Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-02-08
Ku-Klnk and Amnesty.

i 4
/ The confessions Of the Ku.Klux
in Spartanburg county, South Caro-.
lima, leave no doubt both of the ex-
lstence and Of the character Of the
organization, and dispose Of the hesi-
tating extenuation of crime which il
found in the plea that society is so
disturbed In that section that good
citizens must combine to preserve
order. The simple truth is that
there IS . large secret organization
among the white population to ter
rorize the coiored people and ail who
support and politically sympathize
with them. Practically, it is IN at
tempt to control politics by the fear
OF personal violence, and an attempt
directed against the Republican par
~. Mr.. Reverdy johnson, who
went to serve rs counsel for some Of
the persons accused, expressed his
after adherence Of much that the
evidence revcaled-offenses that he
could not and would not deny--and
he has returned. The voluntary con.
fession Of scores Of offenders removes
every lingering vestige Of doubt, and
the crimes which the Democratic
press sneeringly described Is old
women's tales and bugaboo are -
fully established ~ any other fact. 4
In the midst of these revelations
the question of amnesty comes M in
Congress, and there win be . dispo-
sition to declare that the moment is
not fortunate. Il is TOO late, howev-
er, to oppose. The substantial reas-
ons for refusing have disappeared,
when disabilities do not extend 10
voting, and affect only eligibility to
Office. What remains Of disfranchise-
ment II unmeaning, and defeats Its
own end BY giving factitious import
ance 70 persons who are Otherwise
insignificant, Principle and policy
alike demand that the government
should remove this last shadow of an
excuse for i'll feeling; and o. the
President has proposed it, there is,
We hope, little doubt that Congress
will not long delay. In the Senate,
indeed, Mr.. Sumner has moved his
supplementary Civil Rights bill as an
amendment and - that secures the
rights Of the colored citizens, his
proposition - denounced by Demo.
cratic authority as 3 conspiracy to
defeat amnesty. True to the tradi-
tional slave-hold:ng instinct, certain
Democratic papers are very willing
that every man who causelessly
sought to destroy the government
should be relieved from every kind
OF disability, but proposition that
innocent and loyal colored citizens Of
the United States shall be protected
in rights which they had mover for
faited is intolere1ie. Enp
There r..y DO Republican Sena
to.-' Who will object upon some
ground. But is the proposition un
reasonable? The Ku -Klux is sufi. |
c.ent 9 evidence Of the feeling Of = |
pie. Il is proposed to remove every
disability from what may be called
the Ku klux party. But is it the
duty of the government, to favor |
then while it declines to secure
equal rights to their victims Again,
the,e are IN the country some four
millions Of the colored race. They |
have always suffered not only in gen.
era estimation, but, in many parts
OF the country. before the law, DO
osnse of the servile condition in
which they have lam. The country
ha raised them by freedom to the
common level. Ought it not to say
emphatically to that section in which
there is tho most hostility to their
eiuality that it means to protect it
absolutely, leaving.social tastes and
preferences to regulate themselves?
Aud can the country say so more ct.
fectively than in the same breath
with winch It declares all remaining
penalties removed from the late
rebels? al oiea
It's objected that such an amend.
nent is not cognate to an amnesty
bill; and it the objection meant no
more than appears, there woald be
NO harm in entertaining it. That is
to say, il the gentlemen who raise 1t
were willing. having passed the Am
nesty. then TO pass the supplement.
tary Civil Rights bill, it might be
wisely waived as an amendment.
But II the objection OF isrelevaucy is
. mere teiat 10 separate It from the
Amnesty bill, that it may be killed
without harming the Amnesty, it Is
not an honest objection. OF the two
propositions the amendment ID not
the least important. Sdrely, tive
are to be generous to ex rebels, we
should be just 10 ex-slayes. The sub
iec, will come early before the Sen
ate, and we trust that there will be
no hesitation in the action which the
friends Of amnesty and equal rights
properly expect.-I Harpsrs Wssklv.
Death Of . Patriarch.
Paul Lyona the oldest man in