The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1871-03-01
'ER NS-IN Advance.
The Ru klnx kIan.

ORIGIN AND AIMS OF TIE MYSTERIOUS
ORGANIZATIONS REAL FEELING
AMONG THE PEOPLE or UrPER SOUTH
tAROLIHA-A nLYINTEREsTING
LETTER FROM UNION
TO Tia Editor ofMe Ncws
The MYSTERY which surrounds tho
movements of the Ku Klux.k Il Ian, has
led the superstitious to regard them
os spirits Of the disenibodied, whilo
tho cdlca:od, beyond tho field Of
operation, have believed tho whole
story to be myth. BIT Of their cx-
istenco, as an organized body of liv.
ing men, we, who hive seen them, en-
tert1ia no doubt. OF their number
an ext ent, it is impossible to spoak.
There must be one thonsand in
days march Of Union. You hayo
them, no doubt, in Charleston, and
they certainly can be found through
out Georgia, North Carolina and Ten
nessee. Tncy occasionally leave be.
hind them letters explanatory oftheir
purposes. Those of them who operate
in South Carolina, say that they want
peace, but must have Justice that the
courts arc guided by weak judges :;
and juries composed Of ofignoraut ne
grocs that a thief, convicted with
much cost of time, money, and labor
to the prosecutor, remains at the peni.
tentiary scarcely u week, and then re-
turns home with pardon, prepared
to steal again. Thoy say that when
their race have Justice, and arc no
longer robbed by public thieves, thoir
mission will end.
There are some erroneous opinions
entertained as to the ceilings of tho
people of Upper South Carolina to.
wards the Ku.Kux. They arc not
band Of cut. throats and despcradoos,
as some suppose nor, on tho othor
hand, are tney universally approved
of by tho white people hero. They
arc men Of iirmress aud nerve, who
strike because they believe it neces-
fary for the projection Of their life,
property and Liberty ;they strike at
night, because circumstances render it
imperative. But very many citixons
dlsapprovo and condemn the aots Of
violence committed by tho Klan. We
teel tho oppression of the present
State government, but we would not
havo 1t overturned with violence.
We might indulge in hard woris
a!ainst the ku-klux, but we find that
they despise our structures, and
tho State officials believe all of US to
be members of the band, no matter
how much we abuse it.
Now, sir, before we can successful
]y oppose and end this evil, wo must
appreciate tho causes. It's bad prac-
tice to administer remedy before we
make diagnosis. II We wont back to
first causes, We would indicate the
Reconstruction acts, the greatest poll
tical blunder of the century, as tho
inclter Of the Ku-klux. In our State
however, tho organization would never
have taken root if We had been spared
the late iniquitous election laws, tho
"rning of negroes with guns ind oar
tridgcs, (the latter being unnece ssary
for purposes Of drill the gross frauds
"fthc election in October, the numor
Gus pardons issued by the Governor,
and the wholesale robbery by State
officials of money wrung from our peo-
pie by enormous taxation. And again,
it Is we'll known that Joseph Crews,
prominently connected with tho State
government, honorod by the speaker Of
the House, and tho travelling compan.
Jon of our Governor, in effect encour-
aged murder, arson and rapine, las.
summor in Laurons. What might
have been the consequences Of that
ndvicc,it it is fearful to contemplate.
Ho may be moro successful next
summer.
In September or October last, June
Mobley, member of tho Legislature,
informed his negro friends that ten
white men should be killed for every
negro murdered. Little did June
thon think tbat his threat against our
race would so literally be fulfilled
against his own. Tho animus of the
black race and their advisors towards
the white people may be also gathered
from the murderous plans Of Crows
and others Chen and now State
officials towards citizens Of Union and
Laarens, so recoutly exposed through
your columns by kerrigan and his
men. IL was only further proof of
what we already felt, that the white
rnco would be taxed out, or killed out
by negroes and thoir allies If pos.
sible. f'
ltere we're tho causes which opera.
tea to plant tho Ku. KMx in South
Carolina. The murder Of Mat
stevens gave them great strength. It
was foul murder--tho foullest over
known in this State. q one-armed
lnofte nsive white man, Of good charac.
ter, who toiled honestly for his daily
bread aud did.harm to no one he was
waylaid and cruelty murdered because
be had "white skin" Tho Murder
ers were body Of negro militia. AZ