Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-08-05
TIE TROUBLES IN NO. CAR0LiNA.

that State. Indeed, Mt no time since the
war has North Carolina been in COM
pletely settled condition, and deeds OF vio-
lence have been alarmingly frequent
Officers of the law have been murdered by
concealed assassins. and peaceful citizens
have been shot down at the thresholds of
their dwellings. The fact that all the vic
tins of these assassinationS were Republi-
cans was so significant as to force the be-
lief that the murders were for political
purposes, and were done by order Of some
secret organization.
The State government, through its de-
tectives, at last definitely ascertained the
fact of the existence of this organization,
which calls itself the Constitutional Union
Guard, or the Ku Klux Klan. In the coun-
ties of Jervis, Lenoir and Craven, the
operations of the Ku Klux had been eX-
| tensive and bold, and many murders and
outrares had been committed by them.
The sheriff of the county of Jervis, while
riding home in the night time was killed
by men ambushed by the side of the road.
Col. Shepard, leading republican of Le-
nor county, while sitting at his door was
killed by persons who fired at him from
across the river. James Grant, colored
man who was leader among his people,
was also assassinated. The detectives
after working up these cases found snffi-
cient evidence to warrant the arrest of five
men, Three of the five turned States
evidence and confessed that they belonged
to the Ku Klux, aud had participated in
these murders by order of their superiors
They fully exposed the workings and de-
signs of the organization. whose chief OBJ
ject was to restore ''a white mans govern
ment," and ''to accomplish, so far as pos
sible, that which the rebellion failed to
accomplish" With all this evidence no
jury could be found to convict the accused.
Dread of the vengeance of the secret as
sassins, and the presence of members of
the organization, upon the jury. prevented
Justice being done. Other similar trials
resulted in the same manner So extern
sive were the ramifcationS of the organi-
.zation that no jury could be summoned
which did not include members Of the ku
Klux Khan. More than this, in many of
the counties large proportion OF the Off
GERS of the law We're themselves members
of this traitorous society.
Such state of affairs could not fail to
work disorder. 1t did not. In the coun
ties of Orange, Chatham. Alamance and
Caswell the Ku klux inaugurated a reign
of terror. Bands of masked men roamed
the country nights, hanging. shooting and
whipping every republican who had made
himself obnoxious to the Democracy by
zeal in opposing them. AT la t so power |
fol had the Ku Klux become that the civil
authorities We're impotent to protect the |
citizens OF these counties. The State gov
ernment was forced to declare Il portion |
)t the State to be in state of insurrection,
and to use the military arm to put down
The traitors and to protect the life and
of loyal citizens. This has been
done, and the Ku Klux have been over
DOW cred and defeated in their endeavors |
to carry the State for the democrats by in
their opponents by murders
and outrages.
And these are the Troubles in North
Carolina" of which SO much is now being
said, and of which so little is known at
the North And in conclusion it would be
well for the decent and moderate men
who have been acting with the Northern
Democracy to consider whether they can
as true men aid a party whose triumph in
the North would put into power such vii
ains in tho South. Every man in the
South who is true to government is now
acting with the Republican party. To this
rule there is, there can be no exceptions.
The Democratic" party of the South is
not the true Democratic party. 1t bears
the name but hat is all. 1t is a party
composed equally cf Wings and Demo-
Gratis whose very intense principle is
hatred OF the government, and whose
only aim is to undo all that was done by
the war How any Northern man, how
any ex-soldier, how any true man can
work for or even desire the success of such
ii party is incomprehensible. Let every
such man reflect upon his position. I
Elections will he held this fall in all the
States except Oregon, New Hampshire,
Connecticu and Rhode Island. Sixteen
States are to choose United States Sena-
tors, and five have already done so.
The Republican State Convention for
Massachusetts has been called to meet in
Worcester, Wednesday, October 5th, the
representation by delegates to be upon the
same basis as last year.
The Farmer vino raises produce for dis
tant market is limited to a few articles, such
as wheat, corn, rye, etc., which greatly ex-
haust the soil, while he who has a market
near at hand can cultivate almost any pro-
duct for which his soil and climate are adapt