The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-05
THE KU-KLUX BILL.

9 custom, or usage of any State, shall sui
:. ject, or cause to be subjected, any perso
s within the jurisdiction of the Unite
e States to the deprivation of any right
! privileges, or immunities secured by th
4 constitution of the United States, shall b
liable to the party injured in any action a
5 law, suit in equity, or other proceeding 70
t redress such proceeding to be prosecute
in the several district or circuit courts Q
the United States, with and subject to tn
same rights of appeal, review upon error
! and other remedies provided in like case
in such courts, under the provisions of tn,
laws Of the United States which are il
their nature applicable in such cases.
The second section provides that If two OF
more persons within any State or Territory
of the United States shall conspire together "a
force the government of the United States, or
to levy war against the United States, or Ia
oppose by force the authority of the govern.
ment of the United States, or by force, intimi-
dation or threat to prevent, hinder or delay
the execution of any law of the United States,
property of the United States contrary to
the authority thereof, or by force, intimida.
| tion or threat, to prevent any person from
accepting or holding any office of trus
or place of confidence under the United
States, or from discharging the duties there
of, or BY force, intimidation or threat to in.
duce 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 injure him in his person or property on ac-
| count OF his lawful discharge of the duties of
bis office, or to injure his person while engaged
| IN the lawful discharge of the duties of his
office, or to injure his property as to modest,
hinder, interfere with or impede him in the
discharge OF his official duty, or by force, in
timidation or threat to deter any party or
witness in any court of the United States from
attending such court, or from testifying in any
matter pending in such court, fully, freely and
truthfulIy, or to injure any such party or wit.
ness in his person or property on account of
his having so attended or testified, or by
force, intimidation or threat to influence the
verdict, presentment or indictment of apy
juror, or grand juror in any court
OF the United States, or to injure such
juror in bis person or property on account
OF such verdict, presentment or indictment
lawfully assented to by him, or on account of
his being or having been such juror, or shall
conspire together, or 60 in disguise upon the
public highway or upon the premises OF anoth
ly, OF depriving any person or any class of per.
sons 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 constituted authorities of any State from |
giving or securing to all persons within such |
State the equal protection of the laws, or shall |
conspire together for the purpose of in any
manner impeding, hindering, obstructing, or
defeating the course of justice in any State |
or Territory; with intent to DENY to any
citizen of the United States the due and
equal protection of the laws, or to injure any
person in his person or bis property for lawfully
enforcing the right OF any person or any class
OF persons, to the equal protection of the laws
or by force, intimidation, or threat to prevent
any citizen OF the United States lawfully enti-
tied to vote from giving his support or advoca-
cy in lawful manner towards or in favor of
the election of any lawfully qualified person
as an elector of President or Vice President
OF the United States, or as a 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 person SO offending shall be
deemed guilty of a 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 Jurisdiction of SINH
lar offences, 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 determine, for
period of not less than six months nor more
than six years, as the court may determine, or
both such fine and Imprisonment as the court
shall determine.
Section provides that whenever any such
lnsurrection, violence, and unlawful combina-
tion, or conspiracy shall oppose or obstruct
the laws of the United States, or the due exc
cntion thereof, OF impede or obstruct the due
course of justice under the same, it shall be
lawful for the President, and it shall be 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 both
means, as he may deem necessary for the sup
preston of such insurrection, domestic violence
or combinations.
Section authorizes the President in case of
insurrection to suspend the privileges of the
writ of habeas corpus to the end that such re~
oellion may be overthrown Provided, That
The President shall first have made proclama- :
lion, as now provided by law, commanding
such insurgents to dispense: And provided
also, That the provisions of this section shall
not be in force after the end of the next regu-
ar session OF Congress.
The remaining sections provide that every
Juror in courts of the United States, in cases
lnder this act, shall, before entering upon any
such inquiry, hearing or trial, take and sub !
scribe an oath in open court that he has never,
directly or indirectly, counseled, advised or ,
voluntarily alOeu any sucn combination or con-
'piracy, and each and every person who shall {
take this oath, and shall therein swear falsely,
hal be guilty of perjury, and shall be subject
% the pains-and penalties declared against that
,rime, &c.
The substitute adopted for the Sherman
amendment in the bill, BY the new conference :
committee, provides that any person or persons
having knowledge tina any of the wrongs con-
pired to be done and mentioned in the second
ection OF this act are about to be committed, i
md having power to prevent or aid in prevents
ng the same shall neglect or refuse to do, and
UGH wrongful act shall be committed, such I
'erson or persons shall be liable to the person !
injured, or his legal representatives, for all y
lamages caused by any such wrongful act 4
which such frst-named person or persons By
easonable diligence could have prevented, a
md such damages may be recovered in an ac-
ion on the case in the proper circuit court of
he United States, and any number of persons
utility of such wrongful neglect or refusal may :
re joined as defendants in such action;
provided that such action shall be COM
nenced within one year after such cause of
elton shall have accrued, and if the death of il
ny person shall be caused by any such wrong I
al act and neglect the legal representative OF
uch deceased person shall have such action c
herefor, aud may recover not exceeding f'
i, 900 damages thereon for the benefit of the a
'idow of such deceased person, if any there r