Year: 1874

The White Mans Party embraces nearly all
York Tribune.


However desirOus our peaceable citi-
zens may be OF placing a more hopeful
construction upon the condition of the
Southern States than the events of the
past few months will allow, the letters that
are cons family received from the friends
of the Union in that section show that
they, at least, share in no such agreeable
delusion. They steadily assert that the
disunion faction is active in every part of
the South, and that the political leaders
that have assumed the name of Demo-
Gratis are no better than traitors in dis
guise In the neghborhood in Alabama
where Mr. Billings was recently assassin
ated reign OF terror exists, we are Told,
that is simply appalling" The Ku KluX,
masked and armed, in companies Of two
or three hundred, have resumed their
nightly rides. They are composed of the
viIest and lowest OF the population, but
they are supported by the counte nance
OF th- Democratic leaders wto- hope by
their add to control the elections They
are determined it seems, to iofce the ne
groes into insurrection and the negroes
who, we are told, ARE quiet and peacea-
BILE and have no more idea of insured
ton than an infant" are subjected to
such horrible outrages as no other race
has ever borne SO patiently Every night
the murderers chase them from their
cabins to the woods and swamps, where
they hide IN hopeless terror. Some are
shot down as they fly; all live in fear of
their lives, in a condition of misery that
no language can describe. Meanwhile
our informant continues, "these Williams
White Leaguers-march in hundreds
by q have seen them) making night hid
eous with their demoniac yells" No Re-
publican dares to sleep in his own house
in this district OF Alabama where the
Mobile Register insists that all is peace
and order. But it is against the white
+ Republicans, whether native or Northern
born, that the Democrats show their
deadliest hatred. Mr.. Billings, one of
their most recent victims, was an amiable
and excellent man, "a noble Northern
gentleman, against whom not a word of
reproach could be uttered" He was a
moderate Republican, but careful never
to introduce political topics in conversa-
ton, possessing a wide information, and
welcome visitor in every household
mot prejudiced by passion" None of
his friends dreamed of his assassination.
He was shot down in the night by q
troop of the masked and demoniac
| League The Southern born Unionists
are no more secure than the Northern.
Unless speedy help is given them they
will be murdered like the patriot Billings.
81 beg you in Gods name,' exclaims one
of them, "to heed my cry for help, and
spare no effort to have these murderers
brought to justice


These simple words, this cry for help,
indicate what must be the true policy OF
our government and people. The justice
of the nation should at once fall upon
the murderers. In no country can such
a condition of society be safely tolerated
for a moment; in no country can it be
suffered to prevail long without a total
| destruction of the moral sense of the
people These infamous associations
should be extirpated with so firm a hand
| that their leaders and abettors may learn
in future to dread the laws they now
openly contemn. If any part of the
Southern people have wrongs to com
plain of, let them do so peaceably and
properly, and the nation will do them
Justice They know that the chief de
sire of the whole country is to bring back
prosperity and good order to their un


happy section. But when any part o


the Southern people became assassins
and open murderers, join in the treason


able leagues, and defy the government


they can look for nothing but the strict


punishment oltheir crimes and however


that punishment may apparently be de


layed, it will come at last with redoubleC


severity. Coushatta and Grant Parisl


and the long list OF murders and outrage
at the South have yet to be atoned TO


by those who have been engaged in them


But that the government should suite


wild gangs of murderous villains to rid


through the inland districts of Alabama


Texas or Tennessee, hunting the whit


and black Republicans from their home


to swamps and forests, destroying tn


first principles of free government, fore


ing free citizens to abstain from votin
by terror, committing barbarous murder


and crimes that exceed the horrors {


the Paris Commune or an Irish insurret


tion is what the Southern leaders can n


longer look for, and if they persist in re
bellion, they must encounter unite