The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-08
Concerning .The Clansman."
1.-THE Clansman was born In hell and ope
n tod NV the deyil.b

.The Clansman was born in hell and oper
40 says DR.. Broughton, a minister OF tn
gospel, o. Atlanta, Ga. The CLansman Wa,
1layed In Atlanta TO al oVer1owing house
such az II has had at every pointin the South
despite the harsh criticism OF the pay and liz
author by an isolated paper or individual
Doubtless many OF DR.. B~roughtOn's ersLwhile
docile members, taking the great guilt upon
their own heads, dared 10 witness this stage
performances. 1t IL said that church mem 0ere
have dared to do 30 at other points In It's
wake, which must be true, unless there 10 q
world OF theatre gong COMMON sinners.
DR., Broughton Wou.d do we'll 10 sesslon the
refractory members w%hoiwould thus dare To
exercise The liberty OF Gun science. What IL
there In this book 10 arouse the ire OF this
clergy nan or the purest church member Of
nls Or any other congregation? ,
II is objected that The story does not con-
form verbatim 10 South Carolina history ;
that IL Is upon u low plane, aud unit for
presentation before q rtnne audience; that
it stirs up, 10 no purpose, racial aud sectional
sulAponism. Do the iacLs warrant THESE OBJ.
jec,ions7
dates aud events OF south Carolina history
with math, matical precision IL doubtless
true. The sHme might be said OF Kenil-
worth, Les Misei aOles, Vanity Fair, Dumar's
works or any oLher semi historical hctlcn.
What difference does II make whether there
were twenty or one hundred thousand negro
troous in The state, In recUnstI uclion days,
and whether or not these troops we're seattle
and actually driven ont by the Ku Kl1x
Khan. The TACT Ia that the PROSTATE state no
capable OF resisting An armed FORCE IN
the upen field, did resort TO The Ku Klux
Khan, for protection against the excesses OF
the ignorant misguided negro, drunk witt
power. Whether the negro machine was
finally overthroWn by the Khan or by the
red shirt bregHde," ID y matter OF Ddider.
ence, as the personei OF each Was largely
the WORK OF the Khan was more terrib'e az
was also the period In which 1t operated, and
It WAS this terrorIzing OF the aegro, during
the period Of our helpIessness that Kept him
in bounds until open resistance was possible.
h secret organization doubtless accomplish
cd the end OF preparing white men for ready
and effective open organization. The transit
ton was easy from the secret 10 the open Or
gani2ation,
But Dixon's story Is not a story OF South
Ca rolina-it is u story OF the South, with The
com pliInent ~ this state OF laying the scene
here. That II 10 true Ia fact, In essentials, ~
beyond question. There 10 scarcely a rural
precinct IN The state that has not witnessed
the disgusting election scenes portrayed In
the book scarcely a vicinity thai has not
had sumo OF its most honored citizens carried
at The point OF negro bay oneLs before an
alien military despoL; scarcely one that has
not been sickened by The preparation OF The
crime unspeak able. Ii Dixon were writing
for the generation which laced the foe. now
passing away, or Tor that generation which
receives the facts first hand, the cry "let as
forget mig ht BIZ we'll founded {; and yet the
plain truth can do even these no harm.
His work, however, Is not for the present
alone, IL 10 for time, colored II you will. but
colored with the blood of q suffering people.
Touching the objection that the play 10 on
q low plane, n unfit for presentation to a
refined audience, II may be said truthful ly,
that no such crlticihi. can honestly be
brought against the book, and the play, pre-
suIuabIy, does not embrace scenes outside OF
the book. @
Witnessed the play in Atlanta and whose
Judgment is as worthy OF respects as that OF any
man In the State. morally, or intellectually
IL "thaL there Is nothing In The play 10 offend
the modest, or 10 do Violence TO the histori-
cal slickier.. He says 1t IL a plain presenta.
ton OF q plain truth"
"Black Crook" or the"Devil's Auction
can pass by without making a ripple upon
true story Of a struggling people 10 raise the
waves mountain high.
We come now 10 the last objection; that the
play stirs up, ID no purpose, sectional and
racial strife,
The intelligent negro Of today recognizes
the utter folly OF negro rule, and viewing
those stirring times from bis more enlighten-
ed condition., he recognizes the necessity
which drove Ine White man 10 naash meas,
OF his race. Where he has been deprived OF
political power. accompanied by Ignorance,
he has been given mechanical and lntellectu-
al training.
TO him and TO the North, We can make no
reasonable defense for the acts Of violence
and blood shed perpetrated throughout the
South. on his race, except that they were
committed TO protect the property, lives and
honor OF her people. No where ls this fact
more clearly revealed than in 1.-The Clans
and instead Of stirring up the North
against the South, IL brings graphically be.
fore the North, the mitigating circumstances
hat tlere is no thst m between the North
and South today Is possible, but that there
was q chasm: filled with the bleaching bones
OF our fathers, filled with broken hearted
filed with the crimes OF unre-
strained Ignorance, we would not forget, but
keeping II well In mind, would extend
the forgiviDg hand 10 q brother, who know
ipgly has wronged Us. Let not the siren
Gong Of the utopian efface these memories. TO
the generations to come, viewed In any other
light thar that Of an oppressed people, our
conduct in the days OF reconstruction was
but tb at Of the sWindler and murderer. In
the South Dixon's playis simple reproduc.
ton in he North, revelation [ North and
South 1t Is the truth, W. W. q.