Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-10-10
NORTH CAROLINA KU-KLUx
Trial or the Ruthe rford KIan-1h he Infamy OF
the Order BxpOsed-sentence
OF the Prisoners.


OF the Prisoners
From tn New York Herald
Raleigh, N. c., Sept, %, 1871
In the Ku Klux matter to day, no
motions in arrest of judgment were
made, nor anything done in the
wrlLs OF habeas corpus. The coun-
sci. for the defense made an eloquent
appeal for mercy on behalf of the
prisoners. La response to this APP
peal Judge Bond said
JUDGE BONDS ADDRESS.
We regard it as proper that we
should now say that the facts as do
veloped in the trial of this case
shows most clearly that there is, in
fact condition of things existing in
this district which we know is earn
estly regretted by every good citizen,
to whatever political party he may
belong. We express with confiden =
&c, the opinion that no man is a
good man and no citizen a good cit
zen who approves Of atrocities such
as have been shown to have been
pcrpetrated by these prisoners. We
say more, that no one either a good
man or good citizen of the govern
ment who does not, in his heart con-
denim such acts by whomsoever per
pctrated, as inhuman, fendish and
reasonable in their character. We
know that good men and citizens do
50 condemn such acts and we would
have but little hope for our republic
if we did not so believe. That bad
men should be now found to vio-
late the law, not only by attacking
the most sacred rights of their fell
low men, but their lives also, not
only so, but even more, that men
should be now found to attack in
this way not only those around them,
and not content with that, should
attack posterity by reasonable acts
with view to destroy a govern
ment which has never punished but
protected them, is not matter of
so much surprise, for in looking in
to history we find that at all times
there have been those who would
commit such crimes. But the mat.
ter in which this association, spoken
of by the witnesses, was bound to-
gether; the character of the obliga-
ton signed and taken by its mem
bers, as constructed by themselves
its manner of proceeding to effec.
the object Of the association-tha
this association should have existed
so long and have drawn into its folds
so many men in any part of our
State, is W, say without hesitation
the
MOST DhMNTNG PLOT
upon the character of our State that
history records. The association
has not, SO far as the Court can dis
cover from the evidence, the merit
or excuse that vigilance COMMITTEES,
though entirely selt-constituted, or
dinarily have. The purpose as stat
ed by q majority of the witnesses
was not to punish crime or any acts
forbidden by law, but, in the Ian
guage of the witnesses who were
members Of the organization, to put
down the radical party and raise up
the Democratic or conservative par
ty. Now, it is very clear that it is
not unlawful to advance the interest
aud increase the strength and infu-
ence of any party by the use of any
lawful means, and it may be even
praiseworthy in any citizen that be
is active in the use Of lawful means
to advance such principles relating
to our government as he believes
best calculated TO promote the hap
piness of our people but when men
band themselves together, even to
the number of fifty in q county in
stead of five hundred, as is shown
in this case in Rutherford, who band
themselves together in an oath or
promise, unlawful though it be, to
obey all orders, though such orders
be to commit crime-the lives, the
liberty, the property of the best
citizens in such community can
not be secure.
THEY ARE NOT SECURE.
IT our government has not the
power to protect its law abiding citi-
zens in their lives, their liberty and
their property, which are declared
to DO the leading objects, the first
purposes Of our constitution and orr
laws, we ask, in Gods name, of what
value is our constitution and orr
laws +? l feel that have never been
one OF those who have believed that
our government was such a rome of
sand as to be without the power 10
protect itself from such disintegra-
ton as it would be liable to while
bad men lead. If it was otherwise
our constitution and our laws wonld
be a mere illusion and only calculated
to disappoint the hopes and expec-
tatlons OF the good men who framed
them. We do not entertain a doubt
as to the validity of the Fourteenth
and Fifteenth amendments of the
constitution, and those being valid
then as the act of July 81, 1870,
and the 10Th of April, 1871, they are
also valid, as was declared bv NV
associate in his charge to the grand
jury These laws Cypress no one,
but are only so framed to secure
those from being oppressed whom
the more powerful and lawless-we
may add the evil disposed-may at.
tempt to Cypress. There is another
striking feature in this organization,
according to the evidence in this
case, which we can not refrain from
mentioning here. This we regard o.
of terrible significance, and lends to
the organization infinitely more DOW.
er for harm than would otherwise
be attendant upon it. This is The
fact that all of the leaders of these
bands are of one of the great polite.
al parties of the country, and in the
main their arbitrary and cruel acts
are directed against those who ac
and sympathize with the other O