 1868-04-23

bringing Mexico into the United States.
| The reaction" so much talked about, is
not general one, but is confined within the
limits OF the Democratic party. 1t is bar
barrie, bringing with it a barbarous code of
morals, barbaTous methods Of controversy.
barbarous organizations and barbarous
phraseology. Its organs are the La Crosse
Democrat and other adopts in diabolic Jour
nalism, fashioned on the Pomeroy model; its
three representative men are c. L. Vallandic-
ham, the ideal Copperhead, JEFF. Davis, the
ideal Rebel, and Hon. John Morrissey, the
prosperous gambler and vanquisher of Hee-
nan; its most successful incarnation is the
Kuklux Klan. There was reaction when
the Caesars changed the commonwealth into
an absolutism, when Napoleon "Buonaparte"
founded an empire on the ruins of the con-
sulate, and When Louis "Buonaparte" put on
the imperial purple and turned his cannon
against the Republic. The American re-
action is kept within narrower limits by the
solid wall OF patriotism with which the loy-
atty of the people surrounds it.
The new instrument of Rebel propanan-
dism, the KukluX Klan, deserves especial at
tention, not so much on account of what it
can do, as on account OF what it indicates and
what 1t proposes. The capture of Kuklux
"Den" in Memphis, a few days ago, has brought
to light the real character of the internal
cotere which has been heretofore involved in
some mystery and the subject Of some skepti
cal feeling.
The breaking up Of the Memphis Den is
due to the vigor and courage Of the local DO,
lice, headed by Col. Beaumont. The ''Cy
clops" was an ex-editor of the Avalanche.
and the charges made against him by his as
sociates subsequent to their arrest, called out
the card which we publish in another col
umn. That card makes revelations that can
not safely be overlooked or ignored. Il an
pears that the chief executive agent of the
Klan is committee on dSsassinations. 1t is
shown that obnoxious citizens are deliberate.
ly catalcgued for slaughter, and afterwards
disposed of as rapidly as circumstances will
permit. In this particular case, Judge who
had committed Rebel editor to Jail in the
regular discharge of his duties, was only saw
ed from assassination by the humanity or
caution Of single man, who in his indigna-
ton against his associates makes partial
disclosure, and is prevented only by his con-
tinued partiality for the order from telling
what ''would send thrill through the length
and breadth of the land"
There are those who speak of PROCEEDINGS
looking to the removal of the Executive of
the country from Office by means prescribed
in the constitution as revolutionary. But
here is band of assassins, having local Or
ganizations in almost every considerable
town or village in thirteen States, and rapid
ly spreading Northward, which avowedly rec
ognizes the binding obligation ofno constitu-
ton or laws. Its purposes are approved by
the leading newspaper organ of the Demo-
cratic party and by some of the leading DEM
ocratic speakers. MIR. Seymour, ex- Governor
OF Connecticut, at the Democratic festival in
New York on Thomas Jefferson's birthday,
said that his hearers must be prepared to
'vindicate their right to administer the gov
ernment' or not undertake the contest at all.
On the same occasion Mr. G. g. Eaton said,
Ours is white mans government and must
so continue or be white mems graves" All
these things are in the genuine Kuklux spirit
Which is the most revolutionary and an
archie, these bodies of Thugs and Danites or
Impeachment? Choose ye, my masters"