The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-05

0 Walter's Speech a ,Slander upon the Pc
pie Of Virginia. Circumstances beyor
our control, which we regret, compel us
transfer to our local columns the followir
, IN answer to an article which appeared
the Dtspdtch of this morning:
The simple announcement that a gentl,
man from Washington, passing throup
Greensboro, North Carolina, saw "sixtee
ku-Klux in charge of United States troops
the commander of whom informed him tia
ABOUT sixty more were to be arrested" i
the text from which the Dispatch breaches
rants and raves, and calls upon the peopl
or the United States, to know show the,
Ike this marching of white men about b.
United States troops, upon the charge o
maltreating negroes ?"
The article falsely assumes that thest
persons under arrest were being ''marched
about" 1t also as falsely assumes that
the prisoners were arrested for ''maltreat-
ing negroes" while there is not one fact
stated to warrant either of the assumptions.
Ihe sentence we have quoted being quite
ambiguous, we must be pardoned for max
ing several inquiries as to its real meaning.
Does the writer object to arrests being
made by "Federal troops ?" If SO. he
should remember these troops are used.
only because the public disorders are SO
great, and disturbers of public peace SO
bold and numerous, SO well organized and
defiant, that the civil authorities. the mar
shal and his deputies, with the posse co,ni-
tGus, are entirely unable to execute the
process of their courts.
Let these disturbers of the peace disband
and obey the law and the marshal will be
fully able to execute all processes, without
the ard OF troops, but, until that IS done.
the law must be wickedly trampled upon
or honestly enforced by Federal authority.
But, suppose these Ku-Klux were
arrested for maltreating negroes, does
that pious, sanity and God-fearing Jour
nal mean to insist, or is it ready to MAIN
tain, that to maltreat a negro, is not a crime
to be punished as the maltreating of a
white man ought to be?
We have been taught to believe. and
would not willingly depart from such in
that the weak and unprotected
nave especial claims, not only upon the law
md its administrators, but every decent
white man.
1t is only a low and cowardly wretch who
Will stand by and see the weak and unpro-
ected abused Or maltreated by the strong
md powerful, without volunteering for bis
lefence.
The sum of this whole matter is, the ne
.ro is as much citizen as the editor of the
1'spMch, and entitled to the same beniffi-
ent laws, for his protection, as that gentle
nan enjoys.
The Ku-Klux is a band of midnight
owardly, and brutal assassins, who. armed
With daggers, dirks, and bludgeons, seek
Q destroy the weak and unprotected: and
whenever they maltreat either the editor of
ne Dispatch, or any colored citizen. thew
hould be arrested, tried, and, if guilty.
ondemned and punished.
Ii their organizations are too powerful to
e put down by State authority, or Federal
lvll authority, then every Federal soldier
ecessary for the thorough eradication of
1e abuse and the complete vindication of
le law, must be actively employed.
Does the Dispatch object to tbs Does
prefer disorder and midnight assassinaiions
peace order and quiet /? Let it answer.
We remember that Mr.. Walker. the late
reacher, who taught ''peace on earth. good
Ill to men," who has descended into
le filth and mire of politics, and has be-
'me rampant Democratic politician told
le people at the late Democratic mass
eeting, in the speech which he delivered.
lat III the election of 1869, in Virginia,
NJ gone hepubllcan, she, too, would have
ID ner hu.hlux, as well as other South
n States"
We hardly ever knew real bloodthirsty
an, VINO was not either preacher at pre-
Mt, or who had been one at sometime in
life; not pretending to assert that all a
are necessarily SO, but the most =
oodthirsty have been members of the \
.rgy.
We prefer to believe it was the blood
Irsty instincts of that pious (?) gentleman
no, however, failed during the war, to Il
mblt them in any tangible form), which &
md expression in the speech referred to. =
,her than the public sentiment of the
ople OF Virginia. 1t has been charged 6
ousand times over, that the Conservative c
rty was SO remorseless, bitter and brutal :,
It's policy and instincts, that it had deter "
ned to have control of public affairs, at
cost, nor hesitate at Ku-Kluxism. =,
rider, assassination and midnight vio- thl h
ice. !"
We have preferred, however, to believe T T
devil was not so black as he was paint q,
and that the party, mprincipled and ~ ~
'ked as it is, would hesitate to resort to 2,
lite force and public violence, and we still te +,
'e that Mr.. Walker was wrong in his A. A
culatIons and judgment, while we, more cna n
rltable, were nearer right. 1t requires II
ilierent sort of preacher to Mr.. Walker -
make ns believe the people of our good
State are so devoid Of gallantry and OF
V.alry as his speech indicated they would Il
II certain results had not been attained. OF
registered at assembly Hau.-Thc fol- to
ing names of attendants upon the pomo- tn
cal exhibitions, to begin in this CITY to- P'
rrow, were registered at Assembly Hall sii