The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-01-09
The following suggestive communioa.

Gon appears IN the New York Tribune,
OF Thursday. the 28th instant:
i To tHo Etiiior Of Me iri6une-SrR: I
have just read in your issue OF the 18th
instant letter from Columbia relative
to the Ku Klux trial now in propress at
the capital of South Carolina The au.
thor of that letter is either laborinp
under mistake or endeavoring to make
a false impression on the minds of those
who do not know all about the condition
OF things in South Carolina. Here let
me preface what have to say, by de-
clorlng that I am not now and never
have been Ku Klux. In common with
q vast multitude Of South Caroliniens, I
think Ku Kluxing. as it is generally
called. was grand mistake, morally, po-
litically and socially. This, however,
has nothing to do with the question Of
which desire to write, and about which
your correspondent is badly informed,
or basely ourrying the applause of the
corrupt men who are now plundering
South Carolina.
The question in South Carolina is not
hepublicanism or Democracy; it is not
whether the negro shall be entitled to all
the privileges of the white man or not.
We do not care anything about who is
In power, the Democrats or the Republi-
cans; and we know that the laws Of the
United States grant the negro all the
rights and privileges that they grant the
white man. The question to-day in
South Carolina is, shall honesty or dis
honesty prevail? You have fought man
fully against the Tammany ring. 1, from
my very soul, commend you for it.
There is q ring in South Carolina more
Infamous than the Tammany ring. Since
the surrender of Robert e. Lee at Ap-
pomattox Court House, have never
heard of one finger being raised against
the United States Government. Inever
heard but one man say that he desired
the negroes bacll in bondage, and that
man was, at the time he made the decla-
ration, and is, to-day, supporter of the
internal ring which is rnnning-no, has
ruined-the State of South Carolina.
The people of South Carolina are taxed,
Why, sir, to make this infamous ring
rich.
The point which desire to make is
simply this: The Kux Klux organization
Is not, and never was, conspiracy
against the United States Government;
1t was blow aimed at the State Govern
ment. You, and those who are situated
ns you are. will say it was wrong. Ad.
mIG II. otiii, the same principle that
prompted the white mon at Boston. dis.
guised as Indians. to board, during the
darkness Of the night, q vessel with tea.
and throw her cargo into the bay, clothed
some of our people in Ku Klux gowns.
and sent them out on missions techni-
cally illegal. Did the Ku Klux do
wrong? You are ready to say they did,
and we will not argue the point with
you. Did tho disguised Bostonians do
wrong when they threw the tea over
board? think they did. On strict
moral principles. no man can defend
them. But what, under the circum-
stances. could they do otherwise2 If the
tea had been landed, the probability is it
would have been sold and the duty col
lected. Under the circumstances, what
could the people of South Carolina do
but resort to Ku Kluxing? Do you say.
rely upon the civil authorities? This
was an impossibility. A Judge and jury
might send man to the penitentiary,
and the Hon. Robert K. SCOTT, Governor
of the State. would pardon him and
turn him loose upon the community to
steal or plunder as before. No, not to
do these; but Gov. Scott would reward
him with the best Office he had at his
command, as if to remunerate the vii
lain for crime, and cause him to forget
his guilt No one has any desire to pre-
vent the negro from voting in the alb
stract; but every man who has grain of
sense and principle desires the negro
and white man, too. to vote for honest
men and not for rogues.
You know, or, at least, think you
know, that all those men who came into
our country after the surrender are the
vilest adventurers. Would you'll ask
you tho plain question-let Robert K
Scott or Niles g. Parker have charge of
the monetary affairs of the Tribune?
know you would not. They would re-
duco you to beggary in less than wear,
and your noble paper would go the way
that South Carolina has gone. Just
think of the investments that Robert X.
Scott, the leading spirit of tho South
Carolina carpet-baggers, has made. I
tell you, aud tell you with no other
motives than simply to make the truth
known, that we are robbed and swindled
as no people ever were. The great ma
jority of those who hold Office in South
Carolina do not care one farthing for
her. any further than that they may get
rich by plundering her Treasury.
In conclusion, l am no advocate for
Ku Kluxing. 1 know it is morally wrong.
Permit me to tell you. however, plainly
and honestly, that so long as the present
State Government of South Carolina ex-
lists. there will be Ku kluxing. This is
not said boastingly neither is it threat
1t is simple declaration OF truth. The
United States can no more crush it than
George III could crush the patriots that
threw the tea overheard. The namo may
be changed, and the mode of procedure
different, but rogues and their tools will
die. Why does not The United States
institute search for the house burners?
The civil authorities Of South Carolina
are insufficient for the task. The Union
League is the mother of all the house
burning that took place in York County.