The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-03-09
s. G.
satG Il Maiar. Is ! / i 81 as45dB: I dIaf Its.


~ 10 o0KAont1y CAoIuoO Aux MajoE AoWAo
MerrilNsthas be @as active aN& efficient
in ferreting opt. Ia Klux criminals and
bringing them to trial. We will be the
last 10 dehy" "Aja prominent merits in, this
particular seryics. He was especially ,aSej aejJ
tailed for II, and we have no doubt. did
itwell 9tI cpd With zea!. Hss drew bis pay
regulafis. and' -fhal t@lsi Albright. too.
But now that Congress proposes to inves-
tigete whetbes he has goae beyond the
LIND qt Ills .datt in fasoeh.hg spsy asfor
these $ssme :sAfRfcesS hord thsp State of
South. Carolina, and i1 playing lawyer
and lobbyist, in gsttingyian .appropria-
tiou for that purpose through the Legis-
lature, it is too much to charge us with
spleen towards the Msior., because We
mention the facts of the case, and think
the inquiry entirely proper. / The matter
is between the Uaised~ States Govern
nent aud an .ofRoer in its service. and
the question Is, Is he to be allowed to
receive pay. from the Government. as an
officer, and as detective from South
Carolina, at the same time and for the
same servioe2 Il la Senator Bayard. OF
Delaware. and not we: whoproposed the
inquiry. ,ss & b na.or.. 49,. =,
Whoever heard or read the Ku Klp4
confessions and testimony, if he -havs
any fairness in him, must admit th6tt fKe,
poor creatures were .,as. much ,sinned
against as SHINING. Scott and his ,emis-}i
sarfes had put the country marlborough
disorder The colofed people and mary
Radical whites were breathing out threat
enings and slaughter. THEY had been
supplied with Winchester rites, ahd. d.told
to use them. They were ihstruoted that
boz Of matches. only post ,Rya cents,
and. that it wasA poweriul.weapon of de-
strnction.@ Gin houses, barns and dwell.
ings, with valuable contents, were fire.
quantity set are 4oand burnt, ,:stqof was
destroyed. Aid the reign Of viole3es pro-
claimed. Under these circumstances. it
was natural. while it was deeply to be
regretted, that, amongsts illiteyate.
thoughtless and impulsive persons. some
form of prevention Of expected evils.
soms messare of retaliation, for those
already experienced, should be taken. It
was pity, it is forever to be iamented,
that colored man anywhere should
have been set upon, maltreated or killed,
even under severe proyooaion.' Polipy
and humanity both dictated that they
should have been borne with patiently.
In provoking disturbance aa5fhey did.
they were but blind instrumSnts and
helpless Victims of a set OF crafty ras-
Gals, and convenient tools of sooundrels
in the background. who egged them on.
profised by it. IT the Ku Klux had had
any leaders OF forethought. capable Of
viewing actions in their consequences
and results, they would have been taught
to pity the colored people in their frenzy.
and would not have assailel them, except
in self-defence.
There was point muoh more vulnera-
BILE, and far more attractive, where they
might have dealt an effective blow.
There was set of conspirators against
the peace, dignity and prosperity of the
State, at that very timo, trembling in
their sLoes, and conscious that they de-
served no quarter. They were the fel.
lows whom it would have been we'll to
kill out and scare out of the State. Dis
trict-Attorney Corbin, whose zeal in pro-
scouting was equal to Major Merrill's in
hunting up the Ku Klux, and those we'll
pronounced Radicals, Sena tor Sawyer
and Mr.. Tomlinson, said last summer
that if the Ku Klux had cut down the
sallest poppies, il they had only cleaned
out the foul nest OF officials and their
hangers-on, they would have been, il
not excasable for their violence, in a
certain sense, benofaotors OF their ooun.
try. This was good orthodox Radical
doctrine last summer, and We have no
fault to find with it. We take no plea.
sure. however, in discussing such topic.
We only do 80 because it is most un.
justidably thrust forward on oil occa.
6ions. It concerns the past. and had