New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-12
LAWLEssNEss IN THE SOUTH.

to the same subject. First. the letter of
President Grant, declaring the existence
of disturbances at the South. which ought
to be suppressed. Second, the report of
a congressional committee, asserting the
| same fact. and the same conclusion.
Third, the Chicago Tribune. which enters
into details to prove that these disorders
exist, and that some way should be dis
covered by which they might be sup
pressed. All of these papers are inderend-
ent. There could have been no collision
between the parties who made these sew
eral representations, for it is always un-
| certain when a committee will make it's
report in Congress and the Chicago
| Tribune is too independent in its course,
and too much at variance with the Pres
ident on many issues, to be his mouth
piece or his associate in declaring piece
of news, OF line of policy. The only
reason, then, that can be invoked to ac-
count for this coincidence of thought and
suggestion is, that the subject has imme-
dately grown into matter of overwhelm-
| ing importance. And their agitation at
this time destroys the suspicion that
these statements and propositions are
made and designed for political purposes
since there are no elections to be held this
year that can be affected thereby. What
the President urges upon Congress is
urged in the interest of peace, and, if
promptly adopted, will furnish the basis
of peaceful election next year, which is
the very end and aim of the opposition, if
we are to believe what the opposition says
But to the propositions themselves
First, as to the actual existence of law
lessness, without being partisan of dis
order, it is impossible to deny that dis
! order exists in the States of North Caro-
lima, South Carolina, Kentucky, Texas,
and somewhat in Alabama. There is no
complaint as to Louisiana, thanks to the
superior intelligence and greater industry
of our people, who have found more profit
in accepting the laws and in attending to
their material interests than i'll defending
their ancient prejudices, and in resisting
the manifest will of the nation. In South
Carolina. however, and in Kentucky the
facts are indisputable, and have grown
into such an outrageous character that
even the Democratic papers have acknowl-
edged their existence and demanded their
extirpation. In fact, the testimony of the
Democratic papers is alone sufficient to
sustain the assertion of the President and
of the congressional committee that dis
order, whether it is called ku-Kluxism or
revolution, exists III South Caro-
lima, North Carolina, Texas and
kentucky. But to be explicit on
this point, and to demonstrate that
our attitude is not dictated by enmity to
any class of peaceful citizens, nor by any
desire to effect political results, but
simply to correct great abuse by stating
its existence and demanding its suppress
sion, few instances are given from the
list of aggravated otfenses reported to
Congress and not denied. And in doing
this We must give the Chicago Tribune
the credit of affirming its belief in the
existence of these specific cases; and in
referring to the Tribune as our voucher, it
| will be well to bear in mind that the
Tribune is not an enemy to our people,
| but has, on all occasions, manifested
disposition to disparaSe the many in
stances of violence which were reported
from the South. In fact, the Tribune has
| been inclined to be somewhat erect and
virtuous in its republicanism as compared
with the republicanism which it described
in the South. And yet, even the leniency
OF the Tribune cannot evade the conclu-
sion that there is disorder in certain sec
tons of the South, and that it should be
suppressed for the benefit of all parties
What are these facts, about which there
can be no dispute? First, in Hill and
Warren counties, Texas, certain despera-
does who had been arrested for numbering
negroes were forcibly taken from the
hands of the State authorities by the local
officers, and released. In this instance
the people sustained the act that upset the
arrest of we'll known criminals. In South
Carolina, the mob has torn up the railroad
track in order to prevent the movement of
United States troops, and the Governor
has been compelled to station pickets on
all the roads leading to the State capital,
in order to protect the Legislature. In
Georgia. the opponents of the State gov
eminent have sounded the keynote that
the Ku-klux-kIan must act with discre-
ton and without noise, and that its efforts
must be delayed until after Congress has
adjourned, in order to prevent legislation.
IN Kentucky, the mails have been stopped
because the Ku-Klux assaulted the colored
agent and made it SO dangerous that he
was afraid to travel the route. They
warned him that he should not act as mail
agent because he was negro; and in
Frankfort, a body of Ku-klux marched into
town at night and released from the Jail
men who we've under arrest for outrages
upon negroes, and neither the men who
assaulted the mail agent nor those who
broke open the Jail have been arrested by
the authorities.
These are the facts. What conclusion