The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-04-26


mony abundantly establishes the fact
that there exists, at least in many
portions of Alabama, a secret organ
ization Of men, who disguise them
selves with masks and other costume
for the purpose Of committing crimes
and outrages upon peaceable and law
abiding citizens, and thereby escape
detection and the punishment which
their villainies so justly merit.
This organic alton IS commonly
known as the Kuklux Khan. They
generally make their appearance IN
the still hours of the night, mounted
on horses, also disguised in like man
ner, and armed and equipped for
their murderous work with guns, re-
volvers, knives and ropes. Under
the cover of their hideous DISCUSSES, |
and the darkness of the night, they |
90 forth from their secret haunts to |
perpetrate the most inhuman and
brutal outrages upon those whose on [
ly fault is that they have ever been
true to their country and loyal to It's
government. Your committee beg
leave to say that they have the best
evidence to believe that this organi-
cation is purely political IN its char
acter. None but those of one partic
ular party are known to belong to it,
while Union men and Republicans are
made the special objects CT their
iendish abuse and violence. Almost
the only charge they bring upon the
victims is that they are Radicals, or
that they have voted for the Republi-
| can candidates, or that they hold
some office under the reconstructed
government Of the State. 1t is re-
markable fact that no Democrat or
Conservative, so far as it has come to
the knowledge of your committee,
has ever fallen by their murderous
hands, or been interfered with in the
enjoyment of his rights and liberties.
| Now / come to the State of Geor-
gia, the State we have 10 hand, and |
| call the attention of the Senate to the
terrible condition Of things in that
State. To show how far back the
Kuklux were established in the State
4 of Georgia, l will refer to a letter
from General Meade to General Grant
in 1868. This letter is dated Atlanta,
Georgia, April 4, 1868, and it begins
thus: -u
/ There are unmistakable signs OF
disorder in this State and Alabama
from secret organizations, such as
have disturbed Tennessee. | am
about issuing a very stringent order,
and shall take very summary meas
ures to check this evil, if PRACTICABLE /;
but the force under my command is
insufficient to control all parts of
these States, and in view of the ap-
preaching elections L would be much
relieved if the forces here could be
temporarily increased; say, an addi-
tiopal regiment for two months.
i I refer to that letter to show that
as early as April, 1863, General Meade
believed In the existence of the Ku-
klux organization in the State OF
Georgia, and asked for military force.
r / now come to the evidence in re-
gard to what took place in Georgia in
1868, after the Democratic Conven-
ton in the City of New York. |
have already shown that the revolu-
ton that took place in the Legisla-
ture of Georgia could perhaps be
directly traced to the influence and
the teachings of the Democratic
4 Convention in the city of New York
/ now refer to a report made by the
Judiciary Committee in 1869. In
that report they give a statement
from the report made by the Freed
mans Bureau. / have not been able
to find the report, but l find an ex-
tract from it in the report of the
Judiciary Committee. 1t is as fol.
lows:
It certainly furnishes a strong rea-
son why Congress should not at this
time overlook the irregularities in the
organization of the Legislature oil
Georgia, and admit her Senators to
representation. And this is not all
Your committee have examined the
official reports of the various officers
connected with the Freedmen's Blu
reau in Georgia, and find reported 33e
cases of murders and assaults with in
tent to murder upon oolOred persons
by the whites. from January /, 1868
to November 10 Of same year For
all Of which there has been no legal
redress aad scarcely any effort what
ever on the part of the authorities to
punish the criminals. And tits stated
by these officers that they are unable
to report fully as to the number and
character OF these outTages on &C
count of intimidation of witnesses
which is practiced by the perpetra
tors of crime.
Ir Three hundred and thirty six MUIR
ders and assaults with intent to com.
NIT murder in Georgia, from the 1st
lof April to the LIST of November
1868: and, as l am advised, nearly
all of them occurred after the 4th OF
July, 1869; another item to set down
to the credit of the National Demo
cratic Convention.
~ Now, Mr.. President, will read an
!, extract from the report Of General
! Terry, made on the 9th of August,
1869:
! In many parts of the State there is
practically no government. The worst
of crimes are committed, and no at
tempt is made to punish those VINO
commit them. Murders have been
and are frequent; the abuse, in vari-
Gus ways, OF the blacks is too common
to excite notice. There can be no
doubt OF the existence of numerous
lnsurrectlonary organizations known
as KukluX klans, who, shielded by
their disguise, by the secrecy of their
move ments, and by the terror which
+ they inspire, perpetrate crime with
lmpunity. There is great reason to
believe that In some cases local mag
istrates are In sympathy with the
members of these organizations. In
many places they are overawed by
them, and dare not attempt to punish
them. To punish such offenders by
civil proceedings would be a difficult
task, even were magistrates in all
cases disposed, and had they the
courage to do their duty, for the same
Influences which govern them equally
affect juries and witnesses. a con-
yersation which l have had with a
wealthy planter, gentleman of intel