Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-29
A REIGN OF TERROR In SOUTH
CAROLINA.

I
How the Operations OF the Ku-Klux
Hunters are COnducted-A sDecs-
men Arrest : Disastrous Effect ON
the COmmunity-DemOr OF
the NegrOes-A Gloomy Picture.
From the Columbia Phoenix, Oct. a.
We call attention to the following extract
from the letter of citizen of Yorkville,
addressed to a gentleman of this city. The
writer is gentleman of the highest charac-
ter. His letter win give some idea of the
scenes enacting in York. Nor will our
readers fail to appreciate the indignant
emotions evinced by this writer, whom we
know to be quiet, law-abiding man:
YORKvILLE, s. c., Oct. 21.-Although
feel secure in my own innocence of any
completely in the causes which have been
made the preteXt for the infamous proceed
ings inaugtrated here by party in power,
yet | cannot but be shocked, and feel UNI
easiness, at the total overthrow of all nv
preconceptions of Republicanism, freedom
and law. Indeed, no stranger to our COM
munity could remain here unaffected by the
| prevailing gloom and sense of insecurity.
| Every bulwark Of civil protection seems lev
elled, and personal liberty appears now to
depend entirely upon the absence of malice
On the part of the ignorant and depraved.
No warrants are issued, no charges specified.
no authority exhibited; a soldier under arms,
sometimes a commissioned or non-commis-
stoned officer, sometimes merely a private,
presents himself and orders march to Jail.
Arrived there, the prisoner is searched. and
then locked up in a cell and told that he can
have no source of amusement TO while away
the time, as he is placed there for punish
mPRt, and not for pleasure. In some cases
a little consideration has been shown, such
as time 10 take leave of wife and children.
lchen Convenient; in many others, the "sum-
mary process" is most scrupulOusly adhered
to.
\ case of this kind took place in town to-
day, which illustrates well s'the changes and
variety Of untried being we must pass" A
Mr.. Mitchell, highly esteemed as straight
forward, upright man by all who know him,
came to town last night to attend Masonic
meeting. This morning, while standing in
store, he was arrested by a common sol
der, who, after cooking his musket and put
ting on fresh cap, ordered him to hold up
his hands, and told negro to search his
pockets and disarm him. This being done,
the doughty soldier, with his sable assistant.
carried the prisoner to Jail. What adds
poignancy to this shameful indignity, is the
fact that the black rascal who took part in
it is strongly suspected of having been Cns
of Roses gang Of barn-burners. There are
now some thirty-two or three in jail, but
this number win, doubtless, be largely in
creased by morning. as nearly all of the
cavalry companies are ranging over the
county, and night arrests seem to be in
special favor.
All this is bad enough, God knows, but
there are consequent evils to be apprehended,
which dwarfit into petty annoyance. The
county is being depopulated. Numbers of
farmers and other citizens, innocent as well
as guilty, appalled, at the prospect of a long
Incarceration, packed jury, an unscrupu-
lous Judge and ready host of accusing wit
nesses, eager TO swear, according to iRStruc-
tons, for ''two dollars a day and expenses
paid" have left homes and families Just as
the threatened danger found them. The
matured crops are but half gathered and
the unprotected farms stand as tempting
bats for the idle negro. 1t will not be long
before larceny, arson and outrage of every
sort will be committed throughout q Is help
less section. Already the signs of exultatiOn
are shown on the faces of the negroes. The
town is daily filed wit, them-many coming
to sell their concocted tales of Ku-Klux in
juries, or 10 seize the chance of easy ven
geance upon those whom they dislike.
This very afternoon, my friend - was
subjected to annOyances of this kind.
About month ago, he informeda worth
less negro tenant on his mothers farm that
he must make other arrangements for next
year. To-day the rascal came to town to
report him as "a Ku-Klux and friend to
Ku-Klux. y, Knowing Mrs. was in
town, he actually rode up here TO Drag to
Mrs. -, his wife about he had done.
Fortunately, his tale was so ridiculous and
so badly told, that it was rejected at head
quarters. This is straw, but it shows
the drift of negro feeling. 1t is needless TO
add that all business and industry are par
alyzed. Through all this, A. S. Wallace,
directing and controlling spirit Of this
scheme of infamous outrage, remains in our
midst. He daily airs himself upon our
streets, here in the very heat of murder
and conspiracy, as he calls it, and glodts
over the verification Of his prophetic threat
that che would yet have this people beneath
his heel"
But must stop before l grind my teeth
to the roots.
THE REIGN OF TERRoR-sHAMEFUL CON
DDLI VI IhE EDEhaL OfFltEhS.
From the Camden journal.
In Spartanburg we are informed that the
Jail is so full ofso-called Ku-Klux that many
are camped outside under guard. In York
we are told that all the roads leading to the
courthouse are picketed by soldiers, and
any one attempting to pass either way is
arrested, and in many instances thrown into
jail, and that in one case where party had
gone to make an arrest at night they in
truded upon the privacy of young ladies'
chambers, land pulled the covering from
their bodies, pretending to search for their
victim. We are further informed that many
persons are leaving their homes in order 10
avoid these arrests, not that they feel them
selves guilty, but because they may be ar
rested upon mere suspicion or idle accuse
ton and put to great trouble and expense
to procure bail, aud perhaps by perjury be
convicted of the crime alleged, and sent 10
the penitentiary, all of which is not only