The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-10-12
Political Kukluxism The American
.-s Government,

Political kulSluxism The American
Lii Government.
Secret ORGANIZATIONS Tor political strife
have been quite numerous in thus country
during the last twenty years. one OF '"e
mos, threatening and ferocious OF them was
the .Wide. Awakes, the offspring OF hlaeh
Reruhlicanism, just upon the eve OF war
It introduced the drill. had sort OF UNI
form, passwords, grips, &c. Ii maze pre-
p,rotions for war, famed the cmbers OIL sec
t,nnoI strife. and did much to disincline the
northern public mind TO compromise, 1or
which the South had clearly intImatcd It's
readiness.
This passionate and rough association VIC
think was finally merged in the Union
Iespne. which was so active during the war,
and nj It's conclusion entered the political
arena with all the hatreds and rancors II had
itself nourished during the war, and when
It had done so much to spread over the
whole North; thus finding n new
means OF employment for its machinery
that was quite congenial with the
temper of its members, and altogether
encouraging as way, i'll time OF So
called peace, to that provender anu
profit which they had so largely enjoyed.
Daring the war the League brought TO
bear its thorough discipline and effective
means upon the party politics OF the
South. With the members Of the body
the question of Union was forgotten, save
so far as to be used against some and In
i,yor of others in the matters of the cleo
lions and the disposal of offices.
Upon the instant Of the termination OF
the war the Lodges OF the League were
established throughout the South. The
simple negro was inconceirably fiattered
lv the invitation to join the great order,
which was represented us an important
agent In acc omplshing his Geliyerance. The
males of the whole negro population were
promptly incorporated with the League.
The people of the South know well how
that pestiferous body imbued the minds OF
The negroes with the bitterest animosity
towards their late masters, and how 1t held
all coloiel voters to a solemn obligation to
oppose the acknowledgements of the whites,
~ Keep them out of all connection with tue
Government, and to Cypress them and dis
ALE them in every possible manner. We
al know what reign of terror the League
inaugurated over the blacks, so that none
of them dared to vote in defiance of the
orders OF the League upon pain Of personal
injury, which was often, by threat, the en-
IRENE of death. What community cannot
testify to acts of violence, often resulting
in death, pcrpctratcd by negroes upon men
Of their own race, either for being sus-
peeled of unwillingness to obey the League,
or for voting, or attempting to vote, the
Conservative ticket.
And what has ever been done by the United
States Government TO check the distu! bling
influences and vicious deeds OF this League 7
The southern people had no courts Of their
own, ana the military power took no notice
Of these miSchievous agencies and acts.
Indeed. many Of the United States officers
were chief wire-woikcrs in the Leagues.
One Colonel BROWN, who occupied high
position In the military government here,
was one Of the principal managers OF the
League. and was absolutely schcming,
through that powerful machine, to become
Governor or United States senator. The
Freedman's Bureau was the commisSary
department of the League, and, could the
truth he gotten at, the country would be
amazed nj the corruption aud rascality thai
We're praciiced within the Bureau "rlngs.'
and at its bold and iawless tampering with
the politics Of Virginia.
IL, -, lrIn Opn1. tho tn, IL,
the South, spread over the whole land the
b!ttcrcst passions and put in operation the
most rssealiy devices to Cypress the whit T.
people aud hand over their governments to
the management OF the INSCRIPTIONS and
dishonest carpet-ba49er> and the ignorant
negroes, who had not single mental
qualification that entitled them to vote, and
certainly 10 capacity to administer the
lowest office In the Cover nment. The he.
gro. however, was to be used only here
and there in subordinate places with very
small salaries. The paying offices were SCI
apart for The carpet-baggerS. The Govern
mcnt at Washington never paid the slight
est attention to these outrageS upon tht
southern people and civliZston-it in NJ
instance recognized or punished the we'll
known and undissuised tyranny exercised
by The Union Lodges over the negroes
aud the military conservators of the peac
here, with their courts, in no instance at
tempted 10 bring to punishment anybod.
concerned in threatening or beating ne
groes who had offended the Lodges by turn
ing Conservatives, or by simply withdraw.
r. ha S,f1u IF ka /
How different the action of the Govern
ment towards the kukluX! That order
far less hurtiul to society than the abomi
nabe Lodges of the League In the South, i:
put under the ban and its members subject
ell 10 penalties severe to degree never be-
fore melted out to similar crimes-punish.
ments so disproportioned to the crimes
that they become 6arbarous in their ma
ture. One striking feature Of them is the
large lines they impose, showing marked
decline amongst the lawmakers toward
barbarous notions and the sordid temper
OF q people prone to spoliation. 1t would
seem that the lawmakers had discovered
that to take mans money from him was
the seyerest penalty that could be inflicted
on the one hand and the most profitable to
the Government and its agents on the
other. What an example of the justice of
the great American nation!
The poor kuklux are dragged from their
homes and marched hundreds of miles,
guarded by armed soldiers, to be tried
before tribunals preiud!ced against them,
d, under laws which afford the fullest oppor-
fUnity for the qualification Of the taeIino