The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-07-21
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
FRIDAY, JULY 81, 1871

PORTLAND

a representative, John E. Morphis. came
up 10 meet me at the Ebbit house. and said
Gath, you don't believe in Ku-Klux. Here
IS MI. duSSens. OF my congressional district.
VINO received seventy lashes from them. He
mas come on to testify before the investsat-
Mir. Morphis is dark-skinned Tenpesseap
aged 40, who served from the beginning 10 the
END OF the war in the rebel amy He lives at
rontotoc, in northeastern Mississippi, was
born in Tennessee, has served i'm both the
Tennessee and Mississippi State legislatures.
and has twice come to Congress as a Republi-
can from his adopted State. He has toera-
bic good face, and a conciliatory, discreet ad-
dress.
They wanted me to testify before the COM
mlttee," he said, shut don't think it prudent.
! nave wife and five children living at Pom
totoc, and having worked as hard as c6,ud
10 break up the United States for fonr wears
uont know that it would look very respecIa a.
pie " oe so Jealous about showing up nv late
neighbOrs and associates" W my '"'e
Morphs?" ' "o'ohei
Never but once, and that was a few weeks
age, right at home. We have pretty fierce
talking Republican editor there and he had
been told several times that on one of the
ku-kfux rides they would whip him. While
l was at home one evening, parry of Union
folks were playing cards and holding little
time at the Jail. A man ran in and said that
the town was full of Ku-Klux, at which the
Jail party seized their double barrelled shot
guns, darted into the street, and gave The
whole mounted clan a volley. Six or seven
were wounded, one fell dead and was lett, and
several OF the. horses were killed. A quantity
OF masks and dresses were thrown aside i'm
the panic, and these were picked up and are
now Kept at the Jail. l walked over the next
morning, and saw the young mans corpse
He lived few miles out of town, and WIS
known to several people. Undoubtedly
there are plenty of Ku-Klux, sir. They ride
at least once aweek, and there are not less
than i've hundred to the county in the north
er1 part of the State. The suits which | saw
were merely common black giazed muslin.
cloak and cover, trimmed sometimes with
white down the legs. The horses necks are
covered with red muslin to disguise them sut-
ficently. You know 1 have never been a
very aident anti-Ku-Klux, but the time is
past Tor doubt about the reality of the matter.
There ale about four thousand in Northern
Mississippi. They whip people alter the fist
warning, and kill them after the second.
Their leaders are generally some subordinate
Democratic politicians, the bulk are dead
beats and "lie-outs," and some are young men
and farmers who have grown up since the
war, ard take the matter traditionaly Now
and then tolerably fair standing citizens are
in the movement. The Ku-Klux belt reaches
from Corinth to Meriden. Higgins here,
who is Northern man, thinks that 500
troops would quiet Mississippi. As an old
rebel colonel, tell you, sir, the regular army
OF the United States ought to be raised to
100000 men. 1t is not big enough for its
work, and some of the very Congressman not
hot on the Ku-Klux were the chief instru-
mentf to cut the army down from its effic-
ency."
"Are there any extenuating reasons for the
existence of these kGklux?"
"Yes. Two! Everybody our way is in debt
and many want no law at all-no courts, no
taxes collected, no sales of proparty under
Judgment. Ku-kluxism in Mississippi is, in
part, reputation movement. Again, the
crops have failed this year in the gull region
generally. We shall not have half a crop of
cotton, and little corn. This makes people
despondent and resentful. Beyond these evil
providences, the state government is terribly
corrupt. The state government last year cost
81 100000, to $350,OOO in former times of
prosperity. This makes growing and gives
space for such terrible censure as that OF
Ethel Barksdale, the editor Of the Clarion, at
jackson, brother of Congressman Barksdale
killed at Gettysburg. He is the head OF the
violent press there, and is shrewd politician.
His paper is making money. The democrats,
however, in our legislature, vote with the
worst republicans tor jobs, and take lob
money. Some OF them supported Tammanys
recent scheme to take So, 100000 from the
people at lick, by making good the old repu-
dated bonds. The lieutenant governor left
his chair and denounced this proposition.
81 repeat it, sir. Things are worse in many
respects in Mississippi for republicans than
they were in 1860. He'll is out there. At
Oxford, the other day, before the United
States count, lawyer Lamar denounced a wit
ness and drew chair upon him. The mar
shan came between, and Lamar knocked him
down on the floor of the court room. Judge
Hill lost his nerve, and the Oxford university
students and the eighteen Ku-Klux in the
dock cheered, halloOd, and stripped for a
light. At last the 6nted States military
were marched into the court room to restore
order. This scene / did not see, but read all
about it,
line government must either be seen in
,ne south, or you must let that section re-
lapse. In my judgment the whole region is
sliding back into baIbarsm. Personally 1
have never been mOlested, because 1 keen tol
erably quiet, and my old rebel soldiery, most
OF whom are attentive, respectful, quiet peo-
pie, as are the rebel soldiery generally, would
not see me injured"
'How about your senatorial delegation?"
"Revels has gone into college. He was
good natared old fellow of no force. Alcorn
has not yet taken his seat. Senator Ames
has all the patronage of the state. He does
not reside there. He is a very efficient, per-
emptOry military officer, who made the law
respected while commander, but we think he
has missed his vocation as senator. How
ever, am no authority in these matters. /
was disabled in the rebel army; two brothers
Wpr killab sfandinu hoc1a do I,
same side, and one other brother lost his arm
looking in the same direction. What l want
is peace and civilization, and we are very far
from it. Mr.. Huggens here will tell you what
the Ku-Klux are in reality"
turned around and found in Mr.. Huggens
a flaxen, almost silken haiIe ed man, with
light eyes, good forehead, thin legs, no stom-
ach OF consequence, and a very quiet, almost
wary address. He is from Niles, Michigan,
talks with intelligence and dignity, and was
endorsed by Morphis as being cool, persever-
ing disciplined soldier and public officer. He
did not weigh above one hundred and thirty
pounds, and had a weak, pale look. To beat
a man of that trailty with whips, as a servant
of the United States, is worthy of that chiv-
airy which parades by midnight in calico ar
NOR, and numbers amongst its Templars, Yer
ger, Mosby and JEFF. Davis.
"What were you beaten for, Mr.. Huggens ?"
'NOlnlnS personal. was the United
States assessor, and had founded colored
schools. Notifications of various sorts had
been sent to me, but paid no attention to
them, and even now, although they have dec
oraled me with tioggiug, 60 through my
district without moeststion. The reason is
that they are towards who would murder me
if feared them; but l succeeded in getting
company of regular infantry in there, and, al
though my warning of death is past many
weeks, they will do nothing with me, except
by treachery.
''How happened your whipping?"
81 was off on my official business, and had
stopped for the night at mans house. They
must have been well organized, because they
wers able in that single evening to gather
about 120 men. About ten o'clock, while
was fast asleep, the man with whom stopped
came up and told me that the house was sur
rounded with men, who demanded that
should come down to them. l told him to go
and say that having retired to rest, and hav.
ing no business at that time of night l must
be excused. He had scarcely quilted me
when light fire was started before the house
and men in dominoes and masks began to ap-
proach the house with torches. The family
entreated me to leave the place and spare
their property, so l put on my clothes and de-
scended into the yard. At the threshold l
received assurances from the leader that if ]
would come out and have my warning read
70 me not hair OF my head would be injur-
ed. This warning. he said he was required to
give me in the presence of the whole compa-
n.y.. 49,.
81 stood within the yard-fence, leaning up