The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-04-25


Indiana will allow me, 7 can not find
that this extraordinary person. OF (
whom he has spoken, has called upon
a single member Of the opposition, +
and / trust the Senator will mention /
his name If he knows it.
J Mr.. Morton-TBat is perhaps true. |
When the Senator says he has not !
called on him, that establishes the
fact with me. He has called, prob
ably, On Republicans. [ know he has
called upon me, and | know he has
called upon others here.
Mr. Casserly-If the Senator will
t allow me, do not doubt that per-
son called on the Senator who so rep 4
resented himself.
Mr.. Morton-.He did not so repre-
sent himself TO me. Ho would not
| have talked to me for moment If he
had
MIR. Casserly-I am only surprised
| that some gentlemen of the Republi5
can party among whom he has called
have not taken steps to hand him
over to the proper authorities for
i punishment 1ll
Mr.. Morton-They could prove that
he belongs to this order by his own
confession, but they might not be able
to prove his crimes. s
d Mr. Casserly-If he states SO, that
. is pretty good evidence.
; Mr.. Morton-I think il Is good evil
, dence. off i9rai
Sir, this organization is indeed "a
league with hell and covenant with
: the devil" It is the fermentation
l of the very dreg5 aud settings of the
war into a vile miasma to poison and
: corrupt the whole moral and political
a atmosphere of these Southern States.
t Now. Mr. President, / do not say
: that all the Southern Democrats are
5 Kuklux ); far from it; but I0do say,
i from the evidence, that all the Ku-
klux are Democrats; that il is an or
0 ganization inside of the Democratic
f party in the Southern States; work
S ing for its benefit its labor accepted,
: and its members protected from pun
e ishment. That is my proposition
d Why, sir, we had the Kuklux partially
d justified upon this floor. 1t was said
3 the other day that the Kuklux org1ni.
It cation was the natural result of our
IS reconstruction laws. 1t was said
6 the other day, insjustihcation of them
2. that 5humsn1 nature Ueouldl not be
s crushed without rising up The dec
y laration was made here, in our hear.
y ing, that our reconstruction laws are
20 so tyrranical, SO unconstitutional and
l. oppressive. that they crushed human
d nature, and that they result, natural
n ~, in U the rising up of this mos
% bloody and villainous organization.
J. Sir, the Democratic politicians Of
y the South may not enter this order
4 4 e -. 81 -.
s. are willing to receive the benefit Of
10 its operation in driving Republican,
20 out of the State In banishing then
j. from their midst. ra 7il3sf
Il The Kuklux organization, as
he have reason to believe, first startee
Of in the State Of Tennessee, and
N will here refer TO a report that wai
K made by the Freedmen's Bureau II
es 1868: tna '2A
le At the close Of the year 1867 tn,
of organization of the secret seciety
Known as the Kuklux Khan tool
st | place. General Carlin, Assistan
Id | Commissioner, early called the atten
le tion of the Governor of the State anC
ID the military authorities to the danger
tx of permitting this society TO continue
q its operations. The number Of out
a RACES perpetFated by this band, or b,
I desperadoes apparently belonging t
Id it, has been very great. The intimida
ID ton Of the colored men seemed to b.
its only object, to effect which coloreC
Y. men are frequently taken from theil
ID beds at night and logged unmerei
a Fully, and occasionally killed. These
outrages, and occasional efforts of tn,
Ir colored men to resist them, have Civ
le en- to several counties the character
l. of lawless and disorderly cotnmuni
ID ties. Since the assembling of tht
y Legislature the fear that the militia
le would be called out to preserve the
70 peace of the State has had steaI
{. effect in restoring qaie4, and Tor few
Z months past the number of outrages
C has greatly decreased. ~
r Now, Mr.. President, | present. in
It connection with that, memorial
1t presented by joint committee of the
Is Legislature of Tennessee to Presi-
% en- extract. | refer to it to show the
d establishment of this order in full
force carly in 1868: .23 e
/. That there is such al Organization
G as the sKuklux Khan is now beyond
e1 question. on peradVenture. In q re.
). cent publication made by authority!
?, or with the assent of general officer
If or the so-called Confederate States. il
d is stated that there are forty thousand
i. members of this association in Ten
: nessee. I'll rs ri 3ue oga.a &
S As to the object and purposes of
r the organization, they can only be
: known by their acts and sayings while
q in their masks and ghostly uniforms
:, While thus engaged. they take out
|. citizens and kill them--seme by hang.
I ing, some by shooting. and some by
+ the slower and more barbarous plan
!. of whipping; while others are whip
f ped, not until death, but severely and
/. disgracefully. In some parts of the
S State they are travelling at night as
z often as twice a week, and visiting the
81 houses OF. Union men and Federal
0 soldiers, some Of whom they kill.
: Others they whip and order from the
r country on pain of being killed if they
: do not leave, while others are ordered
? away under promise of violence if
: they remain after thus being ordered
. TO depart; this is carried on by greater
. or less numbers, according as the.obs
) iects to be effected On .nC particular
7 night are of greater or less magnitude.
They rarely appear in their masks
f and uniforms indaylight. It is in the
: night when they mostly travel and
) perpetrate their acts of violence and
} bloodshed. The most peaceable. or
| Derby, quiet, and we may say even the
! most exemplary members of the
] church are not exempt from their mid
night visits, and are objects of their
, i Dersonal violence. - INSTANCES are