The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-08-03
ku.kluxing in Cecil.

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Ku.kIuxing in Cecil.
We chronicle to-day one of the most hol
rible outrages against law, order and tn
peace of the community that ever disgrace
Cecil county. A band of disguised me
waylay an officer in charge of prisoner
committed for burning a dwelling, and on
of the prisoners on suspicion, and the ev
dence of a frightened boy is hanged to tn
limb of tree. The crime of firing a hous
where the family is asleep, deserves to
visited by the severest penalty the law il
flicts, which is death or imprisonment,
the option of the court, after fair tria h.,
conviction; but the crime commit
this band of assassns is under the I'd &C
stances far worse than the arson,
that was. The one is Grim. .-,,,;oh +ha
single individual or family !, tha s.uer
law provides speedy justice III M ~. ,a os
est penalty. The other .inst ,aw and
the whole community. is rarr vit.,s Of
justice; fatal stab 'l'o go
republican liberty .he peace OF ts society
'el "e,'n.1 80 rs of civilization where
60 on ao sasot; IS defy justice and its ap-
-. The law reigns supreme
po'n'e y offender can be brought
49, w nd have an impartial trial be-
INV of twelve citizens, who deliber-
lo' r the evidence carefully sifted and
~ verdict accordingly. An impair
.:,sourt is ready to pronounce sentence
amensurate to tho crime that has been
Immitted, looking to the preservation of
che peace, order and good morals Of society
and the dignity and majesty of the State.
Against all Of these, against the very life
and heart of civil liberty, have those dis
guised assassins offended. An empire or
monarchy has the will of its ruler clothed
with an army ready at any moment to exc
cute the sovereign's mandate, to uphold
the law, administer justice and secure
peace and safety to society from outrages
by lawless individuals; but a republic has
to depend solely on its civil courts to main
tain and secure to society there blessings;
and those who supersede OF forestall the
courts of .instice by selling and executing
prisoner, when that prisoner too is taken
from the custody of the laws officer and
sure to be tried and punished to the extent
of the law if found guilty, commit crime
which in it's injurious effects upon the NOR
ais of the community; in its lowering the
respect for the dignity Of the State and
wholesome majesty of law, is many de-
grees worse than murder by an individual
assassin.
The States Attorney, if he comprehends
the gravity of the trust placed in his hands,
will make every effort to bring the guilty
parties in this diabolical outrage to justice.
The Governor should have cosnizance of
the matter, whose duty it is to uphold the
civil authority of the State and see that he
does not permit any division Of the sacred
trust placed in his hands by the people,
with midnight bands of couspirators. If
this outrage is permitted with impunity
similar occurrences will doubtless take
place on occasions of greater or less provo
cation. The party here so violently put
to death may have been guilty; but it is
possible that he may not have been guilty.
The evidence is of the species termed
80 10
plicated parties turns informer. This re-
ported confession was made under great
fear of bodily harm from the excited ana
threatening crowd. But whether the
strangled man was guilty or not the out
rage of this Ku-Klux band against thu
"dignity and peace of the State is all th'
same.
There is a case on the docket of the
cour. of this county now, brought to re-
cover damages from the county by Mr.
Pierce for the hanging by a mob of one o
his colored slave men charged with com
hitting rape. This outrage occurred neal
Cecilton some time in 195-. Mr.. Pierce
maintains that his colored man was limo
cent of the crime for which he was mobbef
and hanged. 1t will be noticed that thi:
Ku.Kluxing is all committed agains
negroes. White men always have th'
they may, but in this grand era of peac
and "shake hands over the bloody chasm,
which Greeley has placed in the Demo
cratic mouth as an electioneering dodge
the spirit of Ku-kluxism, which turne'
large districts of the Souther States int
hell recently, still lives where ever til
dormant virus of slavery exists; and evel
breaks out when it is most prudent TO con
ceal it. No where in our county coul
such diabolical combinations against thu
prerogatives of justice take place excep
where the degradation of the old satani
institution had sown thick in the mora
soil it's baleful seeds of death. There j
crops out at intervals in a negro shot, 0
mobbed or hung under some momentar
excitement. The law and it's officers ar
ruthlessly pushed aside and the organize
band summarily administers the death per
atty to some aecursed 'descendent of Ham.
Further South where this thing overrod
all law and state authority, and the voic
of prosecuted humanity came up in on
death wall for protection, and the Pres
dent stretched out the Federal arm to pre-
tect the defenceless, we hear the me
who here i'll this town now justify the LAT
est case of ku Kluxing at our very doors
crying out military despotism, militar
despotismn' Yes, there are those here i
our midst who Justify openly this outrage
who cry alternately from the rising of til
sun to the going down thereof, in praise {
Greeley and reign of "peace," agains
Grant and military despotism in tn
South, where few soldiers were sent t