Kuklux

VVhence cauie the name of Kuklu.c ! Even Wade Hampton uiight not be able to answer this, particular ruffians who serve him, " in the uniform of the state of South Carolina," are called Red Shirts and not KMux. But a good niany other people at the soutb, as wel! as Bome in the north, havewondered where such a diabólica! name carne from. Numerous suKgestions and conjectures have been made on the subject, but they are pretty much all of a bighly improbable character. There can be but little doubt that the name comes from the old low-land Scotch, kruked kluks " crooked clawa, " which by conversational pronunciation, would almost inevitably becouie, first, " Kruk'kluks," and then, by another shorteninp, "Ku'kluks." An instanco of the use of theorignal words, with a sinster iueaning, tuay be found in a brutal epitaph, composcd by some "Northern Rimcr, for Johu Ap Henry, or John Ponry, a native of Wales, who wasexeouted in 1590 by oommand of good Queen Bess because her bishops did not approve of his views of theology. The suitaph can be found on page 59 of John Weever's Dücourse of Tvneiul Monvmcuts, published at London in 1631, and as folows : The Welctimsn is liangetl Wtio at uur feet flanged And at her state banged, Aud beriied are lila buk. And tho he be haiiKi(l, Yet he ík not wrauged ; Tliede'ul bas li uu laaged I u hls kruked kluks. Indeed, it seems likely enough that "old crooked clawf," or "Ku' kluks," may ïavo been a sort of pet name for the devil ïimself'; and, ifso, it is not unnatural for ïia night-ridiog progeny in the south to adopt it for themselves.