Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-05-31
The Ku-Klux Bill no Remedy for the
Real Evils of the South.


The Tribune has recently published
a letter from correspondent in South
Carolina, 10 which new aspect i
given to the alleged Ku. Klux conspi
racies in tho Southern States. Ac,
cording to this writer, the real purpose
of these combinations is TO force the
United States to annul the carpet bag
governments by which the South has
been so terribly robbed, and TO subsii-
tute for them system of military ad.
mipistration with officers of the army
at its head. This designis expressed
in the Tribune as follows:
"Thore will be hundred outrages for every
one you hear Of now, until the United States will
be obliged TO put under military government.
That is what We want. The army officers are
honest men and won't steal from us. They will
sympathiEe with the white people / told him
that people at the North generally believe that
the disturbances in the South arise from a hatred
Of the national Government That's a mistake,
he replied we don't want any trouble with the
General Government. We have had enough Of
war, and we want peace but we can't sit still and
see a gang of thieves, sustained by a horde Of
ignorant niggcrs, take our property from US l
iind this to be the general sentiment among the
white population. They declare that they have
no desire 10 resist the Federal authority and that
their troubles all spring from bad State and local
government An intelligent man, who said he
helped to fire the first gun on Fort Sumpter and
served through the war until Johnson's surrender,
coming out Of the wreck of the Confcderacy with
no other property than gray mule, talked with
mo the o.hcr aay with more moderation than is
usually shown lie said the white people Of
South Carolina would be glad II Congress would
remand the State TO territorial condition, and
send down good men from the North to govern IT,
Or if they could have a military government, as
no one would object, for nothing could be as bad
as a government Of ignorance, indigcnco, and
fraud.''
This feeling is natural and not with
out justification. Most of the inteli-
gent, upright citizens of the South
we mean those who were born and
reared there, and who have had expo.
rience in pshlic afTilirs--are disfran-
chiscd by reason of their share in the
rebellion; while their States are
governed for the most part by igno
rant negroes and imported white
robbers The disfranchiscd men have
no voice in the legislation or the ad
ninistration, but they are not exempt
from paying the taxes. Thus they
suffer from evils which they are
powerlcss to prevent. If the States
could bo remandcd into territorial
condition, or put under the control Of
military officers, this class Of citizens
would lose nothing. for they would
have just as much political power as
they have now; while they would
gain greatly by the superior cheap
ness aud honesty Of the territorial or
military administrations
But however desirable it might be
to these disfranchised citizens to have
their present State governments
abolished, and to be pat under the
control of territorial or military gov.
crnors, there is no means Of gratifying
their wishes. The Carolnas, Florida.
Arkansas, Louisiana, all the southern
States, are now fully in the Uuion,
possessing equal rights and privileges
with the other States. Whatever
frauds and viIlainies may be perpcta.
ted by their carpet bag governments,
Congress has no power TO interfere.
So long as the State authorities pre-
serve republican form, they may
continue their robberics and their
crimes, and the nation can do nothing
to correct them. All that is in its
power is to pass an act Of complete
amnesty, removing the political disa.
bilities of all who were engaged in the
rebellion, and enabling them once
more to participate in the control Of
their States There is no authority
anywhere by which Congress can
overthrow State government and
put territorial or military govern.
mcnt in its place
Nor does the Ku.Klux Force bill,
from which these disconnected Soutn-
eruers appear to hope so much, offer
them any remedy. Indeed, II was
not passed with any such intention.
Its sole object ia 20 enable President
Grant to send troops into the Southern
States to dictate what shall be done in
the elections, under the protest OF
putting down the Ku Klux. 1t is
nothing bat an cleclioneodng device
1t may control the elections, but it
will do nothing to abaie the outragcs
of the lcgalzed banditti that have
taken so many of the Southern States
by the throat, and are plundering
their people without let or hindrance.
-NclC York Sun