The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-05-25
THE SOUTHERN KU.KLUx.
What Governor clayton of Arkansas
Knows of Them.

What Governor Clayton Oh ArAeAsHS
Knows of Them.
Senator Powell Clayton. late Governor
of Arkansas, was serenaded on Tuesday
night at Washington, In response to
which he made a lengthy speech on
Southern affairs. We give his remarks
on the ku-Klux from the New York
Herald report:
He declared-and he was fully con-
scious ofthe responsibility ofthe charge
that the KuIAlux organization OF the
south was not TO be numbered by hun
dreds or thousands, but by hundreds OF
thousands; and he further declared that
it was military in its nature and practic
ally reorganization of the Confederate
army. He would rot say that all ex-
Confederate soldiers belonged to 1t, but
most emphaticaIly did he affirm that none
but ex-Confederate- soldiers ana those
who sympathized with the lost cause
were its members. He knew Whereof he
spoke, for being Governor OF Arkansas
two years and a half ago, he had had oc,
casion to grapple with this hydra. headed
monster and thereby became familiar with
its dark and damnable practices. lie be-
lieves that if one half of the outrages that
had been perpetrated there, alone, had
been known TO the law abiding citizens OF
the nation. such a cry of Indignation
would go up throughout the land as would
bring blush of shame even to the cheeks
of the Northern Democracy, and pubic
opinion would compel them to cease their
miserable efforts to palliate and excuse
the commission of the horrid crimes and
glaring outrages that had ever disgraced
humanity.
From the confession of an officer hold
ing a position in the Ku-KlHX organlza-
ton corresponding to that of an ABUNDANT
general under department commanders
of our army, and from the afhdatives OF
600 men who belonged to the ku-kluX,
but who afterwards left it, and from varI-
Gus other sources, he had, as Governor,
ascertained to a positive certainty that
in Arkansas alone the Ku-Klux had num-
bered thirty thousand members.
But because through want OF moral
courage to brave vituperatlon, perhaps
in some cases of sympathy by the au-
thorities with the organization itself. a
decided policy had not been adopted. did
it follow that our arms were to be folded,
that we were TO stand complacently by
while the citizens OF the republic, Its de-
tenders and allies in the hour its great
est peril were daily offered as human sac
rifces to appease the cravings OF this In
satiate Ku-Hlux monster, or were they
to be restrained( mo! MOI Cheers
from the exercises of plain and lmper-
alive duty, because for both the North
ern Democracy, sympathizlng as they do
with their southern allies, saw fit to re-
sort to their old supterfuge of raising
constitutional objections?
The astonishing facility with which the
Democracy quoted the Constitution, pre-
cisely as the evil one is said to allude to
the Holy Scriptures cheers is o-Iy
equaled by the case with which, when
hard pressed, they change their defense of
the Ku-Klux. in one breath they say
the Ku-Klux is myth-a mere bugaboo,
invented by frollcsome boys to alright
idle negroes; in the next they acknow-
ledge shat the organization is unlawful,
but assert that it is composed Of Radical
In disguise La this connection, however
they do not explain the fact that none
but Radicals are its victims, cheers !
and then, when the evidence is indisput-
able and too strong to De controverted,
they attributed the whole thing to the
Radical rascality, and maladmiDistration
of what they style the carpet bag gov
ernment of the South. But he had yet
to learn, and he would be glad if some
Democrat would enlighten him on that
point, why it was the Ku-klux klan
fourished with such remarkable vigor In
the Democratic state Of Kentucky, where
the Democracy had had the admlnistra-
ton of the affairs since the close Of the
war. Cheers He declared that the
facts justified the assertions that the Ku
KluX klan was nothing more nor less
than the military arm Of the the Demo-
cratic party in the South, organized for
the sole purpose of driving therefrom
Northern Republicans who had come
there to settle, and for the purpose OF
intimidating colored citizens and pre-
venting them from exercising the rights
of suffrage conferred on them by the Fed
eral constitution. For that purpose, to
his own knowledge, had the Khan been
used in Arkansas during the last Presi-
Dental campaign, and he verify believed
it would be used, throughout the South
law were not put upon it. The question
was would this condition of affairs be
permitted to continue-would impeni-
tent rebels be allowed to trample the Con-
stitution under foot and set laws at def
eyes and close our ears, too, while Amer
lean citizens, almost within sight of the
capitol's dome, are bding subjected to the
most cruel oppression that has ever
caused humanity to weep? ''No no -
cheers IF protection could not be OBJ
tanned under such circumstances. then,
indeed, was our government failure.
# these murderers and assassins conld
not be reached by the strong arm of the
law, then ought the temple to be closed
at once, and if there was no hell thereaf-
ter for the punishment of these fends in
human shape, who gloated in the misery
of the poor and the defenceless, he be-
| Geved that that warm institution ought
to be abolished and the devil himself
mustered out of service. Cheers and
laughter. But he rejoiccd that the Re
publican party. which had just conquer
the rebellion and maintained the nation
intact, which had made the Constitution
conform to the principles of the Declara-
ton of Independence, which had proved
itself to be the friend of the downtrodden
and the depressed, still exists, full of
vigor, and equal to every emergency
He was thankful chat the incumbent of
the Executive Chair was man who
knew the right, and knowing was pre-
pared to discharge its requirements.
When we have clothed him with the ne
cessary power, as by this Ku-K bill
we intend to do, the people might rest
assured that General Grant would be as
successful in putting down the second ret
bellion.as he had been to suppress the first.
BEECHER ON COMPOSING SINS.-If a
man lies think he ought to confess it.
but 1t is not expedient to tell all our sins