New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-04-27
The KU.klux Bill.
Text Of the Bill as it Passed both Houses OF
CONGRESS.

!
came law:
AN Act to enforce the provisions of the four
teenth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States. and for other purposes.
BE al enacted by the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the United States of Amer
acd an Congress assembled, That any person
who, under color of any law, statute, ordinance.
regulation, custom, usage of any State, shall
subject, or cause TO be subjected, any person
within the jurisdiction of the United States to
the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or i'm
munities secured by the Constitution Of the
| United States, shall, any such law, statute, or
! dlnance, regulation, custom, or usage OF the
State to the contrary notwithstanding, he liable
to the party injured in any action at law, suit
/ IN equity. or other proper proceeding for re-
dress such proceeding TO be prosecuted in the
several district or circuit courts of the United
States, with and subject to the same rights of
appeal, review upon error, and other remedies
! provided in like cases in such courts under the
| provisions of the act of the ninth of April
eighteen hundred and sixty six, entitled IAN
act to protect all persons in the United States
in their civil rights, and to furnish the means
of their vindcaton.' and the other remedial
laws of the United States which are in their
nature applicable in such cases.
| SEC. :. That If two more persons within
any State or Territory Of the United States
shall conspire together 20 overthrow, or to put
down, or to destroy by force the Government
of the United States, or to levy war against
the United States, or to oppose by force the
authority of the Government of the United
States, or by force, intimidation, or threat to
prevent hinder or delay the execution of any
law OF the United States, or by force to seize
take, or possess any property of the United
States contrary to the authority thereof, or by
force, intimidation, or threat to prevent any
person from accepting or holding any office Of
trust or place of confidence under the United
States, or from dischargng the duties thereof,
or by force. intimidation, or threat to induce
any officer Of the United States to leave any
State, district or place where his duties as such
officer might lawfully be performed, or to in
Jure him In his person or property on account
OF his lawful discharge of the duties of his
office, or to injure his person while engaged in
the lawful discharge of the duties of his office,
or to lnJure his property so as to modest, inter
rupt, hinder, or impede him in the discharge
OF his Official duty, or by force, intimidation,
or threat to deter any party or witness in any
court of the United States from attending such
| court, or from testfying in any matter pending
in such court fully, freely, and truthiully, or
to lDjure any such party or witness in his per
son or property on account of his having SO
attended or testified, or by force, intimidation,
or threat to ifuence the verdict, presentment,
| or Indictment of any juror or grand Juror in
any court of the United States, or to iniure
such juror in his person or property on account
OF any verdict, presentment or indictment law
inlly assented to by him, or on account of his
being or having been such juror, or shall CON
spire together, or go in disguise upon the
public highway or upon the premises of another
Tor the purpose, either directly or indirectly
OIL depIlylng any person or any class of persons
OF the equal protection Of the laws, or of equal
privileges or immunities under the laws, or for
the purpose of preventing or hindering the con-
stltuted authorities of any State from giving or
securing to all persons within such State the
equal protection of the laws, or shall conspre
together for the purpose of in any manner i'm
peding, hndering, Obstructing, or defeating
the due course of justice i'll any State or Terri
tory with intent to deny to any citizen of the
United States the due and equal protection of
the laws, or TO lnjure any person in his person
or his property for lawfully enforcing the
right OF any person or class of persons TO
the equal protection of the laws or hy force
intimidation, threat to prevent any citi.
zens Of the United States lawfully entitled
to vote from giving his support, or advocacy
in a lawlul manner, toward or in favor of the
election OF any lawfully qualified person as an
electOT OF President or Vice President Of the
United States, member Of the Congress
Of the United States or to iniure any such
citizen IN his person or property on account Of
such support or advocacy, each and every per-
son offending shall be deemed guilty of
high crime, and, upon conviction thereof in
any district or circuit court of the United
States or district or supreme court of any
! Territory of the United States having iurisdic.
| ton of similar offenscs shall be punished by
| fine not less than five hundred nor more than
FIVE thousand dollars, or by Imprisonment, with
or without hard labor, as the court may dc.
termine, for period Of not less than six months
nor more than six years. as the court may de-
| termine, or by both such fine and impsOn.
ment as the court shall determine. And if any
one or more persons engaged in any such con-
spiracy shall do, or cause to be done, any act
| In furtherance Of the object Of such conspi-
| racy, whereby any person shall be injured in
his person or property, or deprived of having
and exercising any right or privilege of citi-
zen of the United States, the person so injured
or deprived of such rights and privileges may
have and maintain action for the recovery
of damages occasioned by such injury or depri-
walton of rights and privileges against any one
or more OF the persons engaged in such CON
| splracy, such action to be prosecuted in the
proper district or circuit court of the United
| States, with and subject to the same rights of
| appeal, review upon error, and other remedies
| provided in like cases in such courts under the
provisions of the act Of April 9, 1866, entitled
| An act to protect all persons in the United
States in their civil rights, and to furnish the
means of their vindcaton"
SEC. 3. That in all cases where Instruction
domestic violence, unlawful combinations, or
consplracies in any State shall so obstruct or
| hinder the execution of the laws thereof and of
the United States, a9 to deprive any portion or
| class OF the people of such State of any Of the
| rights, privileges, or immunities, protection,
named in the Constitution, and secured by this
act, and the constituted authorities of such
State shall either be unable to protect, or
shall, from any cause, fail in or refuse protec-
ton OF the people in such rights such facts
shall be deemed denial by such State of the
equal protection of the laws to which they are
! entitled under the Constitution of the United
States and in all such cases or whenever anv
| such insurrectlon, violence unlawful combina
ton, or conspiracy shall oppose or obstruct the
| laws OF the United States, or the due execution
thereof or impede or obstruct the due course
of justice under the same, it shall be lawful for
| the President and it shall he his duty. to take
such measures, by the employment of the
militia or the land and naval forces of the
United States, or of either, or by other means,
as he may deem necessary, for the suppression
of such instruction, domestic violence, or COM
binatlons; and any person who shall be ar
rested under the provisions of this and the pre-
ceding section shall be delivered to the marshal
OF the proper district, to be dealt with accord
ing to law.
| SEC. 4. That whenever in any State or part
OF State the unlawful combinations named
| IN the preceding section of this act shall Ja