The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-09-15

ror.of these raids.
When the organization was broken
up by the action of the United
States Government, as above stated,
a good deal of this mystery was
cleared up. While good many
outragts were uncovered, the Gov
crnmcnt failed to prove that there
was any general movement
throughout the State in the nature
of conspiracy to overthrow the State
Government and to nullify the Re-
construction Acts, for all the of
fences tried occurred in the three
counties above named, and on the
other hand those who sympathizcd
with the ku klux movement to
the extent of employment gentle
men of national fame, like Mcssrs.
Rcvcrdy Johnson and Stanbcrry to
defend the prisoners brought to trial
III the belief that, however misguid-
cd, they were engaged in move
mcnt unlawful, though patriotic, to
ovcrturn the State Government.
were disappointed to find that most
OF the otfcuccS- committed were of
the character which Mr.. Johnson
stigmatizcd in the words above
quoted, and most of the offenders
were mere ordinary ruilians, who
had taken advantage of the disor-
ganization of society to commit
crimes which could not he cXtcnu-
atcd on amy plea that they were
p"rprtratcd for any public good.
Nearly all of these outragcs oc-
CURED in the regions where the
whites were in the maiority, and
those who were convicted or pleaded
guilty belonged to Il class which had
never been slave owners, and al
ways most intolcrant towards the
negro. The Quicscenuc of the land
owners and their apparent tolera-
ton OF practices, which tended to
drive the laborcr out of the country,
and therefore was against their in
tcrcsts, was in large measure due
to the disintcgration of the moral
forces of society by bad government,
the State administration being so
obnoxious that the better clements
would not rally to its support, and
partly to that feeling of race soil
darity, which in the unhappy con-
ditions prevailing in the South,
seems to compel all white men to
stand together.
My own position during this dark
period was not II happy one. had
been elected Solicitor in 1865, short
ly after my admission to the Bar,
most OF the cider lawyers being then
under political disabilities, and with
the zeal natural to a young man
holding the office | did, | felt it my
duty to prosecute the men who were
committing these outragcs, and al
though did not accomplish much,
| gave some OF them some trouble,
which naturally did not make me
very popular.
Later, when legislation was pend
ing in Washington, to put the
country under martial law, bclicv-
ing that pressure from outside would
tend only to solidify the white pco-
pie here and prevent the awakening
OF those moral energies among our
own people so essential to our own
well being, believing that any real
and permanent reform should come
from within and not be imposed
from without, and at the same time
fearing that the intcrposition of the
Federal Government would be con-
sldcrcd by those then in control of
the state as an encouragement to
continue in ill-doing, | went to-
NaShlngton, as one of Il committee
appointed for that purpose, to sec
II could do anything to defeat the
proposed legislation.
was probably not very discreet
and some talk that | had with the
member OF Congress from our dis
trict was repeated by him and con-
trucd as threat, and so | came to
be publicly branded as an emissary
OF the ku Klux, endcavoring by
threats to defeat legislation against
them, and there was some dcnuncia-
ton OF me in the newspapers; and
some talk OF proceedings before the
House OF Representative to commit
me Tor contempt, all of which has
tended to confirm me in the view
that in periods of storm and
stress in South Carolina, which
occur from time to time, the posi-
ton OF a man of moderate opinions
Is an unhappy one.
Major Merrill, of the Seventh
Cavalry, was the officer in command
OF the troops in York county. He