Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-18

natural and only remedy for relief Of the
people. And now they tell us that so far
from exercising any effort on their
own part 10 keep the peace, TO allay ex'
element 10 heal the wounds Of the past,
that they will answer our appeals for
truce and our clamors for peace, and our
efforts TO maintain law and order, by a
repetition Of the past prosoriptive policy,
with increased intensity In the future II
ia upon this point especially, that we
deem II our duty to admonish them. III
the Radicals are determined upon relent-
less warfare under the black flag Of pro-
scription and no quarter--so let IL be.
| If nothing but war will suffice, then let il
come-war to the knife, and the knife to
the hilt, and damned be he who first cries
hold, enough.
We warn them, however, that If It does
come, the long suffering and patient dis
franchised citizens Of this State will not
permit, so far as they are able TO prevent
II, that the poor, ignorant negro shall De
made the scapegoat and catspaw, ana
shield Of the viler miscreants who are
pushing and urging him on from behind.
IL they are successful in precipitating the
impending conflict ofraces, they may be
very sure, that so far as the white native
citizens of this State may be compelled
to take part in it, they will be very care.
ful throughout the sanguinary carnival
which would naturally ensue to "remem-
Der Fort Pillow in act as we'll as word,
ard
r. ..t n 10 faf
Seek the white man-not the black
The restless movement Of the dis
franchised, citizens of the State, the Ku-
Klux, or whatever secret organization
may exist, has sprung from the people
not from Democratic leaders 1t is the
spontaneous movement of the masses, on
whom the last feather, which broke the
camels back, has almost been laid.
We believe now that the Radical
miscreants are at the very end of their
rope, and that the proposed imposition
of a military negro force on the State
should and will be resisted. And
the result will be, not any injury |
TO the negro population, which
will be better protected than ever, but
the reformation of the iniqutous govern.
ment Of the State, and the expulsion Of |
multitude of rogues from our midst.
We do not know that even in the in.
terests of peace it is desirable tho. the |
issue should be averted. But in answer
to Brownlows altimatun,, wo trust, as
suggested by the Bgnaer, the ultimdtum
of the people ofTenncssee will be given.
The following general order, No. l, we
take from the Nashville Banner, and
without knowing, we believe it comes
from an efficient and organized body |
whose counsels it will do well to heed:
HEADQUARTERS PEALM Mol, ,
DREADFUL ERA, BLACK EPOCH.
DREADFUL HOUR.
General Order Mol:
Whereas, information Of an authentic |
character has reached these headquarters |
that the blacks in the counties OF Mar
shall, Maury, Giles, Lawrence, and other
adjacent counties, are organizing them
selves into military companies, and are |
arming and drilling by night, and calling |
themselves the "Whangs." the Wide |
Awakes," the Black K KS" etc. and |
whereas, it is understood that they avow
their determination to make war upon |
and to exterminate the Ku-Klux Kan,
said blacks are hereby solemnly warned |
and ordered to desst from further action |
in such organization, if they exist, and to |
disband the same Immediately. And the |
Khan in these various counties arc hereby |
ordered to be ON tie alert and to investi- |
gate the matter, and if these organiza-
tons do exist, and are discovered, to dis
perse them at any cost. The G. D. regrets |
the necessity of such an order as this, but |
this Khan shsll not be outraged and in |
terfered with by lawless negroes aud |
meaner white men, who do not, and never |
have understood cur purposes, or who |
never wished 30 understand them. In |
the first place, this Khan is not an in
stitution of violence, lawlessness and |
cruelty, as these parties affect to believe. |
II is not lawless-it is not aggressive--it |
is not military-it is not revolutionary.
But is is essentially, originally and inhe-
rently protectipc organisation. 1t pro
poses to execute law instead Of resisting |
it, and to protect all good men, whether
white or black, from the outrages and |
atrocities of bad men of both colorc who |
have prevailedin the county for the last |
three years; who have been Gterror to So
ciety and an injury to US oil. But the |
blacka seem TO be impressed with the idea |
that this klan is especially their enemy,
and we believe this i'm preston has been |
made upon them by bad white men. But,
however they may have reached this con-
clusiou, it is erroneous. We are not the |
enemy of the blacks as long as they be-
have themselves, make no threats upon
US, and do not attack or interfere with US.
But if they deceive themselves or permit |
others to deceive them, aud make war
upon Us simply upon supposition, as it
seems they are preparing to do, aud thus
force us, against our inclination and in
tentious, 10 hostilities, why, then, we
accept the issue, and they must abide by
the awful retribution that will follow.
We want to avoid this and have peace,
and il lies with them to say, by ttoir
obedience or disobedience o. this order,
whethe; Oh aos we shall avoid it.
1t ia now an undoubted fact that the
Khan, while in its peaceful movements,
and while disturbing no one, oven in the
remotsst manner, has been fred 90 no less
than thraa diaete1t times in the vicinity
and suburbs Of Columbia, in Maury coun-
~. This must and ,ciH not be endured
any longer. We say, therefore, to the
blacks aud their white allies of that place,
that this must not occur again. Add Il it
ever does, aud the pssi,ss should be dis
coTersd, q gemorseless vengeance will be
vreaked uuon them. Information has also