The New York herald., 1871-11-01
Further Reports from the Herald Com
missioner in South Carolina.
Condition of Affairs in Lau-
sg oN rens County. m1cM e8f
ABSOLUTELY N0KU KLUX THERE.
Past Outrages and Pres
cnt approximations.

Ny Investigations into the condition OF airairs In
Laurens county have Jailed to discover any opposi
ton 10 the laws. either Stale or United States
have ascertainea, however. that not single Ku
Klux RAID has ever been made III the county, the
radicals themselves admitting this facr
NO kU KLux IN LAURENs COUNTY
AS showing how exaggerated and often utterly
MBe have been the reports published in the radical
press OF the oulrages committed upon negroes,
have only 10 mention that excepting In an elec-
taon riot last year, there has not been negro Killed
by a white man In Laurens since the war ended.
mere have been several cases OF whipping, but In
svery case the victim had been guilty OF some
offence against the laws and for which he had not
been punished by the proper authorities. OF course
mob law cannot be justified under any circum-
stances, but mention the cause solely for the pur-
pose OF showing that politics had nothing whatever
20 do with the troubles.
SOME NEGRO 0UrRAGEs snA
While no negroes have been murdered white men
have. The nost notorious was the assassination
sl Dr. c. Shell by negroes in 1858. In TINS one Of
The assassns was convicted and hung and the others
were permitted TO escape. Furthermore, have be-
fore me the story OF attack by negroes upon tho
residence OF Mr. Harrison Scott. He was absent
~ the time, and his wife most brutally treated,
after doing which the negroes robbed the house and
marched Oh. An attempt was also made on the
u
ailed. II ls not my purpose to say anything harsh
shout the negroes or Laurens county. AL the
whites agree In representing the majority OF them
As orderly and well behaved, and certainly the
negroes do not complain OF any ill-.reatment at
the hands OF the whites. / do not know that
pan illustrate the object OF the Ku Kux better than
ny giving the words OF negro to me on yesterday.
sBoss said he, ode Ku Klux no trouble me. /
nebber steal any thing from nobody.n ag
* at AN ELECTION RIOT. saa. c 70 ss
The election riot last year was reported at the
time in the HERALD, but mol as have heard II.
rne affair occurred In this way:--A large body or
aegro militia, oficercd by negroes. had been sta
toned in Laurensvile for some time and had
ssrried on things pretty much their own
way, to the great evaporation Of the whites. A
house occupied by them had been converted into o
fort with loophOles, &c. On the day OF the election
une OF the state constables-a white man-gOt into
arow with one OF the citizens and q night ensued
between them. The row attracted numerous per-
sons to the SPOT and quite crowd had gathered
around the combatants, when, suddenly the negro
militia rushed into their mprovised fortress, closed
che doors and opened fire upon the crowd through
the loopholes. Tremendous excitement fol-
lowed this outrage. The whites hurried
home armed themselves and returned to
sne scene and desperate connlct ensued
: was. 5esumed on the following day ana ended In
= uisarmlng Of the negro militia and their with
0rawa or disarmament by authority OF the Gov
UrnOr. Some half dozen negroes were killed or
wounded and two or three whites the same.
Radicals have admitted to me that the conduct OF
she militia nad been overbearingly insolent and
that IL required only another overt act to incense
me whites beyond the power OF controlling their
passions. Now, whether the whites were criminal
Or not in this riot 1t cannot possibly be tortured
INTO n Eu Klux outraCe #N ees
BURNING OF A SCHOOL HOUSE
Much stress Is laid by the Laurens county radicals
upon the burning OF their school house The negro
IN charge OF It declares that he mad previously been
gwen notice TO quit the county or he would be
titled. He is living In the county to-day sound in
body However one night the school house was
burned down and instantly the Ku Klux were
charged with the incendlarism. Not living
soul has ever asserted that he saw the
men who did II. IL IS stated however, that
the members OF the negro church ~ winch the
SCHOOL was attached had had a row about 1t only q
few evenings before II was burned, and the whites
believe that some OF them set II on ire Ill revenge
io5 not " he own na way y, sSu IT, Il
destroyed 1t wnen they were fully aware that they
would have to furnish the money 10 rebuild IT. All
the Ia paid by the negroes OF LaureIS county
. year could not have purchased the nails with
which TO Iasten the planks together.
NO CONFIDENCE