Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-25

THE BLACK KU-KEUX-A BIGEEEK-
CANT Omission.
The New York Joaunal Of Commerce
calls attention to the fact-and it is signis
1cant fact too--that the report of the ma
jority of the committee sent through the
South TO hunt up the Ku-Klux, contains no
mention of the best organized, best discip-
lined, boldest and most blood-thirsty Ku
Klux gang in the South-the Lowrys in
North Carolina. Those banditti have, for
their numbers, committed more murders,
burned more houses, outraged more wo-
men, and stolen more property than any
other Ku-Klux horde in all the Southern
States. The other Ku-Kluxes have sus-
pended operations. We read no more of
noctural raids In Georgia, South Carolina
and Alabama by those spooks on horse
back. The committee have had to rake up
events that took place months ago in order
to find material for that labored campaign
document which they call report. But
the Lowry crowd were on the war-path as
late as Friday night, Feb. 16, when
they perpetrated one of the most
audacious crimes that has distin-
guished their black career. They
swOOped down on Lunberton, the county
seat Of Robson county, North Carolina, at
night, broke into carriage factories and sta
bles and helped themselves to tools and a
horse and dray, and then into the Sheriff's
office and one of the principal stores of the
place, whence they took two large iron
safes, one of which held 500, 1000 in money
and other yaluables. With this loot, and
any quanty of smaller game, they started
out of the town, and bore off everything
in safety except the Sherif's strong box,
which tumbled off the dray apparently un-
noticed. The Lumbertonians did not know
of the presence of the cut-throats and
thieves, or did not rally in time to drive
them off; though after the robberies were
discovered party started in pursuit and
caught up with the gang, but, being greatly
outnumbered by them, discreetly fell back.
And so, in this case as in all others, Lowry
got off in safety with his plumber, only regret
ngprobably that he did not have the chance
ofspicing the adventure with a few muir
derS. All Lumberton and all North Carolina
are wild with excitement over this outrage,
but they have been wild on the same sub
ject for two or three years, and neither their
frenzy nor the reward, now reaching $751;
600, seems to be of any avail against the
Lowrys. Now, says the Journal Of Com
nlerce, here is a well-known, unquestioned,
present existing Ku-Klux Klan-not ghosts,
not myths, but villains of flesh and blood,
as much matter of fact and history as the
State Of North Carolina herself. We can
understand why so powerful and desperate
an organization is difficult to suppress. But
why-ah why do the Ku-Klux Commit
tee omit all references to it in their report {?
We leave the Committee TO explain that
the best way they can. But with most
knowing readers it may suffice US to observe
that these are black Ku-Klure8. The
LOwrys and their followers are negroes and
mulattoes. They are prosecuting the
whites on account Of their color, and
committing with horrible exaggera-
tons, every variety of atrocity which
any white khan in any part of the
South had inflicted on the blacks. In all
respects they are of the Ku-Klux order,
only that the colors are reversed, and it is
the whites who are robbed, tortured and
killed. To have pretended to investigate
Ku-kluX affairs, and to have excluded all
illusions to this most notorious of gangs
the only one now really hourishing-has
put the Committee in the awkward position
Of seeming to extenuate the Lowry muir
ders, rapes, burnIngs and depredations.
Not that the Committee mean to do this,
but such is the actual effect of the omission
or oversight. About election time, as we
all know, is the season for tricks and de-
vices to make political capital, and, there
fore, the appearance of the Ku-Klux ma
jority report is the most natural thing in the
world, and the non-mention of the Lowry
negroes precisely what might have been ex-
pected.