The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1871-05-27

this instance to. day, to illustrate an idea
which we desire to impress upon the
minds of our people.
n That the Ku Klux organizations have
don, this State one particle of good We
deny. That this pretended chiyalric de
votiun to the past glory of South Care.
linn, has resulted in relieving her of one
single evil, we also deny. On the con-
trary, we believe thayit has been the
tfruitful source of all her past troubles,
and is tending to breed others of more
gigantic proportions for the future,
And yet some of the gentry who are
members of the Ku Klux, 6atter them
selves with the belief that all of great
ness and true manhood consist in the
commission of the hellish deeds ordered
By this Klan. They think it bold, dar,
ing, chivalric in the extreme, to sneak
upon man in the dead still hours of
night and butcher him like he was a
hog, without moments warning. Chiv-
aric indeed What terrible mackcry,
miserable misnomer it would be to ap-
ply the word chi?alry to the commission
of such Scpwardly acts as characterize
the performances of the Ku Klux?
If we have n proper conception Of the
word chivalry, it means that bravery and
manhood of spirit which prompts one
to give TO an enemy far and honorable
showing in combat. Certainly it is
sinful abuse oithe term, to call midnight
murder, chivalry. And further, knight
Errantry, as it is called was originated for
the purpose of rcdrcssing the grievances
of oman, not for the protection Of man,
or for the purpose of fois,ing this or that
party into power and position But
alas! modern chivalry is expressed in the
word cowardice in its most miserable as
pect; in the killing and shooting of old
gray haired women and their children.
beca sc, forsooth, their husbands or fa.
theirs chanccd to be Republicans. This
is modern knish,hood This the chyal-
ry of the present age in -HIroli.
ma 1t IS no -lleingcr characterized BY that
generous, noble bravery, that true spirit
of courage, which, even in de .th, would
shrink with horror from tho idea of tax
ing the advantage ofan antagonist,
We say that the purpose for which
men in other days donncd the uniform
of knight, was for the protection Of
tho weaker sex. The chiyalry of to-
day, whether gotten up for this object
or not, most certa ,ly does not accom-
p!ish it. We belev. that if il contin
ues to grow, and increase in terror to tn
negroes, the fomale portion Of our coun-
try will be tho chief sufferers, because
they are less able to flee from such bands
rs arc now in existence in North Caro-
lima.
We are not writing now just to I'll up
this paper. We are treating of qucs-
ton, fact, hard and terrible within
themselves, and which will, sooner or
later, become patent to every one, If the
murders that are now heiug committed
do not cease.
1t is truth awful to think Of The
mind almost involuntariy slrinks from
Its contemplation. But it is so If
tthcre are many more murders commit.
ted by the Ku Klux organization in this
State, if many more deeds of violence
arc enacted in this bloody style, it is
goodbye to the peace of South Carolina.
Now we know whereof we write And
if there is ono who would strive to avoid
this catastrophe, it is ourselves. See the
state of affairs snch an event would rive
rise to. The colored people would qui,
their contracts, consequently the plow
and hoe would necessarily stop, aud take