The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-27
SPIRIT OF TIE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEAD1,,o JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToP1os-coMPILED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.

THE ACTUAL STATE OF THE SOUTH.
From the NJ y Tribune.
Few men see what they wish not to see
"All quiet" is the ready report OF those who
would have that believed, whatever may be
the truth. And there is this also to be said
violence and bloodshed attract notice. while
harmony and security make no noise. If
there be twenty counties in the entire South
distracted and convulsed by Ku.klux conspi-
racy and outrage, we shall naturally hear more
from them than from hundred counties
where law and order reign triumphant.
We ask the especial attention of Southern
land-holdefs to the lucid and evidently truth
full statement of Mr. II. O. Luce, an iron
master, who went down to North Carolina two
years ago to smelt pig iron near Charlotte.
The county had then Republican officers,
and its people were living at peace
with each other. Mr.. Luce and
his associates employed and paid a
considerable number of both whites and
blacks as ood-choppers, charcoal burners,
ore-diggers, ETC., ETC., and they were for
time very popular; as they well might be.
Being seven miles from any church, they
started free meeting on Sundays, and, at
the request of their black laborers, soon
added Sunday-school; but, in order to excite
no prejudice, they had separate sessions at
different hours for whites and blacks. The
latter seemed more eager, and their attend
ance rose to eighty scholars, who learned to
read first, and then learned portions of the
Scriptures. These black learners ranged
from three years old to eighty. Nothing 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
mepced Ku-klux raids, and midnight whip
pings of negroes who were conspicuous as
radicals, then white Republican was like
wise 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 oubrages young
Episcopal clergyman, who had been soldier
in the Rebel army, was ordered to leave the
country on pain of death, because negro
Sunday school was maintained by his church,
though entirely distinct from the white con-
gregation. This was on Admiral Wilkes
estate. One colored family was attacked in
its cabiG, 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 soop, Mr. Luce was served with a
notice, including q rude drawing of o man
hanging by the neck and coffin, and whereof
the gist was the threat, "You are hereby or
dered to stop negrow scools and negrow
equality, or death is your portion" The
cited the blacks to retaliate on their perse-
cutors. His white neighbors all advised the
closing Of the Sunday 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 fourteen
majority. MIR. Luce has no doubt that both
county and State would have gone RePubli-
can if all those who wanted to vote that way
had dared to do 80.
Of course, his enterprise languished under
snch circumstances. The ore he was work
ing proved bad, and, by the time he had
found and tested better bed, and was
ready to produce eight tons 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 al
a heavy loss. Messrs. David Hoadley ano
William r. Vermilye, two of our best widely
known citizens, attest Mr.. Luces integrity
and capacity.
This case is but one of many. 1t evince'
a spirit that is widely prevalent. In some
States, it is a smothered volcano; In others
it is in active eruption. We have frequentl.
and cheerfully testified to the general quie
maintained IN Virginia. Yet one-arme(
Union soldier, who settled in that State jus
after the return of peace and was appointe'
postmaster at county seat, assures us tina
no woman has visited his family or exchanges
any kind of courtesy with his wife, and tina
no man has MADE MIN q lrlenuly Cali Dut III
clergyman whose services his family attends
and he only when the evening is 0ery dark, S
that no one outside can see him.
We appeal to Southern gentlemen ant
and-holders to decide whether this state O
things shall continue. Can they afford t
have il? There is much plausible complain
of the ignorance and incapacity of the blacks
but how is this to be amended If to teac
them be punished as a crime? That there ar
Southrons who wish the blacks instructed
we fully believe; but they are generally {
like spirit with the Southern Unionists @
1S6O-1, who let their States drift into sece
sion at the beck of violent, domineerin
minority We cannot doubt that the bette
class of Southern ex-Rebels realize that I'll
Kn-klux outrages are doing great harm
their section; but why do they rest confer
with feeling this without acting upon it?
AS to the Northern Democratic organs, the
treatment Of this subject is one of the M os
fragrant infamies of journalism. They kno
what is the truth; they cannot help KNOWN
it; yet they systematically conceal and deI
it. They might stop these outrages by
concerted and earnest remonstrance; bJ
they choose to let murder aud torture go o.
in the base hope that their party may pro
by them. The blood of innocent men al
women rests heavily on their souls.
GERMAN CITIZENS IN AMERICA