The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-10-27
THE SOUTHERN EU ELUx.
Important Information Obtained by the
Congressional Committee.
Reasonable Designs Of the Order Of the Invisible
Empire Half Million Of Members Eu.
rolsd-Horrible Outrages and
Maimiugs -Contumacious Wit
nesses To Be Arrested

WASHINGTON, Ocr rs. 1871.
The Ku Klux Joint Committee OF Investigation
msct In this city ON the 7tn prox.. but sub-com
mitteo charged with making digest OF the fnan
cial condition OF Southern states, Of which Sen
ater Poole Ia challman, will meet the lsC prox
THIS sui, committee have arranged plan undcI
which, the state authorities respond. the public
win be able TO obtain a full exhibit OF the several
State debts, NC.
WHAT THE COMMITTEE WANT TO KNOW.
Mr.. Pooe's circular makes the following inquiries
to State Indebtedness III July, 1861; Al the surrc
der In 1855 when the present governments were
inaugurated, and on the LIST OF January, 1s7I:--
For how much was the state responsible as en-
dOrser or otherwise in 1862 For what was IL then
prospectyely aplef Also what part Of the increase
eral Responsibility or 1s6S What rom the contin-
gent or prospective liability OF 1862 what from
from tho necessities created by the loss during the
rebellion OF public funds dedicated to specific pur,
poses, aud o., o. when the state or It's ausaorNeu
agents mad the management
The committee ask thar Items be given separately
with the laws under which they were incurred and
the political composition OF Legislature passing the
same; also, TO what specific public funds, II any.
were lost to the State through the rebellion and
how. Whether any considerable losses have been
incurred since 1856 ny dealcat0ns frauds and
otherwsef Also, what was the county taxation III
1860 and In 1s70a What the State expenses were In
1885, $50 aud 80 and in 1853. $50, 10 ami II any IN
crease, what are the reasons therefOrs Other ques-
tons are propounded relative to the manner Of
holding elections at the several periods named the
object being to ascertain the condition In 1S5o.61 /;
the condition at the surrender In 1865; the condl-
ton at the Inauguration OF the present government
under the reconstruction acts. ana to compare each
with the other and with the condition al present.
The answers are heng sent to the several members
OF the subcommittee and In general are quite ful
on the points suggested. THIS digest viii be one of
the most valuable documents In tile vUiunnouS re-
port 10 be made to Congress.
CoETUMACIOUS WITNESSES.
AT the meeting OF the full committee the neceS-
sary steps VIII be authorized for the presentation
| to the Senate of u number OF cOntumaclou5 VIII
ne'e''' " aESFss sI' FORREST, or TENNESSEE,
| and w. A. Saundcr, OF North Carolina, the latter
being well known to be Chief OF the Invisible FIN
pre- OF that State. There are q dozen OF those
witnesses all, most OF them having absented them
selves from the city after being summoned ana re-
living at st. GATHERINGS, Canada. The testimony
already taken by the Kn Klux Committee Is in
dence alone will ill about fourteen hundred octave
pages, anu covers the testimony OF more than four
and south Carolina Mississippi and Alabama, with
q Few from Georgia ana tennessee. suc-c0m-
mee Is now a. work the Groa Geors sn
nessec Alabama and Mississippi. Probably these
two sub.committees VIII examine az att, least three
The evidence taken before the United states Cir
now now being traascThed from phonographic
notes for the Department Of Jus, Justice There
win call Tor this aud print It WIN the
reports to he made by their investigating
o. the testimony taken by the ku klux Committee
declare that much as has been said IN the press on
| the subject, the country VIII not realize the
HORRIBLE CONDITION OF TIE SOUTH
aud the terrible nature of the Kn Klux or Invisible
pa A Ssp8Bses Been ss zRSs es and abundant
proof arorded BY the open Acknowledgement OF its
juries of those who are among its leaders to prove
that 1t isa
| existing In every Southern State from the Potomac
to the RIO Grande Though most active in the states O
Georgia. Alabama, the middle and norihern
portions of Mississippi, and nd the central
GINA, xrRsnsas ana Louisiana are Comparatively
free from ITS acuve operations though proof is in
needs an occasion to put in active appearance In the
States named. Florida has occasional manifestations,
testimony taken by tue investigating committee is,
mucn OF it, or q horrible Character. The
CRUEL oUTRAGEs PERPErRATED
would shame the Apache Indians. Instances by
me Of manning ana IN before fore
Northern st,ft ' @ethodst Minlnisters to school
teachers and school houses. In South Carolina
their efforts have been directed especially against
the officials, mostly colored. and m all places the
coored people. The percentage Of
DIRECT MURDER
cannot be less than ten In hundred, while as many
die afterwards from the abuse received. 10 Is sell
dom that the Wbipplngs were unaccompalied by
some beStial act or manning OF the assatied per-
sons. All the evidence taken establishes the politi-
cal character OF the conspiracy and IL Is made clear
that its purpose Is TO destroy the reconstructed
state governments and crush out the political party
which sustains them.
TINS is the result or the Congressional investiga
ton, but the facts in possession oil the Executive
Departments prove more dangerous design than
this rs being pursued by the as yet unknown Su-
preme CHEFS ana Councils or this order 1t IL cs-
taDlished beyond all DOUBT, according to TINS evil
dence that no one who served III the federal army
or CIVIL service, no matter what his politics may
now he. is admitted. The great body OF XII klux
membership Is but a
REoRGANIzATIoN OF TIE CONFEDERATE ARMY,
reinforced by the young men and boys who have
grown up seryccaple age since the surrender OF
lee The testimony III possession OF the govern
ment establishes n membership OF from four TO five
hundred thousand, OF whom one-halt may be relied
upon to carry out the reasonable plans OF the
leaders. me President thoroughly cOmprenends
the designs and workings OF this organization, and
there every TO expect that even the secrets
OF Its Supreme Council Will be laid before him. as
have been those OF its most powerful state auxll-
larcS.
The Enec, Of the Suspension OF the Habcas
Corpus in south CarOiinn.
AUGUSTA Ca, Oct. "a, 1871.
Adylces from York county, South Carolina, where
the habeas corpus has been suspended. state that
arrests have been made and the parties lodged in
the County JAIL Numbers OF men are leaving the
country their deserted families suffering. Business
of All Kinds is suspended.