Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1868-07-23
From the Nashville Banner.
The Ku-KluX Khan.
General Order Of the
Great G.. D.
Highly Important Docu-
ment.
The Real Nature and Pur.
poses Of the Klan.

The following curious document
reached us through the postofice
yesterday, bearing no sign what
ever to indicate the identity of !
its author. 1t is believed to be
all that it purports to be, and in
view of its Importance and signif-
canoe we give it place, contrary
to our established custom of reject
ing all anonymous communica-
tons:
HEADQUARTERS REALM No. l, !
DREADFUL ERA, BLACK EpoCH, :
HIDEoUs HOUR.
GENERAL ORDER No. l.
Whereas, information of an
authentic character has reached
these headquarters that the blacks
in the counties of Marshall, Maui
ry, Giles, Lawrence and other adj
jacent counties, are organizing
themselves into military compa-
MES, and are arming and drilling
by night, and calling themselves
'the"Whangs, "the "Wide Awakes,"
the 'Black K. KS" etc.; and
whereas, it is understood that they
avow their determination to make
war upon and to exterminate the
Ku-Klux Klan, said blacks are
hereby solemnly warned and or
dered to desist from further &C
ton in such organization, if they
exist, and to disband the same
Immediately. And the Khan in
these various counties are hereby
ordered to be on the alert and to in
vestigate the matter, and if these
organizations do exist, and are
discovered, to dispense them atany
cost. The CD. regrets the neces-
sity of such an order as this, but
this Klan shall not be outraged
and interfered with by lawless ne
groes and meaner white men, who
do not, and who never haze un-
derstood our purposes, or who
never wished to understand them.
In the first place, this Khan is not
an institution Of violence, lawless-
ness and cruelty, as these parties
affect to believe. 1t is not law
less-it is not aggressive-it is
not military-it is not revolution
airy. But it is essentially, origi-
nally and inherently a protective
organization. 1t proposes to ene-
cute law instead of resisting it,
and toprotect all good men, wheth-
er white or black, from the outrages
and atrocities of bad men of both
colors who have prevailed in the
country for the last three years,
and who have been a terror to So
ciety and an injury to US all. But
the blacks seem to be impressed
with the idea that this Khan is
especially their enemy, and we be-
lieve this impression has been
made by bad white men. But, how
ever they may have reached this
conclusion, it is erroneous. We
are not the enemy of the blacks
as long as they behave themselves,
make no threats upon us and do
not attack or interfere with us.
But if they deceive themselves,
or permit others to deceive them,
and make war upon us simply up
supposition, as it seems they are
preparing to do, and thus force us,
against our inclination and inten-
tons, to hostilities, why, then, we
accept the issue, and they must
abide by the awful retribution
that will follow. We want to al
void this and have peace, and it
lies with them to say, by their
obedience or disobedience of this
order whether or not we shall a.
void it.
1t is now an undoubted fact that
the Khan, while in its peaceful
and while disturbing
no one, even in the remotest man.
ner, has been fired on no less than
three different times in the vicini-
ty and suburbs of Columbia, I'M
Maury County. This mast and
acM not be endured any longer.
We say, therefore, to the blacks
and their white allies of that
place, that this must not occur a.
gain. And if it ever does and
the parties should be discovered, al
remorseless vengeance will be
wreaked upon them. Informal
ton has also reached US that GER
tain officials and certain unofficials
in Columbia and that vicinity are
nstigating the negroes, and advi.
sing them to organize these compa-