The weekly standard., 1870-07-06
A Voice from the Great West.

We publish below an article clipped from
the Chicago Republican. This widely circu-
lated journal speaks for the great West;
and its condemnations of Kukluxism are
hearty and soul refreshing. The Republican
says: @ .W . ..a'.I lc Ia4
/ "Despitc the ass urances of the Democratic
press throughout the country that things
arc all lovely in the South, and that the Ku-
klux organization exists only in the imagi-
nation of Radical editors, the facts are every
day making stronger the proof that the
people of certain portions of the South were
never in greater danger of assassination
than now. In North Carolina the Kuklux
organization is so strong as successfully to
defy the power of the law. They are
thoroughly organized, and some sections of
the State are completely in their hands.
They are using their power in incendiarism,
robbery and assassination; and no existing
legal power in the State is sufficient to reach
them. If arrested on suspicion they can
corruptly establish an alibi, and if not, the
jury is either composed of Kuklux, or dare
not bring in q verdict of guilty. The
Raleigh North Curolina) Standard, day
after day, gives much of its space to de-
failing the horrible outrages that the law
less robbers have committed against
peaccable citizens. for no other reason than
that they were obnoxious because of their
supposed friendliness to law and order
Gov, Holden has been obliged to call out the
militia of the State tor the suppression of
the Kuklux and other murderOus Organiza-
tions. In South Carolina the condition is
not more promising for the peace and pros
perity of the State. As usual, the vengeance
of the midnight murderers falls most
heavily upon the unfortunate blacks and
their friends. and the barbaritics practiced
upon them are in all respects equal to those
practiced upon our border settlers by the
Indians. These bloodthirsty marauders
openly ayow their belief in the universal
assassination of those whom they stigma
tie as carpet-baggers'' and scalawags"
They are unceasing in their efforts to mis-.
represent the negroes, to degrade them, to
crowd them out of employment with view
of importing white labor to take their
places. The Kuklux favor driving the people
to the Mississippi bottoms. Their mandate
is, practically, "cither die or get to the Mis-
sissippi bottoms. That is the only place
for YOU" Their purpose appears to be the
annihilation OF the colored race, or the rem
dering of them powcrlcss by persecution.
The Kuklux Klan is made up of those who
are Democrats in principle, who have
always voted the Democratic ticket, and
who are preparing to vote it in the future.
Yet there are certain Democratic journals
that are trying to secure the colored voters
by pretended regard Tor their welfare. These
journals ought, for their own political inter
est, to denounce the Kuklux outrages, which.
unless suppressed, will most assuredly des-
troy the very best chances of their securing
the colored people for the Democratic party.
Their project of attempting to secure the
colored vote is, at the best. the desperate
game of ruined party, and is the height of
folly in the North, while their Kuklux
friends in the South are committing out
rdges upon thcm that find parallel only in
an Indian massacre. One thing is certain.
The Kuklux must be put down, even though
United States troops should be required for
the purposc. Five years of peace policy
have tailed to convert tine KukluX to a love
of law and order. The asperities of the re-
bcllion have not died out. They seem to be
concentrated IN the Kuklux, and to flame
forth as blood-rcd as in the hottest period
of war Are our citizens in the South to be
protected from these murderous bands, or
are they to be their victims until the advent
of another administration 2"