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

y
the State have participated in these
kuklux outrages? Answer. The
only statement we have had that was
looked upon as authentic, was made
by General Forrest. that there were
40. 600 Kuklux in Tennessee.
Question. General Forrest Is not
generally looked upon as a reliable
man in his statements, is he? An |
swer. He is a shooting man, and l
reckon / had better not say much |
about that; but my. conclusion Is, |
reasoning upon the subject, that there |
mus, be a very stringent organization,
not only we'll organized, but well |
Offered, from the fact that they have
committed these outrages, and Meth
er money nor law has been able to
reach them.
There arc two points in that to
which l call the attention Of the Sen
ate: First, that, according to General
Forrest, there are 10000 in Tennes-
see; and then to the perfect illustra-
sion that is given Of the effect Of the
terror created there, which has fol-
lowed Governor Senter TO this city in
his testimony before the committee,
for he says he Teekons he had better
not speak very freely in regard to
General Forrest, because he is a shoot
ing man. When the Governor of the
State can not speak freely because the
terror Of this organization follows him
TO the Capital Of the United States,
what shall be said Of the people of
that State who live in the midst Of
these enemies, who are without OH
cial power and protection. They can
not speak freely, and they dare not
testify to the nameless outrages that
are committed from day to day In
their neighborhood and in their very
presence.
Now, Mr.. President. I come to
speak very briefly of the State Of Ken
lucky, and l am very sorry that /
have any ground to speak in regard
to that State at all / shall refer to
the report of the Freedmen's Bureau
in regard to the State of Kentucky.
In the report Of the Freedmen's Blu
reau In Kentucky, in 1861 read
from the official document-it is said
More than LOO colored soldiers in
| Kentucky have received their bounty
through the bureau during the year.
In many cases delay in payment has
been unavoidable. 1t has been diff
cult to reach claimants in remote and
mountainous districts. Having served
in the Union army, they have been
the especial objects Of persecution,
and In hundreds of instances have
been driven from their homes The
outrages perpetrated by the Kuklux
Khan have caused a great exodus into
other States.
The report goes on to state that
The number of outrages reported
as committed by whites upon colored
people in the State Of Kentucky dur
ing the year is: murders, 20; rares,
3; shootings, 30; otherwise maltreat-
cd, 265. Total, 327.
/ can only say that the course pur-
sued toward Union men In kentucky,
is one, as | believe, of unrelentine
prescription; not. perhaps, bloody
as In some other States, and not ex-
tending in this particular over every
part of the State. In the laud Of Clay
and Crittenden, the Legislature re.
Gently distinguished itself by refusing
to let the people of Cincinnati, with
their own money, build a railroad
across the State. The stupidity
of that operation in a State where
railroads are so much needed, can not
have justice done to it by any terms
that are found in the English Ian
guage.
Now, sir, ! come to the State Of
| Louisiana.
Mr.. Fowler.-I should like to make
a word of explanation before the SEN
| ote urOeeeds further
Mr.. Morton.-Certainly.
Dir. Fowler.-It is In reference to
the remarks of Governor Senter be-
fore the Committe on Reconstruction
as reported in the paper from which
the Senator read. Governor Senter
in going on to say that General For
rest, being a shooting man, he had
better say nothing about that, meant
simply to say that he did not want tC
discuss General Forests character
before the committee, as he was moi
there; not that he was afraid of him
or anything Of that kind, or that there
was any danger about it.
MIR. Morton-NoW, MIR. President
. / come to speak Of the State of Louis
/ lana; and this furnishes one of thu
strongest illustrations of the effect O
l
Q tious, for what am going TO speak o
chiefly occurred after the Democratic
5 Convention in New York and within
: sixty days before the November cleo
r ton in 1868. [ have here the repor
Q of the committee appointed by Con
0 gress to investigate the riots and muir
t ders and violence committed in Lou
' isiana preceding the Presidential
/ oil - Sc 10 4
= ume. 1t contains the testimony O
t one hundred and seventy. eight wit
j nesses. An examination of this vol
b. ume will show that there were eigh
: hundred and fifty.nin murders com
. mitted in the State of Louisiana with
: in about sixty days before the Presi
: dental election.
: MIR. Casserly-How many?
: Mr.. Morton-Eight hundred ant
= fifty-nine.
c Mr.. Casserly-Within sixty days?
: Mr.. Morton-Just before the cleo
. ton, and It IS generally put within
5 that time. [ will not be certain
a however, on that point. They were
s murders OF political character, anC
: sprlnglpg from the organization t,
: which l have referred. This evidenc,
d dlscloses the organization of
G secret society IN the State of Louisi
ana, sometimes called by one nam
2 and sometimes byanother. AS | be
r fore stated, the whole number of muir
: ders was $50: gnnshot wounds in ad
: ditiop, So; otherwise whipped an,
: maltreated, 365; and / will state tina
there is evidence outside of this vol
!; ume, outside of the examination o
t the committee, going to show tia
: the whole number of killed an,
!, wounded there was over $500.
The committee state distinctly tina
S their evidence does not extend to tn