New-York tribune., 1874-08-28
THE GREAT CONSPIRACY.

For few moments the world breathed
freely when the comforting announcement
was flashed across the wires that "Bowley
" and Jones, the radical negroes, whose rivalry
caused the Georgetown riot, had signed an
"agreement declaring that no impediment to
"their cordial friendship remained" Pre-
sumng of course that this covenant of recon-
ciliation would be ntrusted to the custody of
some mutual friend competent to enforce its
observance, even if it cost $1,000 to do 1t, we
felt that all danger of war OF races was
over. But the sense of security was OF short
duration. Though BOwley and Jones are dis
posed of, Ben Ballard remains. Ben Ballard
has made a terrible cOmmotion in Tennessee,
spreading the widest excitement through the
western part of the State, and causing the
white men generally to look after their rifles
Ballard confessed to an organized negro con-
spiracy. 1t originated in a dispute about
fifty cents, and in the course of five weeks
grew to such dimensions that nothing would
satisfy the cOnspiratOrs but the extirpation OF
the whites and the seizure Of their lands. A
great many details of the plot were given,
which are not worth repeating, but it appeared
that the negroes professed to believe first
that they were menaced with a revival of the
Ku-Klux, and secondly that Gen. Grant
would back them in asserting their rights
The result was the arrest of sixteen negroes
by a Marshals posse, and the horrible lynch
ing of which we have already published the
particulars.
Now we have no faith in the existence of
this so-called conspiracy, and we look upon a
war of races as practically out of the question
There has been no riot or violence anywhere
which decent local government ought not to
have suppressed in half an hour. Neverthe-
less we do regard the situation at the South
as full of peril. The danger is not from the
turbulence of the negroes but from the reck-
lessness and folly of the whites. Every little
disturbance is followed either by mastering
of regulators or call for Federal troops. The
white citizens seem to have no confidence in
the officers of the law, and no disposition to
strengthen their hands by the regular methods
which the law itself provides for emergencies.
If two men quarrel over fifty cents the United
States of America must step in and settle the
dispute. If negro turn highway robber, a
whole county must fly to arms and the United
States must restore order. And for this fever
ish condition of society the conservatives of
the South seem to imagine only two remedies.
One is to keep the negro out of politics; the
other is to reflect Gen. Grant. We make these
remarks not with reference to Tennessee par
ticularly the Governor of that State has acted
in the present case with commendable firmness
and judgment; but we speak of the South
generally, where the feeling among the whites
seems to be one of distrust not only of the
negro but of themselves.
Nothing can cure the misfortunes of the
Southern States but reform in their local
governments And this we can assure them
will never be attained by the cultivation of
prejudices of color, the prescription of one
race by the other, and the perpetual inter-
ference of troops, marshals, collectors, and
Cabinet officers with the functions of con-
stables and police magistrates. There is only
one way to peace and prosperity, and that is
by the union of all parties and both coors in
setting up and sustaining honest State admin
istrations When that is done we shall hear
no more of these negro conspiracies.