The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-10-19
Martial Law TO be Declared.

Martial Law to be Declared.
We publish the proclamation Of President
Grant, commanding unlawful combinations and
eonspiracies in certain counties Of South Caro-
lima to disperse within five days, and to deliver
up their arms, ammunition, uniforms, disguises,
&c. It is singular document within itself,
and one unacquainted with the real condition of
affairs in this State might suppose that the
President was preparing to put down another
veritable rebellion in our midst. Disorders
and outrages have occurred in many localities,
it is true, but the Chief Executive of the State
has frequently declared that the civil authority
was ample to protect the humblest citizen.
Yet in the face of these declarations, an attempt
is made to establish martial law. 1t will be the
beginning of reign Of terror, and its establish
ment will certainly tend to increase rather than
to diminish the disorthered condition of affairs.
The true object of this movement is not to at
ford protection to the people, nor to disperse
the so-called Ku Klux. The Radical party
would be sadly disappointed and chagrined
were there no pretext for the declaration of
martial law. 1t feeds upon the embers of
hatred enkindled by an occasional outrage upon
a Republican. Without this pretence of giving
protection to the colored people, there would
be great difficulty in maintaining intact the
political organization which has robbed and
plundered the Soush for the last several years.
It will be their purpose to keep up this excite
ffar fbo
dsntial election, and by bayonets and threats to
secure the votes of the Southern States for
their candidate. The war is first waged against
South Carolina, but we apprehend that it will
soon spread to other localities, and before an
other twelve month the iron heel of military
despotism-more CALLING than ever heretofore
will be placed upon the necks of this entire
people. The dispersion of the genuine Ku
Klux would only be the signal for fresh out
RACES perpetrated with the connivance of Rad
ical leaders. 1t is a sad condition of things,
and although forbearance and patience are well
nigh exhausted, these virtues must yet be ex-
ercised in the highest sense, until the day
dawns upon the sombre picture. AS an indi-
cation Of the course likely to be pursued, we
append a dispatch to the New York World:
WASHINGTON, October 13.-The Ku Klux
proclamation turns out to-day to be most i'm
portant step in a new policy to be pursued to-
wards the South. 1t is now known positively
that for more than six weeks past, or ever since
the Ku Klux committee of Congress returned
from the South, the administration has had
under consideration policy to be enforced not
only against the so-called Ku Klux organiza-
tions but in the administration of Federal civil
affairs in the South. There was no substantial
difference of opinion among the President and
the Cabinet and the leading Republicans who
favored this new order of things, except as to
the time when it should be enforced, and that
accounts for the delay till after the October
elections. The proclamation is therefore but
the forerunner of martial law and the suspen-
sion of the writ of habeas corpus, as provided
by the fourth section of the net of April TO-
This says that any Ku Klux organization or
combination "shal be deemed rebellion
against the government, the limits of which
shall be prescribed by proclamation, and also
by commanding the insurgents to aisperse."
Before the privileges of the writ of babeas
corpus are suspended prominent member OF the
government and also leading Republicans, de-
clared to-day that the arrangements of the civil
and military for wholesale arrests of members
of the Ku Klux Klan had been perfected, and
| that the country would be surprised, if the
proclamation were not needed, by the arrest OF
well-known Southern men. This course has
been rendered imperative by the result of the
Texas election in favor of the Democracy
Grant was actually stunned by the announce
ment of 10000 Democratic majority in that
State, and, despairing of carrying the Southern
| States by fair means, resolved to carry them
by any means. In few days the new rebel
lion, this time of the Federal government
against the South, will be fairly begun.