Year: 1871

The President has asked authority and
power to suppress the Conspiracy which has
again reared its head at the South. In a brief
message to Congress he has declared that the
State civil authorities are pOwerless to sup
press the organized bands of Ku-Klux;
and he regards it ~ extremely doubt
full if the present forces at the legal
disposal of the Chief Executive are sufficient
for the emergency thus suddenly presented to
the nation He therefore urgently requests
power and authority which shall enable him
to secure life, liberty and property,in all parts
of The South Practically this message will
prove an appeal to arms.


The Senate received, but did not openly de-


bate the message. and we have no means of
Judging of its effect on that body. The House
debated it in a quiet and sensible way, and
finally ordered Committee of nine to con-
slider IL. This Committee includes Messrs.
Shellabarger, Butler, and Dawes, each of whom
has been prominent in urging vigorous mea-
sures to suppress the outlaws and protect
loyal people Messrs Scofield and Blair,
two other Republican members of the
Committee have heretofore favored delay and
inquiry, but may be depended upon to act
promptly and positively when the emergency
demanding legislation is fully revealed 10 them.
The palpable effect of the document on the
House was promptly to unite the Republicans
who have been wrangling over tins question.
Mr.. Thomas, the other Republican member of
the Committee, il fresh from North Carolina, and
doubtless understands and appreciates the need
of doing something to crush tho new rebellion
in its incipient stage. We do not think that the
Senate will long delay to act upon tho mes
sage, and thus give the COnspirators, whose
guilty designs are hardly longer concealed
further tine to perfect their already too for
midable organization.


The effect of this message on tho country
will be far more exciting, we imagine, than
either its writer or Congress contempates. 1t
is a recognition of the great strength OF the Ku
Klux organization, which many persons at the
North have heretofore regarded with indiffer-
ence; these will now understand, in the light
of this official declaration. that the alarm was
sounded none too soon by the public press.
1t is an admission of national weakness which
will at once deceive and encourage the Con-
sprators to still more desperate action than
they have heretofore dared. 1t will excite the
Southern papers to inhammatOry denunciations
of obnoxious persons, and to passionate
appeals to mistaken, impulsive partisans.
Already Northern organs of the Ku-Klux party
denOunce the President for this action as a
Dictator and assert that his whole purpose in
demanding the power of the nation to protect
its loyal citizens is to maintain himself in
power. Such declarations, in the face of tho
terrible OutTages which are every day occur
ring at the South, are insults to men
inspired by feelings of humanity and
sentiments of Justice. To what rash action
on the part of the Ku-Klux the message may
directly lead we cannot now guess, but we
are distressed TO believe that it will exas-
perate them to the commission of many more
outrages before forces can be sent to quell
them. They will not accept it as a warning.
They have gone too farther organization is
too nearly perfected, their designs are too
clearly revealed, the time selected for action
is too close at hand-for them to turn back
now; and it would not surprise us if this mes
sage precipitated in some of the States bloody
instructions, in which Southern loyalists will
suffer most painful prosecutions. But
such consequences will only further
warrant-if any were needed-prompt
action and while we trust outrages will not
ensue, we hope that action may not be de-
layed The right of Southern loyalists to
protection no one denies; the need nobody
longer doubts; and there should now be mani
tested the disposition and the power to secure
it, if necessary, by force of the national arms.