Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-03-01

DEMOCRATIC LAwLEssEESS.
- Fea ereiffrsi i------ rFa-ETlrtHft .r-f2-
We publish in another column an ac-
count of Kuklux, outrage perpetrated
last Saturday morning in the city of
Frankfort, under the very shadow of the
capitoI and in the very presence of the
Governor, Legislators and High Court of
Justice Of the stauReh Democratic, COM
n,onwealth Of Kentucky. Some weeks
ago, acolored man named Trumbo, was,
without provocation, killed i'm the streets
of Frankfort, by desperate named
Scroggins. Scroggins was, as the Courier
JournuI says, generally recognized as the
murderer, and proved to be so by the dy-
ing declarations of the murdered man.
Yet Grand Jury of Kentucky Democrats,
opposedsto negro testimony refused to in
dict him. His release was ordered and
would have been made, but for the fact
that subsequent to the action of this patri-
otie (?) Grand Jury, proceedings were insti-
tuted I'M the United States Court, and
warrantf for Scroggins' arrest placed in the
hands of the Marshal, with orders to seize
him as soon as he should be released by
the State authorities. To prevent the ras-
cal from being punished as justice de-
manded, lin the United States Court, he
was,sssthosst s6o1Tant of 1d,o, continued in
imprisonment by the State officers, and
the United States Marshal, with his capias,
held at bay, until his Kuklux friends could
come TO his rescue. On Saturday morning
last they came, and overpowering the pe-
cia1 guard sent to protect the Jail,
carried Ssroggins across the river, in def
ance of the laws of the State, and, 10 de-
fraud the United States authorities Of the
opportunity of melting out the justice Ken
lucky ehivalry denied. aets
These are the facts, as stated by unques-
toned Democratic authority. This was
done, be it remembered, by body of about
one hundred masked men, early on the
morning of Saturday last, in the capitol
city'of Kentucky. Under all the eircum-
stances, it was more than an ordinary res
cue of q prisoner. 1t seems but just con-
clusion that 1t was arescue by mob, en-
couraged By some Of the State officials, for
the purpose of defrauding the United
States authorities. of the opportunity of
furnishing notorious criminal. The Leg
islature of Kentucky met emf Saturday
after these events transpired, fully cogni-
zant of the facts of the case, and yet they
opened not their mouths, to protest against
the lawlessness or to assure the General
Governmentthat itdid not meet their APP
proval. Upon this point, that fearless
Democratic paper the Cowier-Joursaal,
says Al - - - x
How comes it that, with its acute sense Of Off
cial propricty, and its readiness to impress its
presence and its state upon eontumacy which
ofends ats idea Of decorum, il perm itted this
ntrocious afrontito pass unnoticed throughout
the. whole of Saturdays session? To what are
we to attribute this uncharacteristic and unex-
pected indiferenee7
Again, the same paper says: fRT
A few days since we observed that the lack of
vigor on our part tends to encourage lawlessness.
Is this not an example in point? Do we not see
that our outiavry Is enlarging its sphere and
growing more enterprising as we fail to meet it
with acts proporfioned to its force and extent
But fortnight age it rode down upon the pos
tai service of the Federal Government in broad
daylight, and ore OF our most public highways
narrowly escaped wanton murder. A train
guard OF solQleie Is the consequence. NOW II
rides into the capital Of the State overcomes the
police that watch the rest of our legislators our
Governors, our Judges, and all our Common
wealth authorities, seizes a prison. releases
murderer, and rides off in triumph -
We have had lawlessness of this kind i'm
other Southern States. We have had, too,
frequent qualifications and explanations
for it. 1t was the legitimate offspring,
said partisan ofacles, of reconstruction and
military rule, But here is lawlessness in
the paradise of Democracy--in the very
centerofs 1.-THE dark and bloody groundp
of Kentucky. There is no reconstruction
or military law there. 1t is mob law in
theveFy temple of justice and legislation,
controlled for long, long years by the
sachesns of the uncontaminated Bourbon
Democracy of Kentucky. e'1
with much more consistency than De-
mocracy charges these outrages to be pro-
voked by reconstruction laws, could we
charge this lawlessness and bold defiance
of all civil power to be the legitimate off
spring of the teachings and spirit of the
Bourbon Democracy. of the South. In
Kentucky alone have these teachings had
full encouragement and sway, and the re-
suit We plainly see. Democracy has had
the fairest chance to govern in Kentucky,
and If these outrages are not of its own
choosing and breeding, it is alone response
bic for giving them that coloring.