Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-19

SUPP buVnt NOT 10 he,A@alu we lpCl assured VIII
not be,-leit hereafter without protection
against the hostilties aud sutferings it has en-
dured in the past, as long as the legal and con-
sithti0nal powers OF the government ale ade-
quale to afford it.
Communities suffering such evils, and inlu-
enced by such extreme feelings, may be slow to
learn that relief can come only from ready
obedience to, and support of, constituted
authority, looking to the modes provided by law
for n redress of all grievances, That thesouth-
erh communities do not seem to yield this
ready obedience at once should NOT deter the
friends of good government in both sections
from hoping and WORKING fol- that end.
Northern communities, eXaSpefdted by delay
and INSTRUMENTATION, may be reminded that the
elements of the two societies are widely differ
ent; composed OF those who, a few years since,
ruled the state and enacted obedience to their
will from their slaves and held absolute sway
over the votes of their white dependents, but
who are now reduced in influence and in wealth
by the events OF the war; aud of the poor white,
who has found himself, as he supposed, degrad-
ed by the elevation of the negro TO political
equality with him, his vote before having been
the chief badge of his superiority; of the negro,
not only voting but ruling the state, in office
with, or over, his former master, or struggling
with the evils of poverty in beginning life for
himself, after the best years of his life have been
spent in the service of others.
All these elements beget feelings aud result
in disorders to which northern communities are
strangers. The strong feeling which led to
rebellion, and sustained brave men, however
mistaken, in resisting the government which
demanded their submission TO its authority, the
sincerity of whose belief was attcstcd by their
enormous sacrifice of life and Grcasure-this
feeling cannot be expected to Subside at once nor
IN years. 1t required full forty years to develope
disatcclion into scdition and Sedition into trca-
son. Should we not be patient if, in less than
ten, we have a fair prospect of seeing so many
WIN armed
citizenSp
Should we not give all en- eOuragement to those
who manifest disposition now to become such,
especially when it is shown that, in many sec
tons, well disposed men were deferred by fear
OF the power of an armed and desperate con.
splracy from aiiording aid to authorities in en-.
forcing the law.
But while we invoke this forbearance and con-
Citation, fully recognizing that from far the
largest part of the southern people reluctant
obedience is all that is to he hoped for, let it be
understood that less than obedience the govern
ment cannot accept Obedent citizens they
cannot be considered who, themselves complain
NJ OF pad laws, excuse or encourage masked
and armed mobs that override all law Brave
and magnanimous enemies even they cannot he
reckoned who permit remnants of rehelOuS
feeling, amm0sltleS Oi race or bitterness of DO
| llhcal partisanship 10 degrade the soldiers of
| Lee and johnson into cowardly midnight prow-
ers and aSsassins who Scourge and kill the poor
| and defcnseleSs.
Against all such crimes, as well as against in
| competency and corruption in office the power
OF an intelligent public sentiment aud of courts
of justice should be invoked and united in APP
| peallng for patience and forbearancc in the
north.
While time and these powers are doing their
work, we would also appeal to the good sense of
the southern men, if they sincerely deSiIe to ac-
compllsh political reforms through a change IN
the negro vote. Ii their theory is true, that he
votes Solldly now with the republican party, and
is kept there by his ignorance and by deception
all that is necessary to keep him there is to keep
up, ny their appearances, the kukluz orgaDiza-
ton.
Having the rights of citizen and voter,
neither Of these rights can he abrogate1 by
whipping him. Ii his political opinions are en-
ToneouS, he will not take kindly to an opposite
| creed when its apostles continue the use of the
| scourge upon himself and outrage his wife and
chil iren. If he is ignorant, he will not he cdu-
| Gated by burning his schoolhouses and eXlng
| his teachers.
