New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-04-26
THE ACTUAL STATE OF THE SOUTH.

THE ACTUAL SIAIE OF TIE oOOfH'
Few men see what they wish not to Sec
Gan quiet" is the ready report of those VINO
would have that believed, whatever may W
the truth. And there is this also to DC e',u
Violence and blOOdshed attract no''o1 - " -
harmony and security make no noise, - -. '" AZ
be twenty counties in the en."o ooue" a
trocted and convulsed by Ku-hiux cohSp,."''
and outroce. we shall naturally hear more rom
Them than from o hundred counties "hero
Law and Order reign triumphant
W. oa,, Tho especial attention OF Southern
,a', hoIdors TO the lucid and evidently
.,,,thf,l statement of Mr.. III. Z. Luce,
y, ;ron.master, who went down to North
CaroI;na two years ago to smelt Plg
Ion near Charlotte. The county mao
tben Republican officers, and its people
we're living at peace with each other. Mr..
Luce and his associates employed and paid
considerable number of both Whites and
Blacks as wood-choppers, charcoal-burners,
ore-diggers, &C., &c. and they were for
time very popular; as they well
might be. Being seven miles from any
church, they started 0 free meeting on Sun
days, and at the request of their Black labor
ers, soon adde2 Sunday school, but in order
to excite no prejudice they had separate SEES
siOns at different hours for Whites and
Blacks. The latter seemed moro eager, and
their attendance rose to eighty scholars, who
learned to read first, and then learned por-
tons of the Scriptures. These Black learners
ranged from three years old to eighty. Moth
ing was ever said of politics, and no Colored
person was ever admitted to the White school,
All went on quietly and happily until last
May, when the Democracy began to agitate for
the State Election in August. Then COM
menced Ku-Klux raids, and midnight whip
| pings of negroes who were conspicuous as
Radicals :" then White Republican was
likewise whipped, and his mother and daughter
abused, and they were told that should he
again vote the Radical ticket, he should be
hung. Among many such Outrages, a
young Episcopal clergyman, who had been
soldier in the Rebel army, was ordered
to leave the country on pain of death, because
a negro Sunday-school was maintained by his
church, though entirely distinct from the White
| congregation. This was on Admiral Wilkes's
estate. One ColOred family was attacked in
its cabin, whipped and its school-boOks and
| Bible burned to ashes. Of course, the object
and effect were the breaking up of the church
! and school.
! Very soon, Mr.. Luce was served with a no.
| tice, including a rude drawing Of man hang
ing by the neck and coffin, and whereof the
gist was the threat, "You are hereby ordered
" to stop negrow scools and negrOw equality,
I" or death is your portion" The false report
was circulated that he had melted the Blacks
to retaliate on their prosecutors His White
- Ill Ill Oh tba oil Of ln
day school, and he had no choice but obedience.
In the midst of these troubles and alarms,
the election took place, and the County went
Democratic by IA majority. Mr.. J.. has no
doubt that both County and State would have
gone Republican if all those who wanted to
vote that way had dared to do so.
OF course, his enterprise languished under
such circumstances. The ore lie was working
proved bad, and, by the time he had formed
| and tested a better bed, and was ready to
produce eight tuns of Iron per day, he was
| obliged to come North on business, when his
property was seized on attachment and closed
out, and his business wound up at heavy
| loss.-Messrs. David HOadley and VIM X. Yer
milye, two of our best widely known citizens,
attest Mr.. Luce's integrity and capacity
This case is but one of many. 1t evinces
spirit that is widely prevalent. In some States,
it is a smotbered volcano; in others, it is i'll
active eruption. We have frequently aud
cheerfully testified to the general quiet main
tanned in Virginia. Yet one-aTmed Union
soldier, who settled in that State just after the
return of peace and was appointed postmaster
at cOunty-seat, assures us that no woman
has visited his family or exchanged any kind
of courtesy with his wife, and that no man
has made him friendly call bat the clergy
man whose services his family attends; and he
only when the evening is very dark, 30 that
no one outside can see him.
We appeal to Southern gentlemen and land
holders to decide whether this state of things
shall continue. Can they afford to have it I
There is much plausible complaint Of the ig-
norance and incapacty of the Blacks; but
how is this to be amended IL to teach them
be punished as crime? That there are
Southrons who wish the Blacks Instructed, we
fully believe but they are generally of like
spirit with the Southern UniOnists or 1901,
who let their States drift into Secession at
the beck of violent, domineerng minority.
We cannot doubt that the better class OF
Southern ex-Rebels realize that the ku-KluK
outrages are doing great harm to their Sec
ton but why do they rest content with feeling
this without &C ting upon itf
As to the Northern Democratic organs, their
treatment of this subject is one of the most
fragrant infamies of journalism. They know
what is the truth they cannot help knowing
it, yet they Systematically conceal and deny it.
They might stop these outnges by aeoncerted
and earnest remonstrance; but they choose to
let murder and torture 90 ON, in tho base hope
that their party may profit by them. The