The weekly standard., 1869-10-06
What we Shall do, and why we Shall

What we Shall DO, anu why VIC S
"a do it.
The STANDARD of Thursday morning has
an article criticizing the Chapel Hill Reso-
lutions, published in the Sentinel OF Wed
nesday, which Resolutions were also sent to
the STANDARD to be published but the
editor SAYS he would see "them and shelr
resolutions in the lowest pit of hell, and then
not do it."
The only things about the article OF the
STANDARD, at all remarkable, outside of the
above emphatic butunclassic expression, is
its great malignity of tone. and the general
neryadipg idea that "Leaguers" are saints
and the tKu Kluxn deYils-that that paper
will support the Leagues despite all evi-
dence OF their vicious tendency and known
crimes. and will war on Ku Klux to the
death.-Sentinel. .. fF
We do not think that any one beside the
Sentinel or. Tarboro Southerner thinks the
STANDARD malignant towards any man or
class of men.
We are unalcrably fixed in our determi
nation to denounce the men who are stain
ing the soil of North Carolina with blood of
murdered men, but VIC are not malignant,
but wish to sec the laws respected and
obcycd.
We do not wish to see the State over run
by wicked men, who murder all whom they
happen to dislike.
We do not believe that all "LeaguerS' are
saints" but we do believe that all "Ku Klux
are devils" For the sake of the good name
of mankind, which they disgrace, we would
be glad if they were devils. Then their
deeds would be cursed by all good people,
and prolessed christians and respectable
men would not attempt to palliate the dam
nable crime of murder, and thus offend the
laws of Cop and man.
| We do not doubt that men who are mem.
bers of the League have committed crimes,
| but they did so as men and not as members
of the League. Men who belong to the
| Church often commit crimes but they do so
| as mcn-not as members of the Church, nor
are they doing the commands of COP.
We have never denied that men who be,
| long to the League may have done wrong,
but we deny that they did so because of their
belonging to the League, or with the knowl-
edge of the League. ...
The League as we understand it, for we
do not belong to it, is political organiza-
ton. such as are found in every country, and
has no other purposes than are political
The Ku Klux, on the contrary, is an Or
ganization formed for the express purpose
of resisting the laws and committing
crimes
The one is political organization
The other is a band of assassiDs;
The one is lawful society;
The other band of criminals:
The object of the League is to inculcatc
LOYALTY to the government, and the only oath
required is an oath Of allegiance TO the
government of the United States and of
obedience to the laws of the country and
State;
The oath of the Ku Klux requires him
who takes it to resist the authority of the
United States when ordered to do SO, to
murder those who oppose the Ku Klux, to
swear falsely, and to oppose the laws of
Congress. -,
Therefore the League is not wrong in itself,
while the Ku Klux Klan is.
For these reasons we shall not oppose the
Leagues, for there is no evidence that they
are "vicious or " criminal" but every
reason to believe that their designs are good.
We shall always oppose crime no matter
by whom ommitted-whether Republican
or Democrat in so doing shall never,
knowingly, be biased by political prejudice.
We know the Ku Klux to be bad and
wicked men, for their deeds are evil. In
deed, no man could be good or even
respectable man who would take an oath
which compelled him to commit murder,
arson and perjury at the command of another.
Therefore we shall war on them to the
death"
Things have come to such a condition
that the outrages of the Ku Klux must be
stopped, or the good name of our people be
lost, and every business interest of the State
ruined. To give the State over to the rule
of these bad men would be to plunge the
people into state of misery and distress.
Therefore we war upon the Ku Klux and
| upon all criminals as soon must do every
| good and respectable man in North Carolina.