The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-13
COul,UMB'IA, d ] IN. I i a s. G.
"wednesday Morning December Is. .ls7l

Auoenor presidential - 4lsrepFe o. mt tlon.
From President Grants message, in
relation to his Ku Klux proceedings in
South Carolina. we may make, for COM
ment. the following extracts 4 -
"Great canton has been exercised in
making these arrests. and, notwithstand-
ing the large number, 1t ia believed that
no innocent person il now in custody.
trial in the judicial tribunals OF the
United States. As soon as it appeared
that the authorities OF the United States
were about to take vigorous measures to
enforce the law. many pe.sens ehscond-
ed; and there is good ground for sup
posing that all Of such persons have
violated the law. A full repor. Of =hst
has been done under this law, will be
submitted to Congress by the Attorney.
General"
We do not know what President
Grant calls ''great caution" But if the
manner in which his decrees have been
carried out, at least In York. involve the
''great caution" whereof he speaks, then
save us from such caution now, hence
forth and forever. Colonel Merrill, his
military agent in York, We know, prides
himself upon the very thorough manner
in which he has stamped the life out OF
what he calls Ku Kluxism in York, but
even he will hardly claim any great eau
ton in his military procedures. Both
President Giant and his military repre-.
sentative in York may, however. we'll
consider how far. in stamping the life
out OF theit Ku Kluxism, they may not
also have stamped the life out Of those
great writs OF personal liberty, which
200 years have consecrated and made
dear to the friends OF civil liberty every
where. If our Saxon ancestora despised
liars and towards, how much did they
prize the liberties OF the individual!
But If POWER has its day, let it. be re-
membered that JUSTICE has its time ALSO
They who kick manaoled and imprisoned
lions, may yet And themselves confronted
with those same animals in their native
strength and freedom.
Bat, says the President, seeking to ex.
cuse himself and his agents before the
country. Notwithstanding the large num-
ber arrested, sit IS believed that no inno-
cent person is no,O in custody" What
right have you. Mr.. President, or any
informant Of yours, thus to pre-iudge
the cases of the men arrested? For
merly, it was thought u fair rule to con-
slider prisoners innocent untiladiudged
guilty. But now it seems that rall the
arrested persons. all the men that the
grand Ku Klux net draws in out of
York. Union, Spartanburg and Chester,
ara to be deemed guilty. Why? Be-
cause. forsooth, the President is in
formed, aud expresses the belief, that
no innocent person is in custody
Here, on the contrary, whatever Col
Merrill or anybody else may think, we
believe that there are numerous inno-
cent persons now in custody, to say no.
thing OF the large number arrested. con-
fined, and afterwards released.
Again. The President remarks. that
as soon as 1t appeared that the authori-
ties Of the United States were about to
take vigorous measures to enforce the
Law, many persons ahseonded, and he
concludes that all such persons had vio-
lated the law. Let US say to the Presi-
dent, that under ordinary circumstances,
his conclusion would be deemed fair and
logical. But circumstances alter cases.
When these circumstances to which We
refer are considered, his inference be-
comes unjust and untrue, as respects at
least large number of the self-exiled.
The men who f1ed despaired of fair
; trial. They knew the power of the Gen
eral Government. They knew the ma
lignant spirit of those who had bounded
on the Government. They feared un-
sorupulous prosecutors, made-up testi-
mony. anG packed negro juries. Fear
ing these, many innocent persons re-
fused the ordeal of on unfair trial, pre-.
ceded by long and hnmiliating i'm pri-
sonment. We do not say that they
acted right. We feel thatthey ought to
have stood their ground. At the same
time, we can interpret the philosophy
OF their action. Does the President
think it unreasonable that men should
have fed from his dragons and his sus-
pension OF habeas corpus9 Does he
thiik It atrange that the strongest ele-
ments of our population in the ostra-
cised Counties should be now in prison
or in exile. whilst paralyzed Industries
and stricken liberties are the fruits of
his conquest? He has done all this
causelessly done it. And because men