The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-29

J crn Europe and brought order out OF
chaos The triumph which they achieved
was one OF Incredible grandeur. They
| snatched power out of defeat and death,
and tore the fruits OF victory from TWEEN
| ty million conquerors. Such achieve
| ments have never been wrought by ar
rant rufIiihns. sscolindrels and desperndocs.
The sheer moral grandeur of such d
deed gives the lie to the assertion.
Tho truth OF history is that MS orig
iDnlly organized and led, the Ku-Klux-
Khan was the sole guardian OF cviliza-
ton in the South from 1867 to 1870, and
It's members were the salt Of the earth
Every hope Of relief for the South had
been crushed The assassinat ton OF Lincoln
had so crazed the masses Of the North
that the Radical wing of the purity In
power could propose no outrage too mon
strous for the consideration of Congress-.
Even bill to tear from the starving
Southern people the remnant Of their
property left by the war and give 1t to
the negroes and camp followers of the
army was introduced in the House OF
Representatives by rhaddeus Stevens,
the responsible leader of the government,
and boldly champoned by this great man
with the audacity of genius and the
faith OF u fanatic.
Hand at the Throat.
The negro had been made the ruler OF
his former master. who was dsfran-
cliised and dlsarned. The hand Of tfs
thief and rufIinn clutched at every mans
throat. The negro controlled the State,
county, city and town governments
Their insolence grew apacc. Their wo-
men were taught to insult their cd mis-
tresses and mock their poverty as they
passed in their faded dresses. A black
.st.. t,,f
white child of six with whip, and when
the mother protested she was arrested
by negro policeman and fined ten dol
lars by negro magistrate for insulting
Il frecdman!
E Thieves looted the treasury Of every
State and county. and taxes mounted
until as many as $500 homesteads of
white men, many OF whom could not
vote. were sold for taxes in a single
county.
The negro and his ally the carpet bag
adventurer, had attained ,ndsputed con-
troll of society through the secret OATH
bound order known THE Union
Leaf que"
Gulf Between Races.
The white people of he South at first
secuted the idea that the negroes who
had been faithful through the war could
now be used as their deadlest foes "a
the new order Of society. But for ZEE
signs, grip. passwords. the mysterious
blue flaming altar OF The Union
League" the whites could have held the
friendships OF their former slave. AS a
rule the ties which bound then, were
based on real affection. Blu: the League
did It's work well. By promises to tho
slaves OF forty acres of the land OF their
tI,,lxo = ri !, 11yt1i
theories Of equality and dominion over
those who once ruled them, by drill in
arms and the backing Of trained garr1-
sors. a gulf between the white man OF
the South and the negro was dug which
time can never bridge. Its passions have
become part Of the very heart beat OF
both races.
The Union League OF America was or.
ganized In Cleveland. Ohio, during the
war by the friends Of Thaddcus Stevens
the Radical leader OF Congress. Its
prime object was the confiscation. OF the
property OF the South. The chief OBJ
stacle to this programme was Abraham
Lincoln. Hence the first work OF the
league was to form conspiracy to
destroy Lincoln and prevent his renomi-
nation for a second term.
Was Against Lincoln.
They accordingly nominated .John y. 4
Fremont for President before tho con-
vcntion met In Baltimore to name Lin
coins successor. and boldly proclaimed
war to the knife against the President.
They figured on Fremont's prestige as |
the first formidable candidate of their
party. his record as pathfinder. and |
bis grievances against the administra- |
ton, but they forgot that he was born In |
South Carolina. Fremont himself gave
the league n mortal blow in its first |
political programme by boldly repudiating
their platform Of vengeance and confis-
cation. They then turned on their own
candidate. cursed him as a fool and
helped nominate and elect Lincoln as the !
lesser of two evils.
Upon the assassination of the Presi-
dent. Thaddeus Stevens suddenly be-
came dictator of the nation, and the |
Union League grew rapidly into rest
less power. Within two years almost |
every negro in the South had been ad-
mitted to membership. drilled in Its an |