The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-15
THE KU KLUX.
Views of the Friends and Foes of the
Modern Vehmgericht.
Terrible Pictures of Lawless-
ness and Anarchy.
The Negro Still al Ebony Apple
of DiScOrd.
-~>~~>>~>~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~
n ]
sThTe We're No Judges in Those Bays, and
Every Man Did What Seemed Good to
Him in His Own Eyes,
Appeal of the Governor to the People
Of North Carolina.
ARREST OF SNIEEN XII kLuX MEMBERS.

RALEIGH. N. c., May IL, 1871.
] called 10 day on Governor Caldwell, and had
suite an interesting conversation with him as to the
general condition OF the State The Governor is
good looking elderly gentleman, who is apparently
on the best OF terms with himself and tine world in
general, and who gives one the impression of being
sensible rather than brilliant; practical rather than
profound
After a little desultory conversation, ! sad:-
"And as 10 THIS disorder In the State, Governor.
don't you think it Is a little exaggerated ~
"Thats Just where all you Northern folks go
wrong and where you HERALD people especially do
Ms no end OF harm. Exaggerated ~ there the Gov
ernor rose from his chair and walking up and down
the puGed ercely at the little cane stem clay
pipe he was smoking)-"l should say not. get let
tiers every day-most every day, that ls-from some
where or another IN the State telling me that this
man has been whipped or that man has been shot
or hangeo. lust tell you that you Northern people
have no idea at all OF the
EXTENT OF OUR TROUBLES
down here There was a time when l myself
doubted about part OF these stories, and remember
once, when was home IN my own county, and
man came TO me saying he had been whipped by the
Ku KluX, thought would get at the truth and SO
said to him, "Just come into my office and show
me now they have treated you.' Well SIR, he took
and there from his-his-from the bottom OF his
shirt TO his shoulders was mass Of blood and
bruises. That's what have seen myself.n
"But now widespread is this troubey"
That can't tell YOU because don't know The
eastern counties are pretty quiet. have got
letter to-day from judge whose politics are by no
means extreme and who is respected by men Of all
parties and he tells me that bands Of armed and
disguised men prowl through Harnett county about
once every week and commit all sorts OF outrages.
Very recently they took man, Jones, the keeper
OF the poorhouse, and gave HIM hundred ana fifty
lashes The same night they caught negro and gave
him two hundred stripes. That Is in Harnett
county, only thirty miles from Raleigh. Then there
Is trouble just now IN the western counties. They
tell me that in Rutherford there have been great
many outrages ana that there is scarcely white
man IN 1t who is not Ku klux. All the counties
round there-Burke, Polk, Cieaveland and Nc
Dowell-are reported 10 be in dreadful condition
Rutherford is where the United States troops have
gone to. There is trouble pretty much all over the
State: it is ali the time breaking out in a fresh
placer
"But Is this
LAwLEssNEss POLITICALLY
There are plenty OF Leople who admit its existence,
but say that II Is the only means by which white
men can keep the negroes in order; that IL is only
sort OF vigilance committee in the interest OF law
and order"
..What else can it be but politicalY know that
negroes steal and no doubt they have burned
barns and done many things they ought not
10. But there are laws 10 punish them and, what
ever may be said to the contrary, If negro is
brought before court he can be convicted II there
IS sufficient legal evidence. why don't these men,
instead OF riding about at night with masks on
their faces and picking out men they merely
suspect and hanging them without going
through the form OF even such trial
as believe judge Lynch and his officials used TO
have IN Calilornia-wny don't they collect proof
against whoever may have wronged them. and in
the light OF day prosecute them I'm open court? l
know plenty OF cases where negroes have been
punished for proven crimes. No, SIR when Won
come 10 look az this thing you Will find that all the
people kn.kluxed are negroes or poor white repub-
leans. This terrible state OF affairs Is Of political
origin That Is the only theory on which IL can be
..But don't Won know, Governor that the demo-
cratic Congressman and Senator'S have written 10
their districts begging their friends to put down this
lawlessness so far as u lays IN their powern
''ics; saw circular or something OF that KIND
10 that effect. But has 1t had any resulty None
Whatever. II our leading democrats would take
the stump and honestly and sincerely denOnnce This
ku kluX business, the State would soon De qulet.
could uame half dozen men whose influence
would alone be sufficient 10 restore order. But, IN
stead following the advice or their Northern
friends, they encourage the ku Klux by eXcusing
Ihem-say ing that bad government and negro theft,
and one thing and another, nave provoked these
Outrages. have no SORT OF doubt that there Is not
single ku klux VINO Is not democrat, aud that
two-thrds OF all the North Carolina democrats are
ku klaX'
Don't you think
TUE UNION LEAGUE
among the negroes drss originated this Ku Kiux or
ganizationW
'sTuat Is absurd In the nrst place The Union
League is now all disbanued, ana has been for
lime Then, what likeness IS there between tue Two
societies The Union League came out III the open
li2ht OF day.
''Bui they mad oaths ana passwords"
"les, but the passwords were about all they had
"a 4gaff mn, n pafn Va road plkS IN
the stump, and have challenged democrat
present 70 find fault with it: and nos one came for
III y but square, nnninching loyalty TO the unIOn
The Union League used 10 paraae through the
streets every bOly knew who they were: they made
no secret about the objects OF the association But
the ku hluX like miserable towards, ride about the
aud rob whoever may happen 10 fall under suspicion
81 having done or not done something Tor or against
rs II true that these
ourEA6Es TAKE PLACE CHIEFLY
I'D Tie counties where the whites are IN majority ~
Yes; wherever the blacks are more numerous
man the whites tue country - quiet That shows
about how courageous the Ku klux are. Iney are
AFRAID 10 do anything ~ place where they run a
fair risk OF being retaated On in klnd.n
Ill seems 10 be little different IN south Carolina,
anyhow There the whites are everywhere IN tne
minority, ana Yet II Is precisely there that tile Ku
kiux muster strongest
II DO not know ANYTHING about South Carolina
In this State IL is as ] tell you, and 10 me there
seems something shamciudy mean ana cowardly IN
me general character OF the operations OF the ku
bic, Dut think they have very httle courage 10
boast or
wei, what are You going to DO about this tnlng,
CALL OUT rHE MILITIA,
oT whatW
III | called out the militia should just call ont
the Ku Kiux 10 put down the Ku kluS, which
would be a little ridiculous. In this state every
able bodied man Is q member Of the militia; and as
two-tnrds OF The white men are democrats, and
fwo-tnIrds OF the democrats are ku Klux, should,
ia calling out the millta. bring out the biggest
muster of the Ku klux the South mas yet seen. NO,
Z can 10 nothing, except under the new law passed
~ Congress, though doubt very much II lhat VIII
prove ~ very much good.n
ssDo ron think tnls Ku klux business springs rom
ne degraded condition OF the masses OF the people
"a ne State--theIr want OF education and poverty
aud sillessneSs and the rest OF H. such as we used
te near about even before tie war;"
40 sr The people Of TINS state are naturally as
nnao- ahle aud nrnerlY aEOmmnlIiy as there - IN