The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-12-17

ssitutional measures? bad men Of all
parties7 moi NO oPpUss sud Tsiioo. .s.e
principles OF the Radical party. Here
they stand, armed; organized. disguised
and bound. under the penalty of death,
TO oppoee and punish the members of q
different political party in the State.
what nextP No person Of color shall
become member Of this organization.
Ihe lines are being narrowed; the object
Is not only political, but aimed against
persons OF q particular color. Here is
ene touoh.s stone OF the whole conspiracy.
Armed. disguised and pledged by al
oatn 10 >"cts aimed sgsinst the Radical
party, and excluding every, person of
color. Tbs II what they have written;
but l need not tell you that oonspirators
never commit to paper the whole SCOPE
and intention OF their combination. and
therefore, we do not expect thi . paper e,
Disclose all their purposes and .nlnna.
Nov to another kind OF evidence, which
will determine, by the aots and declara.
tions OF the parties, what their purposes
were. Ion have seen what was written.
now We shall sec what interpretation
WAS put upon it by the members. You
reooilect Mr.. Guniharpe? nHe joined tho
organization in 1868, under the impress
sion that its sole object waa protection
and security from alleged danger; not
that he apprehended harm himself, but
because others appeared to. He found,
however. that it's purposes were political,
and while they had not vet rieen to the
height OF killing and whipping political
opponents, still their intention was to 90
to the polls and crowd out the RepubIi.
can party. Remember, this was
in 1868; that Guutharpe was a
member, and that such, then. wan
the purpose Of the CONSPIRACY.
That was in its young days, before it
had enclosed in its meshes the great
mass OF the white people of York Coun-
ty. Now. we turn to Gums testimony.
who was member, and an Intelligent
and observant man. He tells you that
its object was political, aimed against
the Radical party. and that its mode
OF operations was to kill the white
Radicals and intimidate the colored. by
whipping the prominen. members of the
Union League; and let me say here, that
this testimony is entirely uncontradioted.
They tell us their purposes were inno-
cent. that their object was self -protec-
tlon and the safety of women and help
less female friends. II this be true,
where are the members, that they don't
come forward aid deoisTs ;:a Haven.
they here q brother in distress? Are
they not sworn to protect him? What
hinders them from coming fearlessly for
ward and declaring, like men, what their
intentions were7 I will tell Won whv.
1t ls because they know. If they do, they
are felons and doomed to the peniten.
tiary. That is what keeps them away.
A charitable order, our brothers suooest: !:
and yet not one dares come aud saw 30.
even to save their poor brother, Robert
Hayes Mitchell, from ali ignominious
punish msns.
MIR. Gum tells you that their purpose
was. BY killing and whipping. to control
the election. They are armed, disguised
with gowns and operate only in the
night. Recollect, nov, that this is Ku
Klux that speaks. Let us pause awhile
to consider the importance of MIR.
Gums testimony. It is developed that
he went to Georgia, saw Col. Akerman
and got $500 in Washington. Now, T
am we'll aware that it can be shown that
he was told, before he made his dis
closures, that il he had been promised or
received any compensation or reward, it
would damage the credibiiity OF his tes.
timony; but there is not q title of evi.
dence that such was the faot, or that he
was actuated by naught save his own free
will and accord in divulging the secrets
he did. L come now to Charles Foster.
q member OF the khan. who, unlike MIR.
Gum. did actually go upon two raids
md witnessed the purposes of tho khan.
as manifested in overt sots. The agree
ment he heard read was the same in sub.
stance as this. and he states that the
purposes OF the order were to be carried
ont BY whipping members OF the League.
He describes the details Of the raids in
which he engaged. What reason is as
signed for the attack on John Thomp-
son? He taught q negro school. They
called him ont and told him to quit Ra.
dioalism. But You know Mr.. Fosters
testimony. Now, where have We come?
BY the written agreement, We have q
band OF armed. organized ena disguised
men, moving in the night. and directed
against political party. and colored
men particularly. By the declaration OF
members, We see that. in 1868, they
aimed to control the election by crowd
ing the polls; and, in 1870, by Gum,
Foster, and others, it is shown that they
proceeded to intimidate negroes and in
tertere with the right Of suffrage. Here
ls, first. then. direct proof cf their pur-
poses by the written agreement, and
then indirect evidence from those going
on raids and actually oognizant of their
motives. Against this. what have We?
II the organization be any other than
have described it. why have they not de-
nied it2 Where is James William Averyp
Surely be might come here and say that,
in 1868, he formed an association OF
good citizens for mutual protection; that
1t was all in accordance with law, and
was no conspiracy? Who're is tho chief
that enticed this poor man to Join the
order? Where is Dr.. Ruins Grafton?
Are these doors barred aoa:nsk bim2