Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-04-19
THINGS IN THE SOUTH.

CFdtic COuScHtfOuS tNdt III" oPht ""iN"
keeps the South in anarchy is melted by
the democratic party of the North. The
language put into the national democratic
platform at New York, I'VE regard the re-
construction acts of Congress, as such, as
acts of usurpation, revolutionary, and
yoid,' was but piece Of encouragement
practically to the South to continue in the
way of lawlessness. The letter written by
General Blair, and upon which he wa:
nominated for the Vice Presidency on The
democratic ticket, was of the same spiii
rs the platform. 1t declared that in tn,
event of the election of democratic Presi
dent, It would be his duty to dispense the
new State governments at the point of tht
bayonet, to overturn by force and violence
what had been done, to establish revo
luton, and Gas he said) restore the white
man to power. This democratic instruc
ton, said Mr. Morton. had taken root and
is now poisoning in fresh crop of MUIR
ders and nameless villainies in the South
The expulsion of the colored members from
the Georgia Legislature in 1868 was an i'm
mediate consequence. Throughout the
southern States an organized conspiracy
exists for the purpose of breaking down
the republican party by violence. by crea-
ting reign Of terror that shall compel
Union men either to abandon their princi-
pies or fly the country or purchase secure
ty by silence This organization consists
Of the very dregs Of the war. and, if not
abated, is destined to pollute the whole
moral atmosphere of the South 1t is an
organization insids the democratic party.
All democrats do not belong to it, but
none but democrats are members of it. In
Tennessee this order assumes that the
State government is Illegal and they have
. right to overthrow it; hence Governor
Senters recent application to the President
and his appearance before the House Re-
construction Committee. The number of
Ku Klux in that State is estimated at 49,
900, and reign Of terror exists in every
part of it, so that there is no possibility of
a free election.
Mr.. Morton then reviewed the outrages
and list of political murders in Kentucky,
Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina and 9th
or States, as shown by the Freedmen Blu
reau's report and the report of the House
Reconstruction Committee upon the. testi-
mony before them. We copy from re-
port of his speech before us:
In Kentucky the prescription of Union men
was shown to be universal, with 1927 outrages
ia short time, twenty-seven of which were
murders. In Louisiana, within sixty days
before the last Presidential election, 500 po-
liticai murders were committed, and there
was good reason to believe that the whole
number of murders would amount to from q
500 to 5000. Concerning Texas, he (Mr
Morrow had the evidence of one of the Sen
ators from that State (Mr. HAMLToS) that
since the war there had been more than 1900
murders in that State. These facts showed
the Democracy to be Robesperre democracy
that they were fast coming to propagate
their faith, like Mahomet with the sword, by
bowie-knife and pistol, their plan being to de-
stroy the Union majority in the South by
reign of terror which would deter men from
going to the polls for fear of their lives or the
loss of their property. These Kuklux entered
the jury box, and were ever present among
the witnesses in every case. After detailing
individual instances of persecution of loyal
MEN, mentioning the names in each case, and
reviewing affairs in Alabama, (where similar
violence and outrage had been committed
Mr.. MORTON came to the case of Georgia.
He showed that there were 336 murders in
III
and nearly all Of them after July 4, 1865
another item to the credit Of the Democratic
National Convention.
He then quoted from General Terry's re-
port, on August 8, 1869, asserting that in
rusny parts Of the State there was practically
no gov eminent, that murders were and had
been frequent; detailing numerous instances
Of the existence of insurrectionary organiza-
tions and their widespread influence, which
pervaded all branches of society and all public
departments. While Bullock's majority for
Governor was 1000, the majority for Seymour
seven months later-was $4,000, making a
change Of 81, 900 votes. That change was not
the resul, Of change in public opinion, but
WAS the direct result of that system of public
terror which had been inaugurated. This was
established by the respective totals of votes
for the opposing candidates in different
counties, in ono entire county not single
vote being cast for General Grant. The rem
sdy for all this was q law of Congress author
ixing the President OF the United States to
enter into and extend to the people of a State
all requisite protection. The authority should
be so regulated as to require the President to
act where disloyal Governor refused to call
upon him There must be some protection for
tie hres Of loyal msn IN th<rsbet States
Such is the condition of things in the
South oecasioned by the advice and encour-
agemen, of the democratic party. The
better portion Of the southern people are
struggling for peace and the reestablish-
ment OF security for life and property. but
the rabble melted by the words and acts of
the democratic party in the North. are
closely banded together in secret associa-
ton to murder and drive out all who favor
the republican party and the measures
adopted for the reconstruction of the South.
Without the encouragement extended to
the Ku Klux from the democracy they
would be extinct now as an organization