The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-10-13
The Ku.Klux Pother.

News should decline to be muzzled Dy Inc
Columbia Union; but only because 1t con-
siders the policy of THE News ''perfectly
..consonant with the course hitherto pur-
..sued by that journal in particular, and by
.the Democratic press generally, to charge
eqbe Government and the Republican pa
"pers with systematic and malicious mis-
representations in regard to Ku-Klux
Operations. J"
We say, without mipcing words, that the
Columbia Union the only Radical daily pa
per, besides the Nationalist, in this State)
has Systematically and maliciously misrep-
resented the people Of this State. 1t has
crowded it's columns with the letters OF cor
respondents, whose names it refuses to
disclose, although their statements are
shown to be false. We have not relied, as
the Union relies, upon bold assertions. We
have, in each instance, printed the false ver-
sious OF the Union, and the truthful versions
OF responsible newspapers and responslole
men. We have given the facts which war
rant the statement that Ku-Kluxism had
nothing to do with the murder OF Hare or
Mcclure or Thompson; that no Ku-Klux
outrage has taken place in Edgefeld that
there are no Ku-Klux in Fairfield; that Ryt-
enburger was not whipped in Sumter. All
these stories were paraded in the Union as
Ku-Klux atrocities. They are either fabrica-
tions, or they are malicious misrepresenta-
tions of the truth What the Un,On and its
correspondents did not invent, they twisted
and distorted into such shape as suited them.
And the State Government is equally guilty
with the Union. Governor Scott is the mas
ter OF the Union, and whatever 1t says is
adapted to his wishes. 1t is he who de-
nounces martial law to-day and embraces it
tomorrow; it is he who had the assurance 10
say that 'he had taken measures" to make
the approaching session Of the United States
Court, in Columbia, as m morable to the
night-riders as the recent session in Raleigh.
And the United States Governments is equally
guilty with Governor Scott and his organ.
The chairman Of the Ku-Ku2 subcommittee
reported to the President that the condition
of South Carolina was such as 10 demand
the iren hand OF military force to suppress
Ku.K!ux violence. He gave the names OF
certain persons as authority for his state
ments. The Grand Jury of York County
brought Senator SCOTS inlormants before
them, and, after au investigation which lasted
eight days, they reported that since last
July there had been, in York County, only
one case OF violence Qhe chunking OF two
colored men) which could truthfully be
attributed to what are called Ku-Klux- To
iucite the United States marshal to move
quickly he is threatened with removal; anu
now Attorney General Alderman goes up TO
York to help on the indiscrimnate arrest oil
the persons suspected OF Ku-Kuxism. We
say that the Radical press, North and South,
and the Radical officials and politicians,
North and South, do systematically and
maliciously misrepresent the people OF the
South. And they know it, as well as we do.
We have read, as the Nationalist requests,
the correspondence between Judge Bond
and some Raleigh lawyers who begged him
to postpone the hearing Of the ku.hiuz
cases. These lawyers admitted that ku-
Klux organization existed in North Caro-
lima, and promised that it should be dis
banded and broken up. But we cannot see
that this has aught to DO with THE CHARLES
TON News. Our position is this: We stand
ready now, and we have always been ready,
to condemn any violation OF the law for any
reason whatever. We have o thousand times
over, condemned ku-KluXism as an un-
lawful, a wrong and an impolitc remedy for
the evils OF which we complain. But here we
stop. We will not admit that O man is guilty
OF Ku- Kluxsm until heis proved to be guilty.
We will not, to please Governor Scott, pub
lish, as trustworthy, statements which are
false from beginning to end. We did desire
to repose some confidence in The Union, as
we do desire to trust the word OF the Nation
aNst. But we cannot believe one syllable
that the Union says about the Ku-K!ux.
We have found it guilty so oftel, that we
dare not believe it when it happens to he in
nocent. This is unfortunate, but we cannot
help that. We cannot reprint the ku-klux
stories OF the Union as they appear in its
columns, because We find, in each case,
that they are either false III tcLo, or gross
exaggerations. But when an act of violence
has unquestionably been committed, the
Nationalist will lind US as ready to condemn
that act of violence, as we were 10 denounce
the breaking open of the Union Jail and the
killing OF the murderers of Stevens We
love peace and quiet, but this people shall
not be slandered and misrepresented while
we may raise our voice in their defence.
a Cotton Factory In Lexington.