Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-05-15
"Do you have any other belief"

and the old flag forever
Again the Starry Ku waved the flag
Again The boarse murmur rose: Hail
10 The Kui" And then the whole as
sembly burst into wild roar:
"The Star spangled Banner. oh. long may II
o'ert6e laad of tho white. and the free nisger's
grave"
Then the silence fell again like pail
over the whole assembly, and the Starry
Ku stood stock still.
The Red Death turned to the bearer Of
the Southern flag:
Down-trodden, conquered Klux," he
said, thou shalt interrogate the brother
OF the Klan."
The bearer of the Southern banner
waved his flag once.
Every man in the assembly bowed
his head, and the murmur was
almost inaudible: Bless the con-
quered KluE I" Once more he waved
the banner over the skeleton lamps, and
their bony arms squeezed the negro ba-
bes as il they were bagpipes, while a
shrill yell Of agony rose from every
pickaninuy throat
Slowly, and with faltering tread, the
conquered Klux came down the steps,
and upon the cOnter-cloth, till he stood
beside the starry Ku, but on the left Of
the huge skull.
Brother if brother thou art" said
the Klux, "answer, and answer truly"
81 will answer truly"
"Didst thou belong to the Union
army 2"
II did"
Wherefore didst thou draw thy sword
against thy brotherP Was it for love of
the negro2"
1t was not"
"Dost thou hate the negro ?"
81 hate him from my heart ?"
q" Why do you hate him p
VI Because of his color and because OF
his smell but most of all because he
made me fight my Southern brother"
"Dost thou love thy Southern
brother ?"
"Better than love my sou l."
"Then what did you fight against him
for2"
"For eleven dollars a mo nth "
did you receive bounty2"
81 received seven or eight"
Nov that this cruel war is over, do
you love your Southern brother more
than ever"
"More than ever"
"Your mission from William H. Sew
ard is to dismember and destroy the ne
gro leagues"
ut is"
"What is his purpose in doing so 2"
| hesitated moment. The eyes of the
Klux blazed through his mask.
"Dost thou repent " he cried. " Art
thou not brother of the Klan, body,
blood, and soul p
81 ANYBODY, blood, and soul. Sew
ard wishes to destroy the negro to get the
Southern vote for johnson for the next
Presidency"
81 know it. Thou hast answered
truly. IT'S well.
- Roth the standard bearers turned to-
ward the Red Death.
"Dreful Red Death, the brother is
ready. He can be admitted - body,
blood, and SOUL F"
He shall pass the terrors of initiation.
He shall enter the horrid gates of hell.
He shall become a purified bloody
brother of the Holy Klan," the Red
Death said.
And again the murmur. rose once
more: Hail to the bloody brother
All hail to the Ku-Klux Klan
Let the Grand Recording Cyclops
read the Book of Klan from the foot Of
the Yelled Throne" said the Red Death.
Z" Let tie bugles of the Giant Bloodsuck-
ers sound for the Cyclops. Prepare "
Swiftly the three huge sword-bearers
came from the second step, and stood
upon the center cloth. Each one raised
his cleaning blade, and struck fearful
blow upon the huge skull.
1t sounded like a great gong. The
dull echoes rumbled through the cave,
the great jaws clashed together, and the
polished cross-bones at the corners OF
the mat danced and ratified in horrid
chorus.
Then each Giant Bloodsucker placed
his brazen trumpet to his mouth and
pealed terrific note. The cave shook
the Klan bowed their heads = the
masses of smoke behind the Red Death
became denser and more luminous. Out
of the heart of the smoke terrible voice
cried: =,
Hail to the Red Death The Grand
Cyclops answers haill'
Let the Book of Klan Bray" an
swered the Red Death, signing K with
his bare right hand.
"Preparel The Grand Cyclops is
ready" answered the voice.
A bandage was pressed upon my eyes,
and in the dead silence l heard every
word that follows strike upon the strain
ing ear, as if it was the blow Of sharp