Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-28
Letter from Washington.
IFRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE
WASHINGTON, D. c., July rs, 1871.

WASHINGTON, D. c., July 25, 1871.
THE KUKLUX DIABoLIsM.
l am afraid my readers grow tired of my ap-
parent harping on this subject But if they
heard one-tenth of the atrocious stories do
stories sworn to and sustained in many ways
they would not wonder at the repetition of the
theme. The condition of a society must be fear
fully depraved in whose soil so rank and fetid
a growth finds root and fourishes. Every day
in the room where work, attending to the cor
respondence, &c., which comes to me because of
my relations to political affairs at this time,
there comes to me one or more of those who
have been the victims of this thuggery. The
kuklux khan is not only plot against the gov
eminent, caval against political organiza-
ton, conspiracy against the rights of a race, a
revolt against the fundamental principles of po-
litical action and freedom, but it is in reality an
instruction against the fundamental ethics of
social existence. 1t is as certain as that light
follows darkness and day the night, that its ex-
istence is subversive of all morality, of order, of
property, of life itself, for even if it were sue
cessful in the purpose which is proven and
sworn to by scores of credible witnesses, of
driving out northern republicans and Oblterat-
ing the last remnants of such party in the
south, it would be an inevitable result, that the
murderous means by which such results were
achieved would turn against its own order.
SOUTH CARoLINA-A SAVAGE COMMUNITY.
A .stalwart foreigner, German, was intro
duced to me to-day. He reached here at noon
direct from western South Carolina, where he
had been for some time past travelling. With
out knowing positively, had my suspicious
that he had been employed in the secret service.
He was at Yorkville, S. c., yesterday morning.
The select subcommittee of investigation,
Senator Scott and Representatives Stevenson
and Van Trump, arrived at that point the even
ing before. AS the telegraph has stated al
ready, Messrs. Stevenson and Wallace, the latter
representative from that district, were assaulted
by a so-caled respectable" citizen, one Major
Barry, who deliberately and without word or
sign picked up from the supper table pitcher
of milk and flung its contents at Mr.. Wallace,
but missing him, deluged Mr.. Stevenson. 1t was
wsnton and unprovoked assault.
The landlord and Others interfered and Barry
was removed. Afterwards the committee was
serenaded by a colored band and their friends
During the music the vilest cries, the most in
suting remarks were uttered, and as the SER
enaders left, they were assaulted with fire arms.
One was MORALLY and several severely wounded.
detachment of the second cavalry cleared
the street, and so overawed the assassins as to
enable the committee to sleep in safety.
VIEWS OF ONE WHO SAW THE KUKLUX.
My informant, and l wish was able to give
you his remarkably idiomatic and vigorous ex-
pressions, describes the scene and the language
used as brutal beyond description. The whites
were generally armed with navy Colts, often
wearing pair Of them, and using no express
sion so common as that of calling the commit
the men "white-washed niggahsP No de-
nunciatiOn of the government was too vile for
their lips. The person | am referring to min
gled SO closely as one Of themselves, that he
heard their most secret talk. Descriptions of
bestality, were the common topics. He was at
Spartanburg, Unionville and Yorkville. In
each place he saw outrages committed on un-
offending persons. On one occasion, colored
man standing on public piazza was brutaly
knocked off by a white ruffian, while number
of others sitting around shouted to him (the
assailant,) "Shoot him l wouldn't soil my hand
with the DID moke," etc., etc. The negro had
uttered no word, but simply to crafty his curl
osity at something going on in the street, had,
as they deemed, intruded himself upon the
porch. No man dare employ negro at n
reasonable rate, or at any labor other than
farming. Ten dollars per month without food
is the planters price, and he will cheat him at
that if possible Any one who should employ a
colored labOrer, paying for work, say in brick
yard or hOuse-building, and paying more than
fifty cents day, 1.-THE price paid for chopping
If he persisted, he would be kukluxed.
No northern man can live in that
section, unless he joins publicly with
the prevailing sentiments. The colored
men are helpless. Said my German friend: at
would be better to take me all out in de field
and shoot with the mitrailleuse than to torture
as they now are" He declares they are half
starved. ALI the talk of their being arrogant is
the veriest bosh. Nothing could induce my in
formant, he declares, to live in the southern
states. Rampant hatred to the government and
malignant contempt of all northerners, extend
ing among the freer-spoken to their party allies
in this section, is the common expression. |
am giving you the inside view from one who
for some time past has lived among them as
one Of their set. To show how freely he has