The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-03
TIE CASE OF GEORGIA.
What Gen. Hallecls says.

IF ANYTHING were required to nail the false
hoods of the Radicals about Georgia to the
counter, it will be found In Tic annexed cX-
tracts from the official report Of Major General
Halleck, commanding the military division OF
the South, accompanying the annual report of
the Secretary of War. twill be found in di-
rect untagonism with that Of General Terry,
upon which was pretendedly based the neccssi-
ty of the expulsion of that State. General
Halleck's report bears date November G, 1869.
We quote:
Inspection and other reports, however, rep
resent it 10 be entirely tranquil, except IN GER
tain districts of Georgia and North Carolina,
where there has been some disorders requlr-
ing military interference, the civil authorities
being unwilling or unable to enforce the laws
for the protection OF life and property.
1t is not easy at the present time to deter
mine upon the extent and character of these
alleged disorders; but official investigations
have generally proved the reports to be either
unfounded or greatly exaggerated.
After a careful examination Of all the evil
dencc have been able to collect from official
rcports and the statements OF officers anu citi,
zcns. unbiased by partisan feelings, / am forced
to the conclusion that the amount of crime
committed in the several States of the division
is very little greater than before the rebellion,
and certainly no greater than was reasonably
TO be cypccted at the close OF an cmbltlercu
and prolonged civil war, when large numbers
of lswlcss and desperate characters, both al
the North and in the South, were turned loose
upon society without any legitimate means ol
s,lpport Certain districts Of country may. and
nrobably do, form exceptions to this general
remark: but even OF these exceptional cases
very few have any partisan character Or poiltl.
cal significance. Those who, murder and
rob do so simply as mlrdercrs and robbers, III
tlucnced by the motives which ordinarily lnclte
men 10 commit these crimes. One OF the worst
dcsperadocs in Kentucky served In the Union
army during the war; but he and his band now
rob and murder rebels and loyalists alike, rs
NAV best suit their purposes, at one time
claiming to be Kll-KluX, and ut another to be
anti-ku-kluX. Although there may be special
organizations of outlaws In particular local.
ties, under the name OF kn-kluX, am OF the
opinion that no such general organization now
exists in the Southern States. IL Is probable,
however, that outlaws not unfrcquently as
sumo this name in order to intamidatc the
weak and credulous, especially when calculat-
cd to increase their own importance.
In regard to the interference Of military OIL
GERS In local difficulties under the pleas Of
maintaining peace and good order, think thai
no such military interference should be per
mitted, except on the rcquisitiOn OF the Cover
nor of O State, and by order OF the President
rs provided by law. The principal occupation
of the troops, in certain localities, has been ir
assisting revenue officers to execute the
revenue laws. 1t Is very natural that these
officers should call for the assistance OF troops
whenever they can get 1t, for by this means
they avoid danger and trouble, and increase
their own emoluments at the expense OF mill
tary app"oprlutiOnS.