, 1869-01-13
The Political Condition Of the
State.
The Course of the Democratic
Party.
The knights Of the Camelia"
and a Reign Of Terror.
How :: Registration. was Enforced.
Peace. Re4tored by the Militia


contrast With ths past, It would seem from |
Lhe Northern press that nc are tn q condition |
u almost open war. -" Il
With the q ;st appearance Of a cessation of
hosti,lt,ts, as usua1ly the case, correspond. !
ente are boldly rushing to the set OF war.
Some Of then, At least, manifest an aptitude !
u gathering information somewhat renarka-
bic, 10 say the least Of II.
Ono makes flying visit to the State c.pt.
tal and nataral centre ot Information Of some |
thirty hours. State officials, who nigh, nat. !
uraliy be supposed to know something Of Ut |
taire, are iguorcd WITH sublime Inliueruucc.
But one conservative Republican evcn is
seen. a wat rnsss VI "State usurp4tions,"
" wronRs' aud "rixhss" OF the Duo 1Ie,
"mi!itia outsaKes," &C., rthasled upon cv.
cry occasion, from lips OF thosc tu hitter hos.
ill1ty to the stnte nud in whiting for all
elFnLgcrs, complete tho Bill. Uur corro.
epondcns, tll'ed 10 osorh3wing. ru,h,s j, q 10
Augusta, to therc hAvo h!s tctiatu nfurtpa.
tiuu confirmed, MID wfisc ILLS glowing ao.
counts from ",he scnt OF war"
Another, moro cntcrptlsing ssiti, spends n
night IN the city sbou. The .,uvre prominent
sal"ons, ahd III the murnslx leave4 tur
DuyaO'a Hui. IIvso 4 tew hours ar,on thr
bar. room polttfcl4ns cU.npletea lt4 utiuea&l 1,
nnd 'Ie takcs tho frat lDat tor airMphi, Iron
mhunra hu latllnA to l6u wor.! hIs M,ai.hgr-
rowing n,thslE. tronl "AuxuAta, d neat of
l,a f,.e. ~
Of cuurso The Information tlc.e gcnt,o.
mci'h elnrloy'ra obtain, AID puLsial, from
ii il nom sources bus il keenins With tho
s1oso, pethhp. lar worre, indeed, A. In the
case oil Ne1a.kn0%h Democratic cor.
tohpondent from Southern Arkausas, himself
guerilla and rnurtlarcr, thai mJtt Of tho tor
tsnla acooonts of 'state usufpasions and
militia oultaXea'' emanntc.
From auch and Other causca Of = somewhat
similar nature, It In \ common remark with
Southern unlonitts that tnotr cause cannot
bc iairly represented by any stranger currp.
spondents from tho North. .Ouo must know
the elements OF tho body PolllIc, thoroughly
understand the troub'ea III their inclpicncy.
and tlcfcfotc oc properly prepared 10 trace
tho line from cause to effect.
nc great mn Of the people, ~ In most Of
the Southern States. not hcing reading pub
lic, arc snsteral1y controlled ny th.iF more
Tar 1t lcast, havr ncyer acknowledged accupt.
ance Of The situation. Tn tie contrary, from
us luclpltucy reconstruction i,as hnci. mott
Intensely halssl and bitterly opposed BY ali
tte.e old school pol,s!cians-t. e., by ''.ho
1tmay not generally bo known tha. nt til,
election for present state authorities hut onc
tlckct-thr Republican WAS run. From tho
tsci that at d democratic State Convention,
held tn Little Rock on Marca 27, 1857. pre-.
vioua 70 tlic election in March, and whlIc tue
Constitutional Convention was IL sraslop.
