The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-05-02
The ku-Klux Law.

OF tne Unltcu DtatcS, unu iOr OthcI
purposes.
Be ii enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives. of the United States Of
america IN Congress assembled, That
any person who, under color of any law,
statute, ordinance, regulation, custom or
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
immunities secured by the Constitution Of
the United States shall, any such law,
statute, ordinance, regulation, custom or
usage of the State to the contrary not
wthstanding, be liable to the party in
jurcd in any action at law suit in equity
or other proper proceeding for redress !;
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 9th of April, 1866, entitl-
ed can Act to protect all persons in the
United States in their several rights and
to furnish the means for their vindication,"
and the other remedial laws of the United
States which are in their nature applicable
in such cases.
Sec. 2. That if two or more persons
within any State or territory of the Unit
ed States shall conspire together to over
throw 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 tn, United States, or by force
to seize, take or possess any property oi
the United States contrary to the author
ity thereof, or by force, intimidation OF
threat to prevent any person from accept
ing or holding any Office or trust or place
Of confidence under the United States, oil
from discharging 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 injurc him in his person
or property on account Of his lawful dis
charge of the duties of his office, or to in
jure his person while engaged in the law
iul discharge of the duties of his Office
or to injure his property so as to molest
hinder, interfere WITH or impede him II
the discharge of his official duty; or by
force, intimidation, or threat to deter any
party or witness in any court Of thu
Uuited States from attending such court
or from tcstifying in any matter pending
in such court fully and truthfully, or t'
inure any such party or witness in hi
person or property on account of hi:
having so attended or testified, or by
force, intimidation, or threat, to influence
the verdict, prcsentment, or indctmen
of any juror or grand juror in any cour
Of the United States, or to injure an,
juror i'll his person or property on accoun
Of any verdict, presentment, or indict
mcnt lawfully asscnted to by him, or o
account of his being or having been sucl
juror, or shall conspire together or go il
disguise upon the public highway or tn
premises of another for the purpose, ,eithe
directly or indirectly, Of depriving an
person or any class ofpersons Of the equa
protection of the laws, or of equa
privileges or immunities under the laws
or for the purpose Of preventing or hind
ering the constituted authorities OF an
State from giving or securing to all pei
sons within such State the equal protec
ton of the laws, or shall conspire togethe
for the purpose Of in any manner imped
ing, hinderng, obstructing or defeatin
the due course of justice in any state c
Territory, with intent to deny to an
citizen Of the United States the due an
r equal protection of the laws, or to injui
e any person in his person or his propert
r for lawfully enforcing the right of an
person or class Of persons to the equ
$ protection of the laws, or by force, il
n timidation or threat to prevent any citizC
G of the United States lawfully entitled
e vote from giving his support or advoca'
p in lawful manner toward or in favor
G the election of any lawfully qualii'
!. person as an elector of President or Vic
y President of the United States, or as
h member of the Congress of the Unite
d States, or to injurc any such citizen in
person or property on account OF SUI
/. support or advocacy, each and every pc
v son so offending shall be deemed gull
t. of high crime, and upon convicti
Q thereof in any District or Circuit COT
* of the United States, or district or 5
,e prcme Court of any Territory of t
IT United States having jurisdiction of sin
10 lar offences, shall be punished by a Fl
ID not less than $500 nor more than 500
@. or by Imprisonment, with or without ha
Il. labor, as the Court may determine for
n. period not less than six months nor me
ID than six years, as the Court may det
lie mine, or by both such fine and imprisC
to ment, as the Court shall determine. A
ut if any one or more persons engaged
d. any such conspiracy shall do, or cause
il. be done, any act in furtherance Of the {
n. ject of such conspiracy whereby any p
u. son shall be injured in his person or p
'ir perty, or deprived of having and exerC
ing any right or privilege Of citizen
ii. the United States, the person so injul
ut or deprived of such rights and privilel
or may have and maintain an action for
IS. recovery of damages occasioned by ST
les injury or deprivation of rights and pri
.o- leges against any one or more of the p
le. sons engaged in such conspiracy, 5,
We action to be prosecuted in the pro
III. District or Circuit Court of the Uni
,m States, with and subject to the same rig
zen of appeal, review upon error, and OF
he remedies provided in like cases in =,
EN- courts under the provisions of the acI
mr.. April 9th 1866, entitled San act to 7
nd tect all persons in the United States
nes h,ir civil rights, and to furnish the me
lis Of their vindication."
4