Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-10-14
THE REAL DANGER CLOUD IN THE
SOUTH-D0 THE PEOPLE PERCEIVE

THE REAL DANGER CLOUD IN THE
sOUTH-Do THE PEOPLE PERCEIVE
IT?
There are number of newspapers that
are trying the game Of 1874 and 1875, in
reference to affairs in the South-the game
of pooh pooh 1t was prachced then,
with SUCCESS, and afforded all the screen
that was needed for the barbarisms of the
Mississippi Ku Klux. But since then, the
Northern people are beginning to get their
eyes open. They remember how, twenty
years ago, the political crimes in Kansas
were sneered at, and how the New York
Herald amongst others, was, as now it is,
enlisted as the apologist for the ruffian pol
icy. ALI statements of the truth we're
pooh pooh ed, and 4" Bleeding Kansas"
was made the mark fer jeers and jbes,
just as the outrages in the South are to-day.
But we believe the popular conscience, as
well as the popular apprehension of danger,
are being aroused. Neither, made alert by
past experiences, will dare to slumber with
the unconcern and indifference that are
counted upon by the outlaws of the South
A year ago, it is true, the nation seemed to
turn deaf ear to every recital of wrong
and outrage in Mississippi, and though the
garments of the unfortunate colered men
were indeed crimsoned with their life blood,
still " the bloody shirt" was turned into rid.
icule and the groans of the victims were
met with heartless mockery as cruel as
%ha ooto OF th air TA oap,,oA I,a
however, that this shameful and sinful
course can again be followed. The cry Of
the helpless people in the South has come
up to us, and the conscience of the nation
is aroused. More than that, it is now per.
ceived how desperate and how dangerous
the policy of the Kn Klux leaders is. II
South Carolina we see them repeating the
history of the ante-War period. We see
the milder and more reasonable wing Of the
Democratic party in that State striving tC
hold up the hands of Governor Chamber
lain as clean, honest, and efficient magis
trate, but in the encounter with the fire
eaters and hot heads, we see them rolled il
the dust, and the black flag Of politlca
piracy, rapine, and blood carried to the
front of the Democratic party. Just al
Yancey, and Rhett, and Toombs overrodt
the Union-loving Wings of the South; JUS
as rhe minority of Secessionists forced Vir
giniP and Tennessee out of the Union; 81
the whole South, to-day, is to be made
solid section of rampant political fury, pro
s,ripsion, and disloyalty, if the plans of th'
Wade Hamptons, the Lamars, the Georges
the Buffers, the Garys, ct i'd onrle genus
succeed, and it will stand then threatening
the peace of the Republic, as deiantly a
it did bsfore the match Of treason .fired tn
first gun at Charleston, in 1861.
We do not write this for rhetorica
sound, or mere political effect The peopl
may see the facts for themselves, and judg
them in the light of past experience. 1t i
the duty of faithful journalists to repor
the facts and to point out their Significance
Both these duties we discharge. We rails
the voice of caution to the American peopl
that the proposed election of Democrat
President by the Solid South, and theignorin
of the desperate and criminal assaults upo
every principle of free government made
secure his elec.lol, are dangers as seriou
as have ever menaced tie peace and pros
parity in the Republic.
Here is the style of the Southern car