Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-04-24
The situntIon I'm south Carolina

rH~ CAess"e~tt@ IS DVNth N"hVAiha
z Mr.. II. ". Reynolds, the correspond
ent sent to South Carolina by the Gin
cinnati Commercial, seems to be fair
minded man. He says there are Ku-KluS
societies there. But read his story foi
yourself. 1t is worthy of attention:
The present State government is 0
miserable failure and fraud. II is rot
ten to the core. 1t is corrupt in every
branch. 1t is unworthy the support o.
honest men. 1t is held together by the
cohesive power of public plunder. Its
high places are occupied by corrupt and
incompetent men to an alarming extent
T" Make hay while the sun shines " lis the
watchword Of the officials. While theil
hands are into the treasury up to the
elbows, they divert attention by bowling
rebel, and getting sympathy at the North
under the plea of being prosecuted men.
They say that the opposition to them is
because they are loyal, when, in fact
the greater part is because they are dis
honest. II the State was ruled by the
Prestons and Hamptons, and they con.
Quoted themselves as the present rulers
do, there would be as loud a cry to
Heaven for relief BY. the taxpayers as
there is nov. The pocket nerve is the
tenderest in the human anatomy, and
when touched the result is much the
same, regardless OF, what party does it.
i have been to the upper country, and
know whereof / speak, or should not
speak so plainly. That there is an or
ganization called the Ku- Klux is true.
That it is widespread, compact, oath
bound, disciplined, resolute, and deter
mined, is true. That it, sets at defiance
the civil and military authority of the
State is true That they have been the
authors of hundred murders is true,
and that not one has been arrested is
true. That the militia could not cope
with them, and had to be disbanded, is
also unfortunately true. That there were
conflicts between them is true, and that
the militia invariably lost men and arms,
While the .Klr Klux lost neither, is true
That they pay no attention to the Presi-
dents proclamation for them to dis
p.erse, % and that they ride about in the
counties where United States troops are
stationed as much as formerly, is true.
These are unpleasant truths, but we
have good deal of that sort of thing to
deal with on this planet of ours. OF all
the problems presented to our benef-
cent Government to solve, this one of
the Ku-klux is among the hardest. 1t
is not rebellion against the United
States, for they never interfere in any
manner with the property, or the soldiers,
Of the flag Of the Government. They
never select Federal soldiers as the OBJ
ject of their vengeance. They never
insult the flag, nor lay in complaints
against the General Government in any
Of their numerous orders and manifes-
toes. a.
But they whip and murder Union men
and negroes, command State officers to
resign, order certain men obnoxious to
them to leave the State in,so many days,
and carry ont their orders TO the letter.
They act only at night, and shroud them
selves in mystery as much as possible
L believe they have an object to ac-
complish III this State, andin conjunc-
ton with the taxpayers | believe they
mean to accomplish it, That object is
to carry the State for the Democracy at
the next election That is what they
are up to now. and considering the pow
erful aid they are receiving from the bad
actions and disreputable conduct Of the
in power here, | believe
they will accomplish it. South Carolina
has gone Republican for the hast time,
mark it. The only possible way for the
party to save the State totheir ticket in
1872 is for the President,to declare mar
tial law, as believe he has authority to
do under the Ku-Klux bill, and meet
force by force. 1t would be disgraceful
10 see two parties wrangling over the
electoral vote OF the State in that man
ner, but it is what we are coming to.
The Democrats viii cry ont that the
President is trying to carry the State by
he liberal use of the bayonet, and the
will yell Ku.Klux and rebel,
md another rebellion and the spirit of
1861 abroad in the land, and all that
Times will be lively, and poor Carolina |
ylll bleed at every pore, especially the |
pocket pore. 'i1qi
The calling out and arming Of negro |
militia and then recalling them has made |
matters worse. The blunder was in call |
ng them out ia the first place. The
,retence was that they would suppress
he Ku-kluX, but she result was that the |
zu-Klux suppressed them. Several com
Danies were organized in each of the
lpper counties. They were provided
With the bess of arms, and met every
saturday to drill. After drill they re-
urned to their homes with their arms
Then it was that the Ku-KluX had the
.dvantage and used it. They would go
n body to the house of militia man
nd demand his gun. If he gave it up,
il well enough; but if he refused, they
Yould break into his house, beat him un-
nercifully, and take his gun. In this
Tay they disarmed large proportion of
be militia. There was a continued de-
1and on the State for more arms. In
his way about 100000 was expended.
/ was found expensive business to arm
he Ku-Klux and negroes also. In every
onfiict the negroes got the worst of it.
n Union county, where | took particu-
lr pains to inquire. into this matter, /
)und that fifteen negroes had been
illed all belonging to the militia, and
OF single Ku-Klnx killed or captured.
This would not do, and the stupid
lunder of arming negro militia in the
rst place was partially rectified by re-
alling them. To recall them was the
est way out of blunder; but while it /.
rs had a tendency to stop bloodshed. it :
rs greatly emboldened the Ku-Klnx and ! !.
leir allies, who consider it baekdown (;
n the part of the Radicals, and pre- /,
ares them to take still more decisive 4
cps in the work of oyerthrowing the :
resent State government. As for the
residents proclamation, it amounts to :
Dthing in the way of dispensing the Z
an. He had as well have issued one !.
Watts hymns for all the good it will !
}. 1t is not long until the twenty days I