The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-07-25
Warning to Southern Men.


Now that the Presidential campaign has
bc"un in in earnest, we shall hear from the
Southern States, frequent rumors Of disorders
and ku Klux outrages These rumors will
not be so frequent as they would have bccn.
had Congress adopted the Presidents pct
scheme ofbuying up the telegraph lines. and
putting them Under the management Of the
Post Office Department.; but even in private
hands the telegraph is not iniallible; opera
tors and reporters arc subject to like passions
with other mcn; and the desire for startling
item. which is constant iu the reporters bo-
som, will help the manufacturers of spurious
news.
For months past the common testimony OF
al has declared the South us peaceful as
Massachusetts. The Ku Klux organization
is known TO have been absolutely abandoned.
The South We know, ycarns for peace, and
Southern men are doing all in their power
to secure it. On all accounts we welcome
the purpose and tic practice But do they
realize how important it is that they should
be n.thcir guard, and conduct thcnlsclvc:
during the canvass with uncommon pru-
dencc? There will not be wanting base per-
sons, ready and eager to inlamc old wounds,
to bring OIL collisions between whites and
blacks, or between Republicans and Demo-
Gratis, and they may be certain that from now
till next November every affair Of iisticuils
in any Southern State will be magnilicd by
the Grant papers into new Rebellion, and
every murder or wounding made to appear
to the Northern pubic as another ku kllx
outrage.
IF negro aborcr is discharged, some one
will be found to rcprcsct this as i proscrip-
ton for principles sake; and We do not
doubt that before three weeks arc over the
Grant press will tcem daily with reports Of
murderous Ku kluX ass;lSS:nations and 4
desperate attempt will be made to alarm the
Northern voters, by pictures of disorder and
lawlcssness in the South. The truth Is.
good square. piece oflawlcssncss and violence
in the South would just now be a God-scnd
to the Grant party. IF they conld prove,
within the next two months. that half Dr.
en- negroes had been burned at the stake in
Alabama; aud that number "f white wo-
men and children attended the incrcmation:
and waved Confederate flags over the flames.
Grants fuglcmen would ut once ''Ihank God,
and take courage" They arc just now i
little blue and dishcartcned, and stand badly
in need of something of this kind, for they
have no arguments to offer.
We trust Southern Democrats will give
no occasion for evil reports. It's their du-
ty, as citizens Of Il free country. and as the
more influential citizens Of their States, not
merely to keep the peace themselves but to
sec that it is kept They have right freely
to vote themselves, and it is their duty 70
see that their opponents freely exercise the
same right. They have 4 right peacefully
to- discuss the political questions ut i:'sas III
the campaign; and We cannot bat believe
that they can present to their own people 50
forciblc case us to carry with them the
greater part Of tic independent voters ofthcir
States. But their opponents have the same
rimht of pcaceable discussion; and wherever
rowdics or evil disposed persons may attempt
! to interfere with this right, Southern Demo:
! Gratis ought to be the first and most consp!c-
uous to intcrposc their protecting arm.
There is but one thing, as we believe: and
rs many of the Grant managers believe: that
can rccect Grant; and that is new out.
break of Violence in the Southern States; or,
what would answer the same purpose, such
plausible false reports of violence i'll the
South as would thoroughly alarm The North
crn mind. The Grant leaders and managers
arc everywhere talking about 'thc Rebellion
That's thcirprincipal stock-in-trade. They ap
pca! to the "Union sentiment" They curry
favor with the :.Union Soldiers as though
these had not, seven years ago, become ctr
zcns they are doing their worst to preach
up a new crusade against the South 1t be-
longs to the Southern Democrats to defeat
I this, atrocious and unratriotic plot: and tho
way to do it is to maintain-as they call
even better order in the South than is ob
served in the North And for the rest, whel
lie is reported, let it be at once fully l,, ant
authoritatively proved to be lie. That ea'
and ought to be done-.N T. TiJ"m.