The New York herald., 1871-03-29


tablishmen. of equal civil and political rights
over the length and breadth of the land, re-
gardless of race or color, we had supposed the
great work Of Southern reconstruction com
pletsd ard glorious success 1t appears,
however, from the recent Message of the Pre-
sident to Congress on Southern affairs, that, in
those reco siructed States, from the terrorism
of ''unlawful combinations, neither life nor
property is safe, and that the transportation
of the Uaited States mails and the collection
of the internal revenue therein are dangerous
, employments. Hence tho detention of Con-
gross for the purpose Of some special legsla-
ton in behalf Of law end order. II appears,
further, that in response to an application
from the Governor of South Carolina in the
absence Of the State Legislature, the President
has deemed it necessary to give warning to the
Ku Kux Klans of said State that if, after the
expiration of twenty days, they have not
''quietly dispersed to their respective abodcs,"
they will be dispersed by the United States
Army. And now in Difference to the Presi-
dents appeal and suggestions, we have new
subject of the House Of Representatives, which
proposes to put these aforesaid ''unlawful
combinations" in the Southern States once
more under the stern discipline of the sabre
and the bayoaet.
The bill in question is entitled, "a bill moro
amendment TO the Constitution of the United
States, and for other purposes" The first Sec
tion provides for the prosecution in the United
States Courts Of any person who shall in any
way interfere in depriving any citizen of his
equal civil rights under said fourteenth amend
ment. The second section provides that any
offence-such as murder, mayhem, robbery,
perjury, arson, &c.-against the rights. privi-
leges and immunities of any citizen, by any
two or more persons banded together for the
purpose, shall be deemed felony liable to
heavy penalties in fine and Imprisonment,
and that o rial in any such case commenced
in one United States judicial district and
completed in another may be acted upon
and the offender punished in either dis
trict. In other words all the individuals
of an unlawful conspiracy against the
rights of citizens, if composed, for exam
pie, of men from Mississippi and Alabama,
may be made answerable to the United States
Court in either State. The third section pro-
vides that in all cases where insurrection,
domestic violence, or unlawful combinations
or conspiracies in any State shall so far OBJ
s.ruct or hinder the execution of the laws
thereof as to deprive any portion or class of
the people of such State Of any of
their rights, privileges, &C., and the
State authorities have been unable to
redress these wrongs, or have failed or
refused to do SO, the President, in behalf of
law and order, is authorized to interpose with
the local militia or the land and naval forces of
the United States. The fitch section provides
that extreme cases Of unlawful combinations,
armed and organized aud overriding the con-
stituted civil authorities, shall be deemed
rebellion against the government of the United
States, and that in any such disaffected dis
trict, under certain restrictions, the President
is empowered to declare martial law and to sus-
pend the habeas corpus, first making procla-
nation commanding such insurgents to dis
perse. The provisions of this section, how
ever, are to cease to be in force from and after
the lst day of June, 1872.
This is the substance of the bill which the
select committee of the House of Representa-
tives propose as remedy for these Southern
disorders. In justification of the act, as an
imperative necessity, it is said that the lawless
and lion nt cnirif md claimants of 1o&o
rebellion have again become rampant in most
of the Southern States; that the lives and pro-
perty of Northern men therein are at the
mercy and are frequently sacrificed to the
vengeance of the so-called Ku Klux KIans;
that the emancipated blacks, for no other crime
belonging to the Union League, are shot,
hanged, drowned or scourged, and that this
scourging is sometimes applied to the negro
women, with the burning Of the house
Of the obnoxious family; that nume-
rous school houses appropriated to the
education of the emancipated blacks have been
burned that the teachers in such schools
have been and are subject to numerous insults
and barbarities, including whipping and ban
ishment from the State that in the several
States disgraccd by these outrages the local
authorities are powerless under the terrorism
Of the Ku Klux Kans or consenting parties to
their atrocities; that the local courts, even if
inclined TO justice, can do nothing against the
terrors of the Klu Klux and their affiliated
witnesses pledged to perjury, and so on to the
cad Of the horrible catalogue. Finally, it is
charged that the objects Of all these Ku Klux
Klans and their affiliations are, by a reign of
terror, to exclude the Southern republicans,
chiefly the emancipated blacks, from the polls,
and SO to get complete control Of the several
States concerned, and then to render the four
faanfh and fifteenth amandmant. and oil fho