The New York herald., 1868-09-12

Of them have been murdered for no other reason or
onence tnan their political opinions and sentiments
Many coiored people who had hired Tor the year or
o S s1s for
safety and ny Tor their lives leaving their employers
OF sner crops; and unless something Is 81 done sor
lose their earnings, with starvation In the gloomy
future Of themselves and famifies
In one class Of cases shown there ls an excuse or
pahation for the wrongs perpetrated upon the cti-
xens; but there is another class OF cases Wnen tne
SongS ,ake ne case niS there are crcam
stances of alleged paiation These are when
murder has been committed 9nder circumstances OF
county OF Maury. He was foully murdered. The
guilty agent was arrested by the civil authorities
lodged in jail, and afterwards by the Ku Kux taken
out and hung. There seems to have been no doubt
as his gult but there was no justification to those
cases where they have hung men for an alleged
crime. These cases were mentioned for the reason
that we are sent here to place before your Excel
lency the present condition OF AFFAIRS in our State
These parties should be tried and punished accord
ing TO The law. 1t is true in some OF these cases. it
beyond question or doubt. Assume this TO
be 3d. ooSs as we concede It to be in
orenders it is then more certain they will Be con-
victed and punished. These cases OF punishment
for crimes are referred to by the friends OF the order
to JUSTIFY ts existence when they are assailed in
newspapers or otherwise. We will further add that
most II not all the persons engaged in these viola
tions OF law and who belong to the Klan, so as
known, were enemies to the government during the
late civil war; but we are able to state and do so
with pleasure, that many OF the Confederate soldiers
and officers, who fought gallantly during the war,
disapprove OF and condemn the Klan and its acts OF
unprovoked violence We have thus far spoken OF
say, Is to overthrow the State government of the
State OF Tennessee, and many OF them declare they
the United States as they were at the
commencement Of the rebellion. The more
IF ts $40 @
Yankees" Many OF them declare that the State
government OF Tennessee Is Illegal, and they have
legally right to resist and even to overturn It.
This is not confined to the masses, but finds advO-
Gates In distinguished men high in the estimation OF
those forming the late socalled Confederate States
government. Resistance to the government OF Ten
nessee and the laws passed by her Legislature since
ne war 49, In tne t opinion Of ne as crm
ment and laws of the State Of New York, or any
other State of the Union. But, it may be said the
military force Is necessary 10 this we reply that 1T
Is fact No one in any OF the counties IN Tennes-
has ever been tried or T punished '' FOR ' any
OF the offences or class Of offences men,
toned above, and 80 long as public opinion
remains as 1t is none will be, especially In those
counties where the order is numerous. No person
dare prosecute for if he should his life would be en-
they prosecute that they would be murdered by the
Klan. Indeed, they tell people upon whom they in
and Disclose they hey viii % BE- % Ssa With With ths ST sae aee Of
alarm and apprehension no one will be prosecuted.
Hence the civil authorities are powerless Again,
appear before the grand ures there is assurance
an Indictment would be found. But few Of the grand
juries, it is apprehended have OF the Klan on
them. Enough at least, are generally there to de-
feat an indictment. As they go in masks 1t il not
known who is or who is not in the order, and hence
they get on Jures and defeat the laws The commit
tee will in this connection state fact that when
the present Legislature met in regular ses- |
be liberal and repealed the military laws |
passed by their immediate predecessors, in |
the hope and expectation that the promises made
by those who were opposed to them politically, that
soldiers were unnecessary, would be fulfilled. This
hey regret, and say they were disappointed, for no
'harged than the ''Ku Klux Klan" sprung up in
tennessee and commenced their midnight travels
nd depredations. The present condition of affairs
IS given above, is sustained by sworn testimony
efore the Committee on Military Affairs OF the
Ounties in that State and is cOrrobOrated by the |
ersonal observation OF the committee ana confirmed
IT, President not being able to furnish y"u wsn
rinted copy OF that report and testimony on which
: is based When we left Nashville they were in |
ne hands OF the printer and we were unable to
We now come to another part Of our instructions,
ecton to the iaw-abiding citizens Of the state OF
tennessee under the provisions OF the constitution
~ tns @ Ssa,e & rms We now ao
Governor believe, that the State is unable to over
come by military force the opposition to the state
government there and the ku Klux Klan, and pun
ish the Offenders, but because they he legislature
and deem it better to have federal troops there
riots or insurrecton that might be attempted or
occur. Federal troops are preferred another
fround They have no local personal likes or dis
ikes TO influence them to commit wrongs peace
nj citizens, nor be subject themselves, after dis
harge from service, TO wrongs and 0utrages
or being known in the state militia service.
Further, this Klan threaten that no more elections
hall be held In Tennessee In the counties where they
lave the power to prevent 1t. II this should be the
principle upon which they act in the absence Of
proper force then probably election could held
n Tennessee for the republicans in the counties
where they have the numerical strength might
drive the conservatives from the polls What we De.
sire Ia sufficient force TO aid the civil authorities In
holding elections 80 that every man who Is entitled
to exercise the elective franchise may exercise IL.
That this Ia the determination Of the Khan ~ under
stood by their continued night travels and their say
ing to Union men, as well white as colored, they
shall not vote unless they exercise the privilege In
particular way. They are disarming white and col
ored men whenever they can. The Legislature hoped
the numbers OF the Klan would decrease, and their
outrages would dimipish but in this 1t was
mistaken. II has delayed action, having 2 well
founded hope and expectation that the ef-
Iorts OF certain prominent and distinguished
representative men who mad pledged their
honest endeavors TO effect as far as possible, such
desirable result. Their efforts thus far have although
well intended, been crowned with no beneficial re-
suits. On the contrary, their numbers and violence