Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-12-13

man Is apprchcnsivc of arrest. Very
many persons have left and more are
leaving every day. Last night a
prominent official aughingly advised
me 70 stay here (in UnionvIIe) for q
few days and / would see some fun.
| presume, therefore, that more ar.
rests will shortly be made. There
may BE fun in thom, but | cannot see
IL. Two companies of infantry ar.
rived here yesterday, and Captain
Thompson, of the cavalry, has been
relieved from duty as commandant of
the post. He had made many friends
here, anong the whites, BY his impair
tial conduct. These changes arc in
dicatlons that another raid Wholesale
arrests are called "raids' hcre) is in
tendci What with arrests aud the
voluntary departures tho county will
be rninel for years to come.
soME SINGULAR STORIES.
Some singular stories are afoat con.
cerning the mnner in which evidence
" obtained on which TO make arrests
You have doubtless been told that the
exposure OF the Ku Klux organization
was due to government spies. This
IL true but ,he evidence on which
it's members were arrested for specific
oiienses was not obtained from white
spies. 1t is asserted that mems scr.
wants were set 10 watch them, and
thus Il most Infamous system of espion
age was established. Aller these ser
wants had made their reports secretly
warrants were issued and their en-.
ployers were taken into custody.
The negroes were then Ostensibly ar.
rested as witnesses, In other cases
the "chiefs" of "dcns," who belonged
to the lowest classes-ignorant men
who can neither read nor write-were
persuaded into coniessing and reveal
ing The names Of their associates and
Of the better class belonging to the or.
ganizatlon, first receiving tho assu-
rance OF either pardon outright or II
nominal punishment. Very many,
after the first arrests were made,
came in voluntarily and gave them
selves mp MS prisoners. At first every
ono claimed that he joined the organi
zation for selfproteclion, and denied
that there was any thing political in il /;
subsequently and suddenly they began
TO tell some alarming tales, and whin
ingly declare that the educated classes
had forced them by threats into the
organization aud then made tools of
them. Such are .hc stories told OF
course, the officials deny them abso.
lutely or in part, hut could these gen.
tlcmen do anything else il even the
stories were true 7
BETWEEN TWO EVILS.
The suppression of The Ku Klux or
ganizatiOn is an event not TO bc re-
grctted. While il owed its origin to
the maladministraiion Of the State
oiiicials, IL IL undoubtedly rosponsible
for many atrocions outrages. Could
il have been possible to have confined
il to ils original mission it would have
greatly benefited South Carolina In
two or three Of the counties its bold
and determined though utterly lawlcss
action against criminals compelled
Governor Scott to remove some Of the
scoundrclly officials he had previously
iuisted upon the people, and appoint
honest aud impartial men. Its equally
lawIess opposition TO the negro militia
averted bloody struggle between the
whites and blacks. This much is said
in favor OF the Ku Klux without any
feeling or jot ot sympathy for Ihom.
The famous Vigilance Committee of
San Francisco was an equally lawless
combination of men, but who will
deny that IL benefited California i'm.
mensely Unfortunately there were
elements among the Ku Klux which
took advantage Of its existence tn
crafty their own private animosties,
and they killed and shot men ut will
aud pleasure. Had it been left undis.
turbed for twelve months longer 1t
woaId have probably become intoleU.
bic to every honest man; then the
better classes would have risen aud
crushed it. Whether it wOuld not
have been best to have let the Ku
KIux run their course until society
stihed and crushed them to death by
the mere force of opinion is a question
| shall not discuss. Certainly, tho
United States would have been benefit.
ed by such u oOnrse for | tell y"n in
all seriousness, believing that ! write
the solemn truth, that the wholesale
arrests making in these counties, the
almost Russian despotism inauguratcd
in this State and the knowledge that
tho present movement plaoos them
more utterly in the power of ignorant
negroes and thioving political adven'
turers are filling the hearts of The
white people q. South Carolina with u
bitter. relentless hatred Of the govern.
ment itself more fatal to the Union
than all the Ku Klnx dcns ever orga-
nizcd could possibly have been.
Arrests by Wholesale and How They are Made
Unnsosssary Severity Of tho Military-..A Growing
Sentiment of Disloysliy
CuEsrERvILLE, :. c., Nov. q, 1871.
When | went to bed IN Unicnvillc
on Tuesday night ] had not the re-
motcst idea that the grand raid upon
the citizens of the town would take
place on Wednesday morning. There
being no stage coaches to and from
points between the rulrond lines, !
had depended upon my ability to hire
n private vehicle tn take me across
the country to Chestervillc. 1t was,
however, impossible to procure any.
thing, Notwithstanding my assurance
to all parties approached that "money
isn't any consideration | therefore
resigned myself TO the necessity of
reaching a point anlY thirty miles
distant, BY taking n circuilous railroad
routa Of hearty one hundred and iity
milcs-that is, 60 down to Columbia,
then up to this place,
FEELING IN KNOXVILLE.