The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-02-20
The Ku-Klu1 In South Carolina.

| ed as well as an outsider may explain tnem,
the circumstances which led, in South Caro-
lima, to the formation of the Ku-Klux-Rian.
There is no doubt of the existence OF this
terrible organization. In Union County, at
least, the body is strong and determined.
All the people do not sympaihze with Its
| objects, OF with it, mode or action; the
property-holders of tae county have no part
or parcel in its affairs There it stands,
however, D sad evidence OF the laxity of the
moral 6bre-a striking illustration OF the
evils which ensue when any set Of men,
whatever the purity Of their first intention,
take the law into their own hands and set
themselves up as judge, jury and execu-
toner.
Our correspondent says, and he writes in
good faith, that the Ku-Klux are "men OF
/" firmness and nerve, who strike because
they believe it necessary for the protection
"of their life, property and liberty" The
Infamous election laws; the arming OF negro
militia; the election frauds which deprive
the people OF representation; the multitude
OF executive pardons; the plundering extrav-
agance of the State Government; the muir
derous harangues OF Crews, Mobley and the
rest-these are the causes which are said
to have planted the Ku-Kluz in our State.
The murder OF Matt Stevens, and the pro-
posal to remove his supposed murderers to
Columbia, strengthened the bloody league,
and, by the butchery at Union Courthouse,
brought it into public notice. Before this, the
Klan were content to whip and to burn; now,
nothing less tkan ten lives for life will
satisfy them. The sympathy OF the negroes
with the murderers of Matt Stevens added
Iuel to the fame, These negroes, regard
Ing "with Indifference the deed, In the ab-
"stract," had no other feeling than their
tenderness for the prisoners whom the Ka-
Klux have killed. They, regard not the
crime, so long as 1t does not touch the men
of their own race, or the whites whom they
lean uron and love. Sore and sick at heart
smarting with a myriad wrongs, abused
smitten and oppressed-the Ku-Klux con-
stitute themselves the champions OF an in
jured people, finding remedy for all we
endure in q course OF conduct which dis
graces State and people never before dis
honored. We know, and none know better,
what South Carolina has been called upon
to bear during the past FIVE years. The pa
tient fortitude of the people, their energy in
the struggle with adversity was worthier OF
renulation than the headlong bravery which
gave the lives OF a legion OF South Carroll
mans to the cause of constitutional liberty.
Their stern devotion to the laws OF right,
their crucifixion of the SOUL was to bring
them, mills good time, the laurel leavessof
victory. But a seed sown long ago gives
forth it's fruit a body OF South Carolina.
white men, stung 70 the quick by insult
heaped upon insult, mete out a.bloody retri-
button 10 those whom they believe to be
guilty. Strive to excuse them as we may,
we know that these armed avengers, these
midnight raiders. have entered upon path
which, if persevered in, must lead them to a
violent and disgraceful death: They become
the enemies Of society; they ruin the very
people whom they seek to save. It is sheer
folly to speak OF ejecting, by force, the clique
who nisrule the State. This is to put our
selves In the wrong, to deprive ourselves of
all the advantages we now possess, to come
down from the high places Of virtue into the
broad plains of vice. For, these Ku-Klux,
sooner or later, will array against them
every man in South Carolina who has a wife,
or daughter to be insulted, or home to
be destroyed. In Ku-Klux war the negroes
have ten-fold the power which the whites en-
Joy. And it is settled fact, all other con-
siderations apart, that no body OF men which
is not strong enough to overcome the whole
army OF the United States, can either over
throw the State Government or drive the ne
grees out OF the State. But the Ku-Klux
are me- handful, and the tide OF public
opinion sets steadily against them:
Our chief duty, nevertheless, is to find
way of making Ku-kluxism impracticablein
tbasnresent and impossible in the future. We
know that garrison Of United States troops,
stationedat Union Courthouse, will preventa
recurrence of these lawless acts in Union
County. But We would go deeper. We
would explore the past, and endeavor to lay
bare the old habits Of thought which tempt
community to take up arms, by night or day.
when they are personally injured, and the
civil law, in their judgment, fails to give
them satisfaction.
Iuthe Southern States OF America there
has.baen, In certain sense, too much indi-
viduality-the individual has not sufficiently
lost his. identity ia the common government,
which is bound, and whose objectis is, to protect
the rights Of individuals. On the frontier, in
semi-ciyilized comm unities, the man carries
his life in his hand-personal honor, person.
al property aad public rights are'matntained
by his own strong arm. The law, which is
the community, is weak-the individual man