Year: 1874

already proclaimed IN large part OF u


South. That it means nothing less tina


the war which the Ku-Klux made; tn;
, it means to do openly the violence whic


they affected to veil with secret arganiz


ton, and masquerading costume, an


midnight marching, is abundantly man


fest by their own declarations. They d,


family pronounce that no white ma


shall be allowed to live among them VIII


does not join the white mans party


They declare war of races. They freed


proclaim that the only condition upo


which the whites and blacks can live tC


gether is that the blacks shall be in sui
lection to the whites Thus are we me
by declaration of the same old rebe


war in different form, and by renewa


of that old regime when white Republ


can could not enter the South save at tn
peril of his life.


Shall the Southern rebels be permitted


to make such a war under the guise o
peace? Shall the Ku Klux be permitted


to make its reign of terror complete by


the simple process of throwing off it


masquerading gowns? Can rational mer


in the South suppose they can openly


make this state of war, and still hold the


immunities and political privileges of 6


state of peace? Is not this another testi





crushed the brains of the South, so that
every political movement is but new
act of foolishness2 Can these men be
conscious that the war which they de-
clare will invalidate their own elections
Can they be so blind as to think that men
are to be permitted voice in the Ma
tlonal councils, who were chosen by their
openly proclaimed violence2


Is it likely that the National Govern
ment will abandon its duty to see that
each State shall have Republican form
of government, in the face of the procla-
nations of these White Leagues that
whatever means are required to prevent
one-half the voters from having any will
in it, shall be used. For example, how
can the National Government regard a
government in Louisiana as legal, whose
pretended election shall be carried by
such means as the White Leagues and
their organs are now declaring. We re-
produce from the Shreveport Times spec
linens of this spirit, and of the means
now being proclaimed and used by the
White Leagues to carry the coming cleo
tion in that State. The first two are con-
corning some exemplary blood-letting re-
Gently done in two different parishes,
Caddo and Colfax. These and the one
on Federal interference, was
published July %:


There has been some red-handed
work done in this parish that was neces-
sary, but it was evidently done by cool,
determined and just men, who knew
just how far to go. and we doubt not if
the same kind of work is necessary, it
will be done.


1--WE say again that we fully, cordially
approve what the white men of Grant
and Rapides did at Colfax; the white
man who does not is creature so base
that he shames the worst class of his
species. We say again we are going to
carry the election in this State next fall.


'lf the Federal Government again
strikes them down, then let the infamy
OF the deed rest upon the shameless des-
potism that has arisen out of the ma
lignancy and hate of the Northern peo-
pie, beneath whose whitening influence
no sentiment of liberty can survive; un-
der whose policy of meanness, cowardice
and hate every community that does not
it must be trampled in the dust,
and every civilization that does not pay
tribute to it blasted by its curse"


The same journal, August 5th, has the
following on the means which the White
Leagues propose to use to carry the cleo
ton and regulate the social relations of
races:


at has been charged that the white
mans party expects to achieve success by
This is strictly true. We
intend to succeed by intimidation, and
we place little confidence in our numeri-
cal strength as shown in the figures above
given from the ninth census. We rely
for success solely upon ntimidation-but
not tnat intimidation which is the result
Of violence and bloodshed; our weapons
are not to be improved rifles and six
shooters; the intimidation we propose to
win BY, is that which great and just
cause inspires in its opponents; the in
which intellect virtue, and
all the manly qualities exercise over ig-
norance, superstition and human depraV-
ty; the intimidation with which the
spread banners of triumphant civiliza-
ton fills the hearts of its foes, and with
which the cross of Christianity strikes
the bowling dervishes of brutal supersti-
ton"


1t may be that the leaders of the White
Leagues think the Northern Democratic
party is now strong enough to back
Them, and that they can even seize con-
troll of the National Government by
means of this state of actual war in the |
oOuIuI anu GH6lF O0IuOCrdGlC allies III Gu0
North. 1t has been the fate of the osten- |
'ible managers of the Northern Demo
cratic party to lure the South to its de-
'truction in every instance in which |
hey have promised the Southern leaders |
This will be but repeti-
ion of the delusion and destruction. |
This declaration of war in the South !
would defeat their Democratic allies in |
he North, even if otherwise they had
chance.


For the relief of Southern States from |
and for their complete
home government, there is universal |
lesire in the Northern people; but
against this reconstruction of the rebel
ion and the Ku Klux, in the guise of |
white leagues; against this savage procla-
nation of war against the colored people
md all white Republicans, and against
heir carrying elections by violence and
and then uttering the re-
ult as entitled to voice equal with
hose who are elected by the people, the
people of the North will be united to a
legree which will overthrow any Nor
hern allies of such a crime, and will
the integrity of the National
government.