Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1871-10-28
Martial Law.

It is noticeable fact that the President
waited until after tho Pennsylvania and Ohio
elections had taken place, and then issued his
recent proclamation Of martial law in certain
nine Districts Of South Carolina, said to be the
principal seat Of the % invisible empire"
Il has been well asked, chow can men
sworn to obey, protect and defend the Consti
tuition, pass and execute a law which violates
all its essential provisions, and is directly at
variance with the universally recognized prin-
ciples Of free government? These southern
men against whom this law is directed, are a
law-abiding, peaceful, well-ordercd people
entitled to live under laws Of their own max
ing, administered by magistrates Of their own
choosing. These laws and magistrates are
fully adequate to protect the people, preserve
order and punish crime. But this Ku Klux
bill repudia,es all State authorities, aboliShes
the writ Of ba5eas corpus deprives the right Of
citizen accused Of crime 20 be tried by jury
Of his peers in the ueishborhood where the al
legged offence was committed, places the admin
istratioa Of the criminal law in the hands Of
partisan judges, drags the citizen from his
home. hands him over for trial by a suborn-
ell Jury, and allows him to be imprisoned,
wherever partisan Executive, inscriptions
official and Jribel accusers may combine to
punish him for refusal to bow the kuee'to
the political Basil
The following instance is aldnced to show
the practical working Of this " bcnefcent act
as the Radicals term it:
Frou, the Charleston IS. CO. Nes', October 10Th.
A recentoccurrence at Camden in this State,
demonstrates tho ease with which the Ku Klux
law. in the hands Of ignorant and malicious
officials, becomes the instrument Of injustice
and persecution. Last July, two young men,
Of highly respectable family, named Ancrum
and Boykia, went into a store at Camden, kept
by man named Cess, who is the United
States Assistant Assessor at that place. An
alteration arose, aud GosS WAS struck with a
light cane. lie swears that both Ancrum
and Boykin struck him, and called him a.
Radical but two disinterested eyewitneSSeS,
called by himself, swear that GoSs was struck
and cursed by Ancrum alone, aud that B0ykin,
beyond being in company with Ancrum, had
nothing 90 DO with the affair.
Immediately aiterward, Goss took out n
warrant against both Ancrum and Boykin for
assault and battery. and the two young men
were arrested and bound over to appear at the
next term Of the Court Of General Sessions
Two months later-on September lS-a war;
rant was issued against them, under the ku-
Elux act. " conspiracy against an officer Of the
United States a squad Of soldiers and
United States Marshal made the arrest, and on
Wednesday week both Ancrum and Boykin
appeared before Commissioner B0ozer
at Columbia, and were bound
over in tie sum of $4,000 to appear at the
Bloody Assizcs next November.
lis plain that the Hu-Klux act is spe-
cies Of drag net which will hold big FISH and
little fish. whenever the Radical fishers Of men
choose to cast it into the bosom Of the COM
munity. When an cqujvoca assault is con-
strned to be a conspiracy against the United
States. it is high time for Congress to declare
il feloav to vote against President Grant at the
coming elections. a mild-manuere1 man,
who dares 10 sueeze without permission from
Washington. is Just as guilty Of conspiracy
AGAINST the Government as are Dlessrs- Ancrum
and .Boykiu. The thing would be a scream
ING farce. only that those broad jests sometimes
cad in blood-lettins.