The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-03-01

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Icre{P Chat nan, z ohnfG ths DsIao-
cratic party; shrouGh she no os he
much-talked Of inythivsf n lagiish
innumerable crimes, SRd s6A 70 aisseSs
charge that I'D. Wyatt Aiken 81 SeSpon.
sible for all tho Mqrasrs committed in
Abbeyille County Immediately before and
at the late general elections" The mi.
nority report, sigpsdby ''Javan Bryant"
is as follows: ~.
The undersigned, member of the COM
mittee appointed "to thoroughly investi-
gate the disordered state of affairs in the
Third Congressional District, and the
causes of the intimidation, outrages and
murders perpetrated preceding and at
the late general election, whereby it is
stated that fair and unbiased express
sion of the peoples choice could not, and
was not given; and of the existence of
organizations inimical to the peace and
well being Of the State" begs leave to
submit the following minority report
From the testimony given before the
committee. it appears that the election
campaign of 1868 was regarded, in the
Third Congressional District, ns one of
no ordinary interest; that it was prose-
cuted with unusual energy and vigor;
and that party feeling and party strife
prevailed to an extent previously un-
known in that community, eliminating,
IN not few instances, in acts of violence
and bloodshed
1t trequires no extraordinary knowledge
OF human 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 ruffians
led them to imbrue their hands in the
life blood of their fellow-beings, the
great masses, the respectable and intelli-
gent citizens. kept their feelings circum-
scribed within due bounds, and exercised
toward their opponents that Christian
charity 80 characteristic of oil well regu-
lated communities.
10 attempt u comment upon the testi-
mony, and reference to the various
questions and answers, would be task
as endless as it would be useless; and to
fill ont report with extravagant sensa-
tional assertions, not supported by evil
dence, would savor alike of puerility and
Ignorance.
1t cannot be denied that many of the
poor, ignorant aud helpless colofed peo-
pie have been shamefully defrauded and
abused; that they have been despised for
n color for which they are no more re-
sponsible than for their existence; and
perseouted for freedom for which they
are no moro 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 con-
sideration of the prosperity of these
people as it has to the prosperity OF
wealthy individuals and corporations,
much OF their poverty might have been
relieved, and much of their ignorance
dispelled; or had the Executive been as
vigilant in guarding their interests Us he
has been in guarding the interests of
wealthy boud-holders of the North, many
Of their prosecutions might have been
averted and many of their wrongs re-
moved.
No one can fail to be struck, upon
reading the evidence taken by the com
mittee, 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 herculeanlsize,
hideous proportions and diabolical fea-
lures of what they called the Ku Klux.
And it affords me great pleasure to be
able to report, that after having "tho-
roughly investigated" the matter I am
of opinion that the ghosts. hobgoblins,
jack-o-the- lanterns and Ku Kluxes of the
Third Congressional District. are but
allotropic conditions of the witches of
New England, whose larvae, having long
lain dormant until imported hither in
the carpet-bags OF some pious political
priests, germinated in the too credulous
minds of their poor proselytes, and
loomed into luxuriance in the fertile
fields of their own imaginations.
It also affords me great pleasure to be
able to report that, by careful exami-