Year: 1869

What We Have Said Concerning the HI


KluI.
4 The Weldon Neps says the STANDARD


has attempted to create the impression tina
! there is in North Carolina an organization
1 that seeks only the lives of the loyal


meaning thereby the Ku Klux. The Ne~


also says:


"We would not defend Ku Kluxism, i


such thing did exist elsewhere than in th'


brain of the frightened editor of the STAN


DARD but we do insist that he has only


placed himself upon this standpoint with


view of masking some damnable evil which


his party would hurl upon an innocent


people"


Without incurring any suspicion of bra,


vado, we may be allowed to assure the Neso'


that the editor ofthe STANDARD is not at all
| frightened, or in any fear of being Ku
Kluxed, not being very much given to fear.
We are, however, alarmed at the pros
pect which the existence of the


Ku Klux organization opens before us,
but our fear is not for ourself
1t is for the people-for North Carolina.
Ifthis organization of assassins is allowed
| to continue Its career we see reign of terror


that will paralyze every industry of the State
and bring ruin upon tine business men and


want to the people.


We see the day when no mans life will be
safe, and when property will bear no value
save in name.


We see the day when MURDER will
reign supreme and God will curse o land
stained with the blood of murdered men.
1t is this that we fear and no more.


The existence of the Ku Klux organization
is no longera matter of surmise.
1t a horrible reality-it is a disgrace
that every good man in North Carolina, be
bis politics what they may, is anxious to
wipe out.


Why does the editor of the Neps affect to
doubt the existence OF an organization OF
whose existence almost every person In
North Carolina is aware?
Have the crimes of the Ku Klux been so
few that he has been unaware of their
occurrence


Have their murders been of so little mo-
ment to him that the death cry of innocent
men has failed to reach his ears?
Impossible.


The crimes of the Ku KluX have been too
freauent-their deeds of death too horrible
their villainy too revolving to escape the
attention of even the most unfeeling and il
literate. Not q respectable man in the
State but has openly or privately ex-
pressed his horror, of the deeds of blood


which have disgraced certain portions of
our State and cast reflected dshonor upon
her name.


The fearful revelations of the trials of the


Lenoir County prisoners are yet fresh in the
memory of all. Men aoho had belonged to the
organization were no longer able to endure


the task of keeping the dreadful secret, and
swore before Almighty God, to the existence,
purposes and crimes of that internal organ
ization which is called the Ku Klux.


The editor of the Meus cannot be unaware
of these facts. He even commented upon
the disclosures. Then let him be true to his
word and condemn an organization whose
purpose is MURDER and violence.
We know of many of the best men of the


Democratic" party who condemn the Ku
Klux in even stronger terms than ever We


have done! They may be..strong partisans,


but they are too honorable, too high-minded,


and too conscientious to sympath;ze with
| murderers.


We made no threats, as the Neus thinks,
when we said that power that could not


be resisted was preparing to crush out these


murderers We simply stated the TRUTH
| and what we knew to be the truth.


The Neus thinks we had purpose in ma
king the statement


We had.


Our purpose was to prevent men, now in
| nocent from becoming criminals, assassins,


murderers;


To prevent the committal of crimes for


any one ofwhich the guilty will be brought


before the bar of the Most High COP that


the shedding OF innocent blood may be
avenged;


To prevent the committal of crimes which
will forever damn the souls of those who
commit them;


To prevent the committal of crimes which
will ruin the character of North Carolina,
and bring ruin upon our business men and
upon our people


These were our motives.
Does the Neus think they were wrong9
We made no threats. We simply stated
facts that had come to our knowledge, that
crime might be prevented, and that now in
nocent men might be kept from staining
their souls with crime, and that there might
be less to suffer punishment.
If we have done wrong in making these
statements We do not know it, and can
not see that we have done wrong. On the
contrary, We believe and know that We have
done right, and we believe that what we
have said will do more to produce char
mony" than anything that could be said.
We are willing TO let the people decide.