The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-10-07
WHAT THE KUKLUX DID,

neEe, away from the prOmenaderS, L lis
te1hed last night to q passionate, earnest
Justification Of kukluxism in Louisiana
and other Southern States The story
oftwrong and outrages, the violation,
ruthless and rough, of all that men hold
MOST dear and sacred, as it came pouring
in burning words from the lips Of one of
Nav Orleans| most eloquent divines, was
IN striking contrast to the perfect peace
THAT wrapped the valley in deep silence.
lhe moon was shining with q brilliancy
Sseen only in Southern climes, and the
CLEARLY defined mountains were patched
with alternate light and shadow as the
clouds drifted by. The conversation had
Srifted on Southern topics, and as the
preacher, whose faith is q firm belief in
the fatherhood of God and the brother
Nood of man, warmed with his subject
bis physical ills for the time were for
gotten, and the mentality that has stirred
Rany congregation with its fire burned
a:hd glowcd like molten iron. "Was
ikukluxism justifiable?" he said, in answer
70 question. eyes, sir, and if the doc
ltrine that "tho end justifcs the means
was ever correct, it was during the reign
fot terrorism in the Southern States when
AKukluX1Sm was rampant. Remember
sir, that at the close of the war and dur
ling the Reconstruction period the white
men Ill the South were disarmed, and it
was penal otfenso for them to have fire.
arms IN their homes. The negroes, how
ever, were armed; our streets and high
ways were patrolled by negr, soldiery,
who were but set of barbarians and
savagcs, worse than are the savages to-
day in the interior of Africa. 1t got so
that a white woman dare not cross the
threshold of her house lest she be as
saulted by one of these brutes, while
white meu had to abandon tho roads to
the negroes and make their across the
field as best they might. To appeal to
the law was useless, for the judges were
! carpet-baggers and sustained the negroes.
cit was this state of affairs, when we
saw our civilization, and all the rights
\and privileges of society being swept
! away, and our dear ones exposed to q
fate worse than death, that gave birth to
kukluxism. Self-preservation is fun
mental law, and recognizing that naught
but heroic measures would quell the
! growing evil, the white men quietly or
ganized, and in armed bodies began the
redress Of the wrongs from which they
were suffering. Do not imagine that the
kuklux were recuitcd from the criminal
classes. Such L know is the prevalent
Northern idea, but it is absolutely false.
The members of the X. K. X. were gen.
tlemen of fine education. struggling
manfully to retain and sustain their man
hood, and give to their children as n
heritage Of the war higher civilization
than perhaps they themselves had en-
joyed. In many instances that was the
only legacy they had to give, for all else
had been swept away in the storm of
shot and shell that had for four years
been sweeping over the land"
"How did the bands work?"
Negroes, like sheep, require q lead
ear, and the bands quietly noted the
leaders and where they lived. At nights
they visited their cabins, and called the
men out. The most brutal were either
shot or hung; others thoroughly whipped
and ordered to leave tho country. In
this way a reign of terror was created
among the negroes, and the white men
gained control. Why, sir, oven the
Federal troops that were sent down to
suppress kukluXism refused in many in
s.Ances to interfere, and in some cases
actually aided. They knew that it was
not condition of crime and anarchy,
but necessity born of negro insolcncc
and intolerance"
"Wbat about the Ford-MuIphy mur.
der in New Orleans?"
"New Orleans is and has been since
the days of Yarmouth cursed by ring
rule; The spectacle of Judge adjourn,
ing his court and deliberately going out
and shooting. q man to death rs one
would wild boast was simply disgrace.
tul, and is blot on the fair fame of the
queen City that will not soon be cffaced
Inc ring did oil in its power to save the
murderers, and perhaps would have sue.
ceeded had it not been for the efforts OF
the Rev. n. A. Hcuand, of Trinity
Church. He not only Published lette1
after letter in tho Picayunt, demanding
thelr punishment but also publicly and
from his pulpit demanded their execu
tlon. Ills life was frequently threatened
py members OF the ring, but he perse
Vered and won. Had those men beer
pardoned they would have been lynched
within tWenty.four hours. So determined
we're the members of Trinity parish, the
Wealthlest in New Orleans, to rid the
city Of the scourge, that 100 of than
organized secretly for the purpose O.
, lynching the murderers. Among tho
members of this band were numbered
some of the most respected citizens o.
Now Orleans, and their counsel was thei,
, pastor. In many respects the Rev. r
A. Holland is remarkable man. He j,
a Kentuckinn by birth, and although O
small physique, is oil pluck, and doe
not hesitate to raise his voice in denuu
/ citation Of wrong doing and in favor of ,
higher civilization. From his pulpit h(
, fought the fraud in the exposition man
agement, and alone was the means O
stopping tho bull fighting on the exposi
ton grounds You may know how de
/ voted he is to principle when tell yor
, tho men he fought in tho exposition
> were among the wealthiest members O
! his church. He is strongly intellectual
: and has most pronounced views, whicl
| he never hesitates to express.
Z "A cooper in Exete~. Calada, built
largo tank in the shop and then had I,
L.. = y 4 l.