The weekly standard., 1870-07-20

o SPEECH Of
COL. ROBERT M. DOUGLAS,
Deticcred at Republican Mass Meeting,
SnlahsJfeld, July H. 1870.
fettoao Citisens Of Johnston County
, Disnclincd as am to commence speech
with the conventional apology. I must offer
lew words in extenuation of the many i'm
perfcctons that will appear in the course of
my remarks. Late last night, while sitting
in|thc STANDARD Office totally nnexpecting
such an honor, some gentlemen called and
insisted upon my accompanying them to-
day, stating that would pc expected tn ad
dress you upon some of the issues of the CAN
vass l told them was unprcpared; but
4 upon their insisting, felt it my duty to
como, and if you desired it, tell you in /. few
plain words a few plain truths The gen
tlemen who have proceeded me so eloquent
land at such length, have left but little
4 Tor me to say: but there is one topic of such
vital Importance that it cannot be egllaus-
ted-the sanctity OF human life and Of The
human person. Forming the fundamental
III hhh Suici cHl Ol all law, ulSCllS
sion is rendered of still more Importance to
US now by the frequent violations of it hy
ermcd bands OF disguised desperadocs and
Sassins. 1t is needless tor me to recount
almost nightly outrages which occur ::
kall know them, and know that they are
pitted by secret oath bound society,
y whatever may be its proper name, is
}ig known as the Kuklux Kun These
Violated with IMMUNITY every law
ivan. The courts have been un.
;aor ifssny of them have
tfl I rie u - tlAe. ai6t, nj
yurics and suborntd wftncsses ti<cyi
Invariably been acquitted. Justice has
paralyze'l, and i'll many counties the
Gers of the law, if they themselves do not
hong to the organization, are afraid TO at
empt its suppression, or the arrest of any of
Its members. The Legislature has passed
4 stringent laws; and the Governor has issued
proclamation after proclamation offering
large rewards for the arrest and conviction
of the offenders and calling upon all good
| citizens to aid the legally constituted author
tiles in the vlndication of the law. All,
however, has been po~crless to suppress
the wide spread and growing evil. Find
ing that the State authorities were unable
by any ordinary process Of law to reach
the matter the General Assembly determin
ed to interfere Congress passed an act,
approved May 81, 1870, entitled an act to
enforce the right of citizens OF the United
States, to vote in the several States of this
Union, and Tor other purposes. From this
act, a copy of which l hold in my hand,
propose to read three sections.
| Sec 5. And be it further enacted, That il
any person shall prevent, hinder, control or
intmidate. or shall attempt to prevent, hin
der, control or intimidate, any person from
exercising or in exercising the right of
suffrage. to whom the right is secured or
guaranteed 10y the fifteenth amendment to
the Constitution of the United States, or by
mears of bribery, threats, or threats of de-
priving such person of employment or occu-
patton, or OF cjecting such person from rent
ed house, lands, or other property, or by
threats of refusing 10 renew leases or con-
tracts for labor, or by threats of violence to
himself and family, such person so Offend
ing shall be deemed guilty of misdemean-
or, and shall on conviction thereof, be fined
not less than five hundred dollars or he i'm
prsOned not less than me month, and not
more than one year, or both, at the discrc.
ton of the court
This section does not apply to what Is
commonly called KukiuNinS, lor that we
a more stringent one, but TO bribery or in
timidation of any kind. Should man
threaten to turn you out of employment,
refuse to rent you land, or do any other act,
which otherwise he might have the right to
do, contingent upon your voting in Ger
tain manner, hc renders himself liable to
| tlp nroyisiOns of this SECTION Whether he
fuiflls his threat or not is of no consequence.
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That it
two or more persons shall band or conspire
together or 90 IN disguise upon the public
highway, or upon the premises of another,
with intent TO violate any provision of this
i act, or TO injurc. opp:css threaten, or intim
dat any citizen viii, lntcilt 20 i'isvtchn Oh
J'hindsr MS Tree exercise anu enjoyment o,
any fiSn' or ptiVi'ese ?ra"'e'' OF Secuitu r
10 nm, uy 'hc CONSTITUTION o' ''"s vi 'h'
chheu o'a'cs, VI pt'auSe y. ms s,,, nl'' INV, n',1
ciseu 'ne s.',iie, sucn pc.sous ;naa " ,Lnf mo,
Suii,t VI e. "nu on -. I'll ~ tb,'
s'."'i "c '''ea va IL" ~ C.. .. sno
aiscre.ion vi lnc ."ufu-t"o !, nne ~, NV W eN
cecu uto 'uous'nu u1'.'s' "nu '"o int,I lhaI,
ohnieh' no! l" eAcecs 'e" ,;, yIal'''.' ~ S,''',i
morGo'Grc DC t',I:ca''el ine''po a: w. "n't ~,
uls'n''' I'm i,.a5 "n' IN" ~. H. e. -;
i"no' - '" -, .I''' I-,,;,.,,, 80,
''trH Th;s so,;"n ,..raci.,II" ann,;ns to Kuklux-
''s I'll, a.. 81;
ieni' '''' ~:' .''' -, g. M,
..oh Vi ..na,s ~ .'ieo .,"as" nI n,J
..ee ,ut."y Wv p;' po' ',os ,i,I "'I hn ill.,,
teS vi ,".' s'.'' .t "ouaa"n n,r ,h''.,
l'',e 't'" ~" 80 l,no'' ,',.'
WIN p,ii.' W. pun ". iAunua ~
ieli, "he'nI' VI na I4',i;r NM '"s suDss
quIn. "a, az. ", s"J" ., mo ., WA, nu u
unil 'ne ",?iaso .n';u WI. """ n'';1 go. w., w."
l,ie iast'u''','',a y, ;nen Seo'I' i o"Il'o; Su
j ''lSo '"osc VI ni".i '''iih "iu oo'ie' iaus
nlene "n5 I;n T,. sn i,,,l '', o"n ,,e =
., ,"u tl,,,;r ,,o,;tn, ,i,;,;r
',"so, nT ,."'; "n", 'ie'' I i..% p'' ;'a
, VI soo'a' a''i I'M, ai"' 80 ny puD'os Ju'
,hS,.h uS VI dv'I. ,,Lothnr a cnrr, af ;nstio,
'n"uS" iSs ~" i",J o',,,4 r ,.,I, ,',I ,,,,;
Mouiu ~ nv ,io,,. y Goui Vi 'no'''' """''
uha"no'e"i! t'ius occ,.r-
r oectioh lnP'seS' Il iillc " hol iess 'li'ih NV
} nunu,to 'oii'is' ui III. .p'i'on'ien' ,, i'' no
less tnah ~ one month vi poth' up VI EVER
r ,aw'u' "iicGi WI" S.''''' iu'Gso :" ICY
legally quai,nc'l 1otrr' IL lur.nef SPcc!lle
7 t,laC SUCH "iricei sil''i, ''i cy1'y "i'nso Pa
5 the sum ol hVc hhnurco uoliars 10 tne III
r lured party. section gives thc on'te,
States courts exclusive Juris''ic'ion over al
$ oifenscs against inc provisions Oh 'his 'c'
3 fepuoiicans' l Woulu a,u oohserVati''s
: were 1t not wen-known iact t,at none
you are ever ihterlerea WIN, you nave a rlSh
f TO cast your vote as ireemen ~ ,ile comin'
election. IL Is not only a. rishr, pus q nuty
4 you owe 10 yourseii anu 10 your cni'u,ch
ana IN the exercise OF wnlcn you VIII