The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-12-09
he nepo,ts OF Military Cemmuuae,s

Gen. Alfred Terry, commanding in Geor-
gia, makes most discouaging report of the
condition of affairs in that State. We append
the following extract from his report:
1 have delayed making the report thus call
ed for, until the present time, in order that L
might become acquainted with the condition
of affairs in Georgia. before expressing my
opinion. Now l have reluctantly come to the
conclusion that the situation here uehlahus
the interposition of the national government,
in order that life and properly may pe pro-
tected fraadom of speech and political action
secnrnd and tbe rights and liberties of freed
men maintained. The opinion is based upon
comnIaints made to me, upon reports of Off
GERS detailed to investigate the alleged outrag-
os. and upon the statements of many persons
of responsibility and high position in different
parts of the State, in whose representations l
must repose confidence, some of whom have
given Inc information only under pledge
OF secrecy, the state of affairs in their sec
ton being such that they feared the eX-
IRENE OF personal violence should it become
known that they had been in communication
with me- In many parts of the Stale there is
practically no government. The worst of
crimes are committed, and no attempt is
made to punish those who commit them
Murders have been and are frequent. The
abuse in various ways OF the blacks is too
common to excite notice. There can be no
doubt of the existence Of numerous inSurrec-
tionary organizations known as the 'Ku-Klux
r Klans, who, shielded by their disguise, by the
secrecy Of their movements, and by the terror
which they inspire, perpetrate crime with i'm
punity.
There is great reason to believe that in
some cases local magistrates are in sympathy
with members Of these organizations. In
many places they are overawed by them, and
dare not attempt TO punish them. To pun
ish such offenders by civil proceedings would
be difficult task, even were the magistrates
in all cases disposed, and had they courage to
do their duty, for the same influences which
govern them, equally affect iuries and wit
nesses. Conversations which l have had with
a wealthy planter, gentleman of intelligence
and education, will illustrate this difficulty.
While deploring the lamentable condition of
affairs in the country in which he lives, he
frankly admitted to me that were the most
worthless vagabond in the country to be
charged with a crime against the person of
republican or negro, neither he nor any
other person OF property within the county
would dare to refuse to give bail for the Of
fender, nor would they dare TO testify against
him, whatever might be their knowledge of
his guilt. That very many of the crimes
which have been committed have no political
bearing, L beiese; that some of them were
prompted by political animosity and that most
OF the murderous outrages upon the freedmen
result from hostility to race, induced by their
acknowledgements, J. think cannot be contro-
verted.
Gen. Terry closes his report with the fol-
lowing emphatic language:
In conclusion,I desire to express my con-
viction that the only way to restore good Or
der in the State is to resume military control
over it for the time being, and ultimately to
PROVIDE by law that the Legislature shall re-
assemble as a provisional legislature. from
which all ineligible persons shall be excluded
and to which all eligible persons elected to it,
whether white or black, shall be admitted
Such Legislature would, believe, enact
such laws, and invest the Executive with such
powers as would enable him to keep the
peace, protect life and property, and punish
CRIME. The process OF resuming military
control would, it appears to me, be a very
simple one. All that would be required is an
order from the President countermanding
General Order No. So, Adjutant Generals
office, July %, 1868, and Order No. 1O3, Head
quarters Third Military District, July %, 1865,
and assigning an officer to the command of
the district, excepting the States of Florida
and Alabama. This action | respectfully
recommend.
Gen. Halleck, commanding the military di-
vision of the South, endorses Gen. Terry's
recommendations.
Gen. Ames, commanding in Mississippi.
says:
Supported by public opinion a few men, III
dehanca OF law, commit murders and out
RACES. The civil officers are unequal to the
min cJ1aI, o1o 81
tice. The assistance of the troops is demand
ed. Guarded and protected by their neigh
bors, their arrest becomes very difficult. The
parties injured, or their friends. rarely under
take to aid the civil or military authorities: if
SO, hesitatingly, and if possible, secretly I'm
Ger such circumstances the protection of per-
sons in their lives and property is impossible.
Ihe cases are numerous where violence has
Deen offered to the regularly constituted au-
thorltles, and in those instances the acts were
committed generally by individuals who new
ertheless were secretly shielded by the people,
Gen. Reynolds, commanding in Texas, saws:
The ordinary civil machinery of the State
mas been in operation, aided whenever neces-
sary and practicable, by the military force of
the United States.
Some improvement is apparent in the dis
position OF juries to punish for murder and
other high crimes.
For the suppression of the bands of desper-
ADDE'S which have infested almost every part
OF the State and the arrest or the parties in
dicted for murder, it has been necessary to
furnish military aid to the civil officers. These
parties have usually met with armed resis-
lance, and IN encounters which ensued sever
eral persons have been killed. With very few
exceptions indictments for murder had been
found against these persons, and in every
case they invited their fate by refusing arrest
and IN resisting by force of arms the lawfully
constituted authorities of this State and of the
United States.
The number of murders in the State durino
the nine months from January 1, 1868. to Sen,
TENDER 10, 1869, according to the official rec
ords, necessarily imperfect, is 1884, being an
average OF about one and malt per day.
Gen. Mower, commanding in Arkansas
says:
OWING to the action of the legislature in
providing for the organization of militia, and
the proclamation of the Governor, declaring
martial law in November, 1868, which was
followed by putting militia in the field. the
civil authorities of that State have made
themselves respected and the laws can be ex-
ecuted without much difficulty. The end
was reached mainly through the decided ac-
lion OF His EXcellency Governor CLAYTON. as.
sisted by the United States troops. when call
ed upon, and in consequence since January
last comparative quiet has prevailed and the
troops have had nothing save routine garrison
duties TO perform