The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-03-03
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF 1NvEsTIGA.
TON.

Congressional District have submitted their re-
portt to the Legislature. The majority report en-
braces twenty two printed pages, and IS signed by
JOSEPH Crews, Chairman. The minority report
is signed by JAvAN BRYANT, Democratic member
from Spartanbu-g. The majority report makes
the direct charge that sd. WYATT AIKEN is re-
sponsib)e for all murders committed in Abbeville
county Immediately before and at the late gener-
al elections )" and states that they examined, in
the counties of Newberry, AbbevilIe, Anderson and
Edge6eld, three hundred and twenty-three witness
ses without respect to race COLOR political faith,
and do not hesitate to say that every scheme that
could be invented by the Democrats was resorted
to to keep the Republicans from voting; that 1t
was the intention of leading Democrats and the ad-
vice their public speakers to kill the Radical lead
ers that there was an understanding thst the
killing was to be done by unknown parties that
numerous murders were committed; that tho col
cred people are peaceable and orderly citizens;
that bands of T. T. T. went from house to house
just before the election committing violent out
RACES, to intimidate coored persons and keep them
from the polls that it was not safe for any per-
SOu tC cApTSSo hSpuohSoA PAAoSAPASS1 'N]s >'S
publicans were whipped, outraged and abused ;
that in most cases they were not permitted To vote
that those who did vote the Republican ticket lost
their employment and homes; that their lives were
threatened, and that no attempt was made 10 bring
murderers and other guilty parties to Justice
The majority report also contends that there was
thorough system of intimidation, to which, either
directly or indirectly, the persons under oath, white
and colored, Democratic or Republican, gave wit
ness.
The minority report of Mr.. Bryant is a fair and
impartial statement of the condition of affairs in
this Congressional District at the time referred to,
and effecually demolishes the reckless and whole
sale charges of the majority. We append this re-
port and will endeavor to give readers hereafter
oil that relates to the conduct Of tho Last general
election in this county, as contained in the majority
report:
The undersigned, member of the committee ap-
pointed s.to thoroughly investigate the disordered
state of affairs in the Third Congressional District
and the causes of intimidation, outrages and muir
ders perpetrated preceding and at the late general
election, whereby it it stated that fair and un-
biased expression of the peoples choice could not,
and was not given and of the existence of or
CARNATIONS inimical to the peace and we'll being OF
the State" begs leave to submit the following mi
nority report.
From the testimony given before the committe,
it appears that the election campaign of 1868 was
regarded, in the Third Congressional District, as
one of no ordinary interest; that it was prosecuted
with unusual energy and vigor; end that party
feeling and party strife prevailed TO ON extent pre-
viously unknown in that community, eliminating,
in not few instances, in acts of violence and
bloodshed.
Itrequires no extraordinary knowledge ofhuu,am
nature to understand why the former master should
be jealous of the rising political strength of his
former slaves nor why, on the other hand, he SO
recently released from the shackles of servitude
| should regard with suspicion and distrust those
who formerly held him in bondage. But it affords
me great pleasure to report that while the brutal
instincts of few lawless rufians led them to i'm.
brue their hands in the life blood Of their fellow
beings, the great masses, the respectable and in
tellgent citizens, kept their feelings crcumscribed
within due bounds, and exercised toward their OPP
pouents that Christian charity so characteristic
of all we'll regulated communities.
| Tic attempt a comment upon the testimony, and
reference to the various questions and answers,
would be task endless rs it would be useless
aud to fill out report with extravagant sensation
al assertions, not supported by evidence, would
SAVIOR alike of pueriity and ignorance.
1t cannot be denied that many of the poor, ig-
norant and helpless colored people have been
shamefully defrauded and abused; that they have
been despised for color for which they no
more responsible than for their existence and
prosecuted for freedom for which they are no
more culpable than for their color; and it is the
opinion of the minority of this committee that
had the Legislature devoted as much attention to
the consideration of the prosperity of these peo-
pie as it has TO the prosperity of wealthy individ.
| nals and corporations much of their poverty
might have been relieved, and much of their
ignorance dspelled; or had the Executive been
ns vigilant in guarding their interests as he has
been in guarding the interests Of wealthy bond
holders of the North, many of their prosecutions
might have been ayerted and many of their
wrongs removed.
No one can fail to be struck, upon reading the
evidence taken by the committee, with the many
vague, incoherent and ludicrous accounts given by
these poor colored people-many of whom were SO
ignorant as not even to know their own names
of the herculean size, hidcous proportions and di-
abolcal features of what they called the Ku Klux.
And it affords me great pleasure to be able to re-
port that after having thoroughly investigated
the matter, am of opinion that the ghosts, hob.
COLLINS, jack o-the-anterns and Ku Kluxes of the
Third Congressional District, are but alotropic
conditions of the witches of New England, whose
larvae, having long lain dormant until imported
hi;her in the carpet-bags of some pious political
priests germinated in the too credulous minds OF
their poor proselytes, and loomed into lu1uriance
in the fertile fields of their own imaginatons.
1t also affords me great pleasure 10 be able to
report that, by careful examination of the evi-
dence taken by the committee it will be seen that
the colossal reports of gigantic election frauds n,
the various voting places in the counties o. New
berry, Abbevillc and Anderson, made expressly to
the idea of some cadeship- selling Congressman,
are not merely exaggerated statements Of diminu-
tive truths, but are rs absolutely ssfalse rs the
baseless fabric Of q fading vision
The majority of your committee having "refer-
red your honorable body to the testimony of bu,
n few of the many who testified before u.s. in or
der to prove their assertions would most respect
fully call your attention to the testimony of all