The Lincoln County herald., 1871-10-26
Seaulies sf W. ks.Klsx s.sv.

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o to protect the people In .hois rights,
probably only preliminary 70 the cot q
placing the State under Nsrsial Law, wis
j. = serics Of Wholesale arrests, under IN
\ provisions Of the Ku klux bill. tn
4 weight Of evidence IL entirely sgainst tn
suppo.iti00 that thsss 10 any necessit
=. for this action. Indeed, osly . fsW Gay
! ago Gov. SCOTT, in . conversation with
, correspondent Of the Charleston News
unequivocally said that he vac oppose,
to sny declaration Of martial Law, o. h
believed the enforcement Of civil law I,
be the only proper policy. and that unde
the administration Of civil Law onl,
. could the liberties Of the people be pre-.
served. But for bis own selfish end
Gen. Grant wishes il to be beloved tha,
South Carolina is in q state of anarchy
and BY availing himself Of the despoti,
powers which have been conferred upor
him BY unconstitutional legislation, he
expects to mislead the public in regard
TO the situation 10 the South. 1t is pos
sibIe that the success Of the anti G rant
party in the recent municipal election in
Charleston may have had some inAue ce
in inducing him to issue bis proclams.
tion nt this time.
1t is evident that the alleged outrsges
in South Carolina which have been the
pretext for Grants assumption of dicta.
torial powers, are either fictitious or have
been greatly exaggerated for political
effect. For instance, taking a few of the
most prominent examples, an investiga.
ton Of the facts leads to curious results
In Newberry it was charged that col.
ored preacher named Ben Hare was dia.
bolically murdered by the Ku klux for
being black and a Republican. His
murdercrs have been arrested, and they
prove to he three negroes. all Republi.
cans. One Mcclure in Chester county
was said to be another murdered victim of
the Ku klux. His own father in law.
who is charged with other infamous
crimes, is now in Jail awaiting his trial
for this murder. 1t was charged that tho
Ku kux murdered Lewis Thompson.
another colored preacher, whose body
was seen in Broad river. Investigation
showed that Thompson's congregation
objected to bis preaching, and that a.
they were unable to silence him other
wise they disposed of their pastor as
people sometimes dispose of superAuou
kittens. A colored woman named Cole
man was burned in Fairfield county, and
the murder was laid to tho Ku.klux. It|
has been found that the murdsrers were
negroes. An outrage alleged to have
been perpetratcd in Edge6eld county is
proved 10 have been entirely imaginary.
In Sumter county it was reported that .
man had been terribly whipped because
he was a Republican and it turns out
that he was only demonstrated with by o
committee Of citizens for buying stolen
cotton in the seed from negroes. Yet oil
these cases have been published far and
near a. evidences of the deadly hostility
Of the people Of South Carolina to the
national Government.
A case which has just occurred in Ms.
slfsippi affords curious illustration of
tho way in which Km. klnr outraasa can
be manufactured, and also of the iniqui.
tous manner in which ignorant or cor.
rupt officials may misuse the power which
partisan legislation has conferred upon
them. In Neshoba county two danes
named Robertson and Barfeld had dis.
pute regarding the possession of certain
articles Of apparel. During the discus.
sion one Of the ladies dropped the brush
wherewith she was wont to perform the
delicate operation Of "dipping;" and
when she stopped to pick up that indis.
psnsable article, her opponent basely
took advantage of her attitude to pitch
into her, to her great personal iueonveni.
ence. A suit before Justice for assault
followed, in the course Of which fifteen
neighbors swors that Mrs. Bar6sld's
character for truth and veracity was 60
bad that they would not believe her
under oath Enraged at this, Mrs. Barfeld
vent with her complaints to United States
Commissioner Simon Jones, who issued q
warrant Of arrest against the fifteen wit
nes'ss on the charge that they "had
banded together for the purpose Of pre-.
venting one Sarah Bar6eld from obtain
ing her right by civil law, and for the
purpose of breaking up the Federal Gov.
srnment." United States troops we're
called upon to make these arrests, aud
the fifteen citizens were actually marched
from their homes under military guard
to Jackson where they were thrown into
Jail to await trial for high. handed at
tempt to overthrow the Government of
the United States.
II will BE- seen how easy it is to find a
prstext for making arrests under the Ku.
klux law. 1t is not necessary for q per-
'on to commit . crime or even q misde.
nsanor 10 order to find himself in prison
On an accusation which may or may not
be pressed against him. And what 10
now doing in tho South may yet be done
10 the North under the provision, of the
same law, which authorizes Grant to pro.
claim himself an absolute dictator at bis
own discretion whenever aud wherssoever
within the United States he may see at
10 do 30. In fact there is nothing to
prevent our ambitious President from
hereafter institution the sams arbitr.rv