1t Naa determined to ignore such constitution
- illegal and void. The public were inform
ed thnt auch "body had no authority 10
adopt or propose my constitution for tue
people Of Arkansaa, also, That We arc Ia
iavor Of Z White mans government for a
IN iavor Of cnffanchkcrlent Of blacks to be
the enemies or the couutry.'' Il waa also re-
solved to "stay tho hydre [aonst1tut,onl that
sesncd from the convention, because It's work
Wall be without law, without constitution,
aud Will be received as an enemy to man
kind"
Tho new constitution was, therefore, q
"hJdro," and " an eremy to mankind.''
again. not Que OF the many counties 50
lately rclis rea Il ON n srtiai law but has been
Infested With desperadoes ever since, aud
many OF them es,xi beture ther war. With
The. Organization Of Kp-Kiu1, or " knights
Of The While Cameiia," the13: dcsptrad e5
naturally affiliated. and, as naturally, soon be.
cane the ltad'og and more desperate spirits
OF the order. At their hands. without douot,
GENE the long nst of terrible murders 90
long prevalent. Not = nrighborhood iu zny
OF these ooun rtes, bnt was held In terror by
these d+spetadoeu. AS tbs KuKlux order
increased 1t drew In = large share Of the
ytuDg men Of the country, as we'll as all Of
It thus naturally, to e. great extent, At least,
controlled the sympashies OF the nasses
OF the people at large. BctWecn their fears
of the despt Eadocs on one hand, aud their
| sympsthics on the other. the be ter and more
lay and order portlon Of community We're
iluh dttesred from rendering any support,
N ri or otherwise IN enforcement Of the Ia n
In addition TO all this, too, ta1sht to consider
! reconslructi n q =" hydra, II and an enemy to
mankind, they naturally mad little respect for
| It's lnxs.
DISAPPOINTED IN their hop s Of defeating The
constitution, desperate etlura: was next ap.
| pareIt1y resolved upon to break down the
| new government III The last election bg every
means, principally intimid nlou. Though
under the Reconstruction laws of Congress
per cent OF the voters were disffanchised, as
shown By caretnl estimate Ia the office ol
Dr.. Write, Secretary of Sta'c, the hue aud
cry Of 'sdisfrar ct tacmont of whites ana en-.
iranchlsement Of ,lacks1' WAS raised aud IN
many counties rer rsstratlon prevented BY ey.
the counties Of esnley, Columeta, Little Kiv
er, Sesls=, Bradley, Hot Springs, La,ay ette
1hsstsslpp.. Woodruff, Sharpe. Cratshead
Gretn and Randolph, the Governor. BY proc
Of Julg last. A lev OF bis reasons given are
Authorities openly defie1; officers Of ths
law wholly 'powe1lcss to protect citizens II
ice oppression OF opihlon at tho pols thai
! registration officers have, in some OF thess
Counties, been cltoer Killed os driven out
In others threatened With assassination Ii
cnte they refused to register those dlsquall
tico by law; people compelled to Join poi{tI
cll clubs And take an oath 10 vcte contr4r.
10 lhelr expressed sentiments" &C., SC.
In Wht'e County, Democratic 4tCummIt
| IF Eaa R4f n ch r. y81 vri h h
Registrar ter hts protection. They saw to hi
safety. He soon sa y such satttY consisted Il
registering whoever was presented. Sur
rounded Al every point b7 squads Of f1fty o
more armed men, hs ionnd no alternative bu
In bre~ County such a pressure wa
brought to bear upon the Registrar an,
Judges. that. though all hepnblcaus. the
voted Democratic. By way OF prodncin
the proper feeling OF terror, some maske
ku.klu1 took out the Sheriff aud coloro
.. man and whipped them to death.
In Mississippi County. no loyal man aaE
accept m office nndcr the reconst1urtc
. State Government, Tor fear OF assassination
and even yet lone have been appointed.
Assassinations and ,o outraEe. continued ! !
, ways contain some s*on member Of th
order, frequently the ass assin hlu1sel
Judges Of courts cFcrY where found It impo
sihlc to cmpauel a jury that dare conTlc
: Sheriff.. II attempting TO enforce the Inv
were e',her trea1. "it9 contempt, or foun
. suspcndeo 10 limn. hu.hin1 orgsuizan;nt y;
defiant. oespefaaoes roaming a. "ill. civ
j. iaW q Ialec;
u I'M ana VII WIN '1e eofssat Q. lno l,easiatus r. ~ :
; | pun ~ Ho'e.Ho4 s'tn4AVa oels1utueu ~ put
o militia ~ sne nclo LOT enforcement o. II
. laws 81 anS ano every cog; L.; =. eoa1se ING. =
Q Were come ~no opposea nun ~ ~ so n,lhg Il
l. Tany ana ohelpas reasons. !o-uey taey q
almost unit In declaring IN favor OF tt