Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-03
BusTEEo.
The United States Court of HuntsvIIIs, ala.
bama, Filled with Armed Soldiers.
A Mild Remonstrancs RgalEst the UH-Re-
pHblIean Proceeding Threatened
as Contempt.
MExpH1s. TENrKseEr. March 2, Is72.

Editors AppeGl-The writer of this was
passing through North Alabama some
days since, and stopped for several days
In the beautiful little city of Huntsville-
Huntsville, with its mingled scenery Of
mountain and valley, it's big spring, its
refined, pstrioisn people.
This was on last Saturday, just one week
sgo. Upon iuquiring what was going on
in the Happy Valley, your correspondent
learned that the Federal court was sitting,
Judge Bustesd on the bench. A live
United States judge was deemed thing
too grand 20 be lightly passed by, and so
this iiiperanL strolled into the courthouse,
aud at last, with perseverance, which
gave evidence of immense undeveloped
reportorisl talent, found himself in the
courtroom, in the august pEessnce Of his
honor, and was for sometime
a QUIET LooKER-oN
at the proceedings of a court presided
over by q man who wore the judicial or
mine, and who, 1 began soon TO suspect,
wore under IL the Imperial purple. The
case called for trial was one Of these myth
icsl kuklux cases. An indictment
against the parties, understood, had
been pushed the evening before, and on
this occasion an Indictment was brought
into court and read with the ink scarcely
dry on 1t. The counsel for the defense
asked for little time to examine IL, ask
ing that 1t 20 over until Monday. They
asked also for list, as was told, OF the
witnesses for the prosecution. The pros
ecuting attorney was afraid mis- witnesses
would be kukluxed, and declined to fur
nish 1t, and his honor sternly pressed the
CASE to q trial.
Verify, thought your correspondent,
this Cesar has fed on no common msat
to hsvs grown so great; and he shiversd
when the shadow Of
THIS TITAN
afterwards fell upon him, as he passed
from the bench into his private spart-
ment. But these were preliminary to the
great things that were afterwards to tran
spire. The jury having been empanelled,
the court was adjourned until Mondsy
following,
Your correspondent upon that day had
purpcssd seeing something more Of the
proceedings In the trial Of these csses, but
upon resching the square he was informed
thst the courtroom was guarded by United
States soldiers, with arms in their hands,
who permitted no person to enter the
courtroom unless examined for weapons.
Further inquiry developed the iptelh-
gence that this action of the court Was
based upon the representations of the
United States district attorney and Judge
Lewis, assistant counsel, who stated they
heard thunder in the air, and the Judge
thought he smslt sulphur, and concluded
that hell was turned loose, and accord
ingly called up these fitting minions.
Some sllusion was made by one of the
counsel for the defense to this
STARTLING SPECTACLE,
this horrible unwilling of justice, who,
though himself bold advocate, felt how
''silent are the laws amongst arms;" but
the judge imperiously commanded silence,
and told the lawyer thst he considered any
sllusion deroGstory to the curse Of pro
cseding that honorable court might see
fit to adopt, as direct and gross CON-
tempt, and demanded an immediate
apology. His honor wSs at length ap-
psssed with the assurance that no personal
disrespsct to the court was mesnt.
You will not be surprised, Messrs. Edi-
tors, after witnessing such "strspge por-
tent" to hnd your correspondent In the
he sltbier latitude of Memphis. Here he
hopes his honof's jurisdiction cannot reach
him. And arrived thus safely, he deems
iG mis- duty to plsoe before tbe public these
events OF suoh startling significance.
Let me present one other fact for your
This man BUsteed stands
on record. upon his examination before
the congressional reconstruction commit
tee, as utterly denying the existence Of
such an organise ion ss
THE KUKLUx KLAN,
that there wss no opposition or obstacle
10 the flow OF justics through its regular
and ordinary channels in tie State Of Al /
ALBANIA; and yet he row permits his dis
Irict attorney to refuse TO furnish list of
his witnesses. and Gala into the court |
room armed men, posts a guard at the
door and searches peacesble citizens be
fore permitting them to enter the room
where their countrymen were being tried |
under highly penal ststute.
What, Mr. Editor, doas all this msan9 |
Is It q step, taken in obedience TO orders |
Of his imperial majesty st washington, |
Nnd Introductory of q reign of msLLisl |
law, by which IL is intended to tackle on |
70 the bsyonet the electoral vote of the |
Southern States; or hiss 1t the more inno- |
c ut purpose of the manufacture, for po- /
III val purposes and uses, OF more calum- |
ME on the Southern psOple, under the |
pretN Nse that kukluxism is rampant In /
The lsn6P Be its object what il may, It is |
Infamous. There needs no furth or devel- |
0pment to brsrs it such.
JUDGE BUST ED's OWN TESTIMONY
IN benalt of the people Of Alabama hiss
performed this once, and the poor pre-
,enSe OF disloyslty snd misrule, after the /
adduced before the committee |
If congrees, serves to sggravste with cow
ardice tbs infsmy of this policy of tyrsn-
1y-for 1t Is cowsrdly, In spite OF all re-
1nements, 10 sttsok an unSrmed and un-
)tending psople, and all the more cow
lrdly because cOvertly done. Let the /
people hear the APPEAL.
AIARAMA