Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-02-21
CASE FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL
yu.KLux COMMITTEE.


A CASE FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL
KU-KLUX COMMITTEE.
Many good people have doubted the
existence of such an organization as the
Ku-Klux Khan. We have doubted ana
continued to doubt until facts forced
that doubt to retire. We have the fact,
II has come at last There are ku-klux,
bloody Ku-Klux, night-prowling, masked
Ku-Klux, the enemies of society and the
terror of the country. They have been
unmasked in Mississippi, and stand re-
vealed. They stand before the public
unearthed, though to the very letter OF
the earth, earthly. Long they escaped
Long they hid in their holes, and only
sailed out at the noon of night. or IN
that darkest hour, the hour before day.
But their impenetrable mask has been
penetrated. The mysterious caverns
where they plotted and counter plotted
and dallied with heshless bones, and ca
pered to the delicious pleasing OF death
groans have been unroofed, explored,
and the inmates dragged to the light
Let the country rejoice. Let pale fear
now take its flight. Let sleep now de-
scend upon the eyelids and sit there
for there is no more danger. The clat-
ter of the hoofs of the horses OF the
masked marauders will be heard no
more. And now, in confederation and
fertilization of what we write, gentle, or
ungentle reader, please to peruse the fol-
lowing, which we find in the Canton
Miss Mail, of Saturday last
There has been Secret Service Fund
of $4,000 at the disposal OF the Gov
ernor, for months, procured from the
sorely oppressed taxpayers; and though
we had the Governors word for 1t that
the Ku-Klux were rife throughout the
State, and though he had offered the sum
of $4,000 per head for these masked as
sassins," yet it is only within the past
few days that there has been the devel-
opment of single case.
There has been raising of har, at
last however. Thar is sign" as the
bear hunter would remark. A CORE
spondent writes to the Clarion that
negro preacher in Attala was taken out
by some of his own beloved bredren
and used la Ku-Klux, according to the
most approved Ku-Klux authorities.
But there has been, too, a capture
made. A real, live Ku-Klux has been
caught at Meridian. His name is Daniel
Price, and he is a Yankee school
teacher. He is one of the most blazing
Radicals in the State-the organizer OF
LOYAL Leagues, etc. he was tried be-
fore the Mayors court for conducting a
band of masked darkeys to the house OF
"a lonely African in his cabin AS
Governor Alcorn would say-and taking
the lonely African out and whipping
him almost to death. They then ordered
the lonely African to depart, and
never more show his face in Meridian.
Lonely African did so, and when he
was little way of. the Cyclops, Price,
of this Radical Ku-Klux Khan, ordered
his men to fire on the lonely African,
which they did; but not ball hit him.
The next day the Grand Cyclops was ar
rested and brought before the justices
court for preliminary trial, where the
above facts were developed. Pending
the trial. there had been threats made
against the life of the lonely African"
who had made the affidavit against
Price: but the white men Of the county
stood faithfully by the poor colored man
who had been so outraged by the Radi-
cal Ku-Klux, and determined that he
should have justice.
Is not this, to speak seriously,
a most extraordinary revelation2
Has humanity, always frail and unre-
liable, this additional load of odium
to carry2 Are we to conclude from
comparison Of professions and facts, that
there is no truth, no honesty and no vir-
tue in the world2 Are all men knaves,
and all women navesses2 Monstrousl
Go to Washington, the seat of power, Of
intelligence, of corruption, Of every vice
recorded in the DIS catalogue of vices,
and you will discover that the very Gov
ernmentis fraud and falsehood. You
viii discover that the party that takes
credit to itself for having rescued the
negro from usefulness and made poll
tician Of him, has been banking for three
years on the stupendous lie that the
crushed rebellion of the South is crop
ping out in the Ku-Klux organiza-
ton. And lol the Ku-Klux, the
only cry the Radical party can
rely upon to-fre the Northern heart,
is a CRY born Of circumstances impro-
vised for the occasion and indispensable
to success with the people. We do not
wish to insult q blush by styling it a
shame. for modesty often bushes, and
shame is not always criminal Is it not
an exhibition Of the last degree Of de-
pravity. that while the Radical leaders
are whipping negroes under the guise Of
the Ku-Klux Khan, they sre bowling to
Congress to reconstruct the SoGth on
account Of Ku-KlHr outraged Wea
curious to know the effect this exposure
Of the loyal Ku-Klux viii produce on
the minds Of the committee now sitting
to take testimony with which TO afford
Congress a preteHt to prevent the South
ern States from voting against Grant
in 1877.
The United States Circuit Count ad-
iourned At Knoxville on Saturday last.