Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-02-03
WHO Are rHEku-kLux.

The Atlanta Nes0 Era (Radical) has
the following article in its issue of Jan.
%:
''We regret the disposition to saddle the
crimes of the Ku-K lux organizations upon
whole communities in the South. The
imputation is most unfounded and unjust.
So far from being the work of whole COM
munities, these Ku-Klux outrages are
tracesble to comparatively few persons.
They are those who have nothing to lose,
but everything to gain, by disorder and
lawlessnees. Such men are found every
where. They represent no particular sect
or party. Thev are the offal of society
men who would oppose any party or any
government that sought to preserve law
and restrain violence. In the South they
are only formidable because their organi-
cation is secret. No one can sufficiently
identify than to bring them to justice
and yet most persons of observation and
intelligence have little doubts as to who
are privy to these lawless operations. No
good citizen of the South, be his political
opinions whatever they may, can or will
endorse such outrsges. Not one Demo
crat in twenty, probably, knows any
thing personally of the internal structure
and material of these stKlans;" not one
in twenty but who unqualifiedly condemns
the existence of such bandit. Intelligent
Democrats who represent interests IN
common with the substantial people of
the State, would, we doubt not, unite in
any well digested scheme to disperse
these dens of infamy and bring the crimi-
nails to Justice. We make these remarks
in justice to all parties, and only because
we see disposition in Congress to fasten
upon the people of the State the sins of a
class who have complement in all COM
munities.
The NeaU Era is more candid than its
Radical brethren in this State. 1t con-
fesses that there are very few Ku-Klux
in the South, and that 'they are those
who have nothing to lose, but everything
to gain, by disorder and lawlessness. y
In this State it has been the practice of
the Radical papers and leaders to seek to
create the belief that the Democratic
parry furnished all the Ku-Klux and en-
deavored to screen them in all the out
RACES they committed. They do this even
in the light of the fact that every Ku-
Klux yet arrested, or wounded or killed,
was either white or black Radical. The
Radical papers in this State keep these
facts studiously concealed from their read
ers; and whyl Because they hope to
make political capital by such a course.
In Georgia the Radical organ of Gov.
Bullock has the fairness to say that the
Ku-Klux are composed of an Insignificant
number of lswless persons, and that intel
ligent Democrats would unite in any well
| digested scheme to rid the community
of such persons as set the laws at de-
fance. Why cannot the Radicals in
Tennessee meet us in this spiritg
The Democrats ssof this State are as
anxious for the preservation of law and
order as the Radicals can be. The Dem.
ocratic papers throughout the State have
insisted time and again that the laws fol
the protection of persons and property
and the preservation of the peace should
be rigidly enforced. Yet it suits the pur,
pose of the Radical journals to assert the
contrary. Whenever the reconstruction
question shall be permanently settled
whenever Radical aspirants are notified
by Congress that they can get no State oil
other local Offices in the South, except
by the free suffrages of their fellow citi
zens, then we shall have an end to the
ascription of mean and improper motives
to the great body of the people of the
South. The Atlanta NeW Era sppreci-
ates the fact that Radical rule in Georgia
through Congressional intervention is al
an end, and that paper can now afford t.
do something like justice to the Demo
Gratis not only of that State, but of TIT
South.