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North
Arkansas Times
Batesville, Arkansas
March 13, 1869
Page 2
Monks, Butler and
Dale.
We have heard of
incendiary speeches being made in Arkansas, but we have never seen or heard of any which will
compare with those given below – and all in the name of loyalty. We challenge the history of the world to
give a parallel to such utterances; and this, too, in the presence, and at
the invitation, of the law-makers of the State, in the Representative’s Hall
in the capitol, surrounded by all the ministers of the law. We hope every proper minded man in the
land, of whatever party in politics, may read the following report, and
remember what these men say; and study and understand the feeling and motives
of the leaders of the militia. – If such sentiments fall from the lips of the
chiefs, what should we expect from their ignorant and deluded followers? We take the following from the Little Rock
Gazette of the 3d inst:
Speaking Last Night. –
According to invitation of lower house of the assembly, Lieut. Col. Monks of Missouri, late of Dale’s regiment of Arkansas militia, addressed that body. His principal argument, if we may call his
remarks such, was a tirade against the ku-klux, and
an endorsement of the martial law proclamations of the governor. He remarked, if
these ku-klux assassinations again run riot over
the State, the organs of the klan would have to
enlarge three times their present size to chronicle the doings of the militia
– they would then have something to report.
Every man who defies the law should be shot down. At this point the remarks of the speaker
were very incendiary. Butler, of Phillips, said amen. The remarks were but a repitition
(sic) of the same thing over and over again, and amounted to no argument
whatever.
Butler, of Phillips, followed in his usual sulphur and fire-eating style. He wanted every man guilty of treason hung
as high as Haman – which was twenty-five
yards. Every man who was not in favor
of the law should be hung without the benefit of clergy. The men this man (Monks), has killed
deserved to be executed and sent to hell.
He had heard Monks was a desperado, but he knew him by his looks that
he was an honest man. All the damnable
traitors that have run riot over the country should go to hell. He wouldn’t have it said that treason ever
lurked in his breast for ten thousand worlds like this. “The man who call in
question you (Monks) honesty when you return home, tell him to go to hell.”
Our old friend Colonel
Dale, of Independence county was the next to speak. He had organized a “regiment” of militia in
one month. The ku-klux,
to the number of 700 to 800 men had surrounded their camp in Fulton county, and had it not been for the “cartridges”
and guns furnished by Monks, they would have fought. He claimed for his command a greater feat
than any other commander could.
He challenged the world to
show a single complaint against his command and of depredations committed on
the march from Fulton county to Augusta. In Fulton county they had fed off the ku-klux
as they had a right to do. This was
the meanest war he ever saw. They were
constantly surrounded by dough-faced, ku-klux
assassins. All that he was now sorry for, was that the militia had not killed 500 to where they
had killed one, and that they all had not made themselves rich off of the ku-klux. The next
time he goes out he would go off on his own hook. He could stamp his foot any time on the
mountain on which he resided, and raise 5000-and if he went again he would not
lave a ku-klux to tell the tale. If Clayton could not clean them out he
could. If they kill one man in his
county he would kill enough in return to swim the little steam tug that run
down the Hesper, in blood. $50,000 would not pay him to go out again
under orders. When he did go he was
going to kill. They never could get
nearer to the ku-klux than 45 miles during their
march. He believed they would commence
killing again when the leaves put out, and it they did he would raise men and
not leave one in the county. He stated
for the purpose we suppose of getting it advertised free of cost-that he was
going soon to open a stone quarry near this city and desired his audience to
remember it. He desired the assembly
to pass the ku-klux bill at once-it would have a
statuary effect. He would not believe 500 ku-klux on oath. They were a set of liars-had sworn falsely
and the truth was not in them. He felt
indignant for a while at the lies that had been told on the militia by
citizens of Woodruff county. They
ought to have killed sufficient to have prevented this telling of tales. The speaker gave out at this point and he
took his seat amid cheers.
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