II he is wicked, he will not be made better by
| DanlShlng TO Liberia his religious teachers. If
| the resuscitauon of the state is desired by his
| labor, neither will il be secured by persecution
| which depOpulateS townships aud prevents the
| introduction of new labor and of capital. The
law oil 1871 has been effective in suppressing
for the present, to a great extent, the operations
Of masked and disguised men in North aud
| South Carolina
Bills have also been found by grand juries in
Georgia, Alabama aud Mississippi, bur com
| paratlvely few, if any, of the defendants in the
last named states have yet been tried. The ap-
| parent cessation of operations should not lead
| to the conclusion that the community would be
| sale II protective measures were Withdrawn.
These should be continued until there remains
no further doubt of Inc actual suppression and
| dIsarming Of the widespread and dangerous
conspiracy. The results Of suspending the writ
OF habeas corpus in South Carolina show that
where the membership, mysteries and power of
the organization have been Kept concealed, this
is the most and perhaps only, effective remedy
for its suppression.
And, in view of its cessation and the resump-
tcn OF hostilities at different times of its eX-
tent and power, and that, in several Of the states
where it exists, the courts have not yet held
terms at which cases can be tried, we recon
mend that the power conferred on the president
by the fourth section OF that act be extended
until the end of the next congress- in view
also, OF the large number of indictments found
in several courts under this act which vet re-
| main untrled, and OF the evident announcement
derived from the belief that the present United
States courts cannot reach and try them within
any reasonable time we recommend such an in
crease OF the Judiciary of the United States by
districts and circuits, in the states shown to be
affected by these disorders, as, in the judgment
OF congress- will secure speedy and certain JUS
tlce to be administered, and leave no hope of i'm
punlty to criminals by the laws delay
The continuance of disabilities is the only
cause not yet considered. No man under dis
abilities has ayOwed himself as either commit
ting or encouraging outrageS for that reason,
and no member OF the organization has justified
their acts on that ground.
1t is one OF the preteXIS made by those who
were willing TO urge any plausible excuse for
outrages which admit of none But to remove
the alleged mpedimentS to local governments
encountered Inv the pyiSfpupp pf Il Iea IN
hOld ONCE, and being satisfied that there should
DC general removal of them, with proper con-
ditons and exceptions, we recommend the
passage OF Il law for that purpose, agreeing in the
recommendation made by the president, TO eX-
clude from Its benefits any great criminals dis
tnguished above all others for the part they
took in opposition to the government
IN TINS connection we wish to say that, as
disregard for law has been an evil SO largely
complained of and so widely extended in the
late lnsurrectlonary states no encouragement
should be given TO those who accept office in
defiance of the existence OF these constitutional
disabilities or have Gle ted to office men whom
they knew to be excluded by them.
The minority of the committee say that al
though Tennessee was, for some reason, among
the states assigned TO one of the sub-Commt-
tees, no evidence was attempted to be taken to
show any lawlessness there. 1t follows, there
lore, that i've at least of the southern states to
wit: Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana
anu lexis, are Tree from even suspicion OF law
leSsness on the part Of the people, whatever NAV
be tue fact as to their rulers These five states
embrace greatly more than half the territory
and nearly half the population of the eleven
southern states, and il is hard to conceive bow,
u political or other combinations existed for
any general purpose, they should be left out,
While the other SIX states, or part Of them,
were in combination for any such general OBJ.
jects.
The minority do not deny that bodies of dis.
guised men have, in several states of the south,
been guilty Of the most fragrant crimes crimes
which they neither seek to palliate or excuse,
on conviction of which the wrong doors should
suffer speedy and condgn punishment; hut they
deny that these men have any general organi-
eaton, or any political significance, or that their
conduct is endorsed by any respectable number
OF white people in any state. On The contrary,
the men and bands by which such ouirages are
perpeirated are almost universally regarded by
the Intelligent people of the southern states as
the worst enemies of the south, as they furnish
the men now in power at Washington the only
excuse left TO make war upon them, and TO CON
tinue the system of robbery and oppression
which they have inaugurated, system which
Is destructive not only of their peace and pros.
pei1ty, but is intended to blacken and magn
their character as men before the country and
the world.
They quote testimony to show nconiroverti-