Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-09-11

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Tennee9ee, wno were appol lated by the L-gis-
latare OF that State to visit the President and
request him TO Iarnish troops for the State TO
Keep tae peace, waited upon b him at hSlf-pa
ten O'Clock this morning, and were received by
hem in his sffice.
JUDGE VIM. H. Wisener, ST., chairman of tue
co.nm,ttse, then reed the address prepared. He
place fully before the Presiden, the pre- ent
condition Of aAa,rs in Tennr see II. sIlud, n
to the .ac- lat the legislature of that ST te is
now IN session, cstlcd together by the Governor
10 adopt mer 'arcs to provide for the protSc-
ton OF the citizens from a secret organization
known as the kF-KtuX- Klap, of The exist,nc. of
which, he said, there wss no longer a doubt.
recent public stion made by authority of
dIstlngui he'd General of the lat, Confederate
s. ..e' (I-ieut. Gen. N B. Forrest, as ,ert; that
the members OF this orga lization IN Tenne>s e
number over forty t1Ous MI.
Mr.. Wise1er then gave a detailed account of
the outra re perpe.rated by tie ku- -Klux-KiLn,
all of which are accomplished at night. CitI-
zeps are DIR; Led irom tleir beds md beaten
and frequently murder is done. Most of the
men pngag q in ~" violations OF law were
eve nj OF The Government during the lat
civil war but mrny OF the COM Iderate officers
and soltiers who fought ga,lautly during the
war di approve OF aud condemn the KHAN and
its acE. The ku-kluX-Kian state that their
oblcct is to overthrow the State government,
and macy of them assert that they are now as
willing TO fight the Unitrd S'ItHs Government
lthe more discreet of them say Yank"es) o.
they were at the begirnIng of the war. They
declare that the State government of Tenne- ee
is Illegal, and they have. therefore, gh to re-
sst At. This view Is Dot held by The masses only,
but by the more prominent men who occupi
high positions in The late Confrderat. 81 .'Hs
Resistance to the State government, il may be
said, can be punish by the civil courts; but
the committee assur, d the Pres that no
person had vet been pua ished for tie Offences
iuuIcated IN any of the counties of Tennessee:
End so long as public opinion remains as il is,
none Will be, C-peci-uy in tho. counties
where the secret order is mo t numerous; and
her threats OF instant death u any person
ho may attempt to inform upon them or pro>-
ecute them, which are in vPriably lrri7d into
execution, deer ci-zens in mo- cases from
bringing the members of the orgap Zation TO
the bar of Justice. When, in rare inssances
they are informed upon before the grand Jury,
the result has generally been that nothing has
o. Ell done. as members of the order are IN
ciuued IN every gIano Jury impinnel d. Their
movemen'- are all M de in masks aud dis.
guises, and it is impossible 10 tell VINO IL or
who is not q member.
Mr.. Wisener stated that when the LEGISLATURE
met in regular session III Octothr L. they
We're dispOs d 70 De liberal aud IN thai spirit
repr led the mill ary law : ID by t1sir
immediate successors, III the hope tDat the
promises made at the time by their polit'c.l
opponents world render soldiers unnecc ary:
bui in this they were di>appOmt~d. No sooner
W?s the law repealed aud the soldiers dis
charged than the ku-kluX Khan spranr MP
ana commenced their midnight travels and
depr~ cations
commit rs instructions, which j. TO urge
upon the Prcsidelt TO give protection 10 tI.e
laW-abiding citizens D. the S'ate, under
the PROVISIONS of the Constitution of the
United StHtc-. This they did. nst J -c.use
tney and the Legislature and Governor b.
lleN; that the State OF Tennessee l. unable 10
overcome by military force the oppo-ition
brought Against il, but because the committee
believed that the Federal troop having no
local prejudice 10 influence them would b.
more effective. The ku-kluN hl"u have
al fRnf .aT E-i,. 1
IN Ienne see ia those counties here they have
TIE power 10 prevent tlem. Ii this should be
The principle on which they propo5p 70 act,
then no elections can br hello. for the PnpuDIi-
cans IN Ire counties where they il the ma
iOTity, would drive the Conservative from the
polls. W hat they now desir was force
sufficient 10 aid the civil authorities IN pro- Ct
ing every man. no matter how he Wi he >
vote, in the .rce and uninteI funtoi exerci of
his plIE leges. The con- n 'ttee therefore urrrd,
III behalf OF the Legislature OF Tenn =.
that the Pr~odent send as early p prac cable
the sooner the better. a efficient deral force
TO that state TO lid the civ i'll authori~- in suu-
pre-. sing these wrongs 3nd brln9iug TO .i.al
the guilty parties, giving thereby "s ~urance TO
all that the laws will b. enforced, crime pun
ish d. and protection extend; 10 such officers
and cit zens as may attempt to execu'e the
law ( or prosecute for their violation. The L
g.Sl ture OF Tennessee, In sending the commit.
10 m"Se this request did 80 upol the
ground that that State is Il part of the graf
ne ican Union cont -4buting 20 the support
of the common Government en- joying its bene-
fi's and blessings, and that they were asking
tor that which they believe they have a right,
under The Constitution to expect.
The commit respectfully request I'd as
early an answer as the Pr sident could give.
as the legislature has adopted a resolution
fixing Monday next as the day of adjournment,
and IL Is importf ant for them 10 know the r.
suit OF this application before that time.
The Pres dent replied at cons iderable Iergth,
stating that he would receive their apple .tIon
and give il his prompt and earnest attention.
He would endeayor To give them 81 answer at
the earliest possible moment, but desired to
have smother interview with them and would
notify them when he could give them an audi
encn, which would be tonight tomorrow
morning. The President, il is stat d, saye the
commit reason TO hope that their request
would be granted, and expressed his great
pleasure at meeting them. After the speeches,
long and in II sting conversation was held
relative 70 anaiIs IN Tennessee.
THE DUTY ON RICE.-By recent decision
OF the United States District Court in San
Francisco. California, in suit to which the
United States was party, 1t was decided that
Patna rice from India was SUBJECT to the
same rate of duty as imposed upon
cleaned rice. Since the war the import .
alton Of PatDa rice to California has
almost ccased, and the entire supply for that
Stdtc nos u Ell IecelEeu ITOln COuIn ClrOIlna.
THE WHITE HoUsR.-The regular meet ng
of the Cabinet was held to-day, all the men,
bers present except Secretary Browning and
Attorney General Evarts, and the session was
a long one.
THE SEPTEMBER SESsIoN.-The opinion Of
the ma iority of Coneres-men who have been
heard IRON on the subject, seems AZ present to
be that a quorum should be present on the 2lst,
for the purpose of taking another recess.
SOLICITOR BINCKLEY, of the Internal Reve-
nue Bureau, visited the President to-day, and
presented his report OF the recent investigation
in New York city.
SIR EDWARD THORNTON, the British NJ MS
ter TO this country, called at the Presidents
house to-day, prior to the meeting OF the Cabi-
net, and bad an interview Of fifteen minutes
with the President in the blue parlor.
GENERAL SCHENCK writes from Ohio tha
the campaign in that State is being prosecuted
by the Republicans with uncommon yigor, and
with the most brilliant prospec.s Of success.
SPEAKER COLPAX arrived at Omaha yestar.
day, on his return from his Rocky Mountain
expedition.
The CHIEF SURGEON, Dr. HorwitZ of the
Naval Medical Department. made general in.
spcctiOn of the United STATES Naval uog,;,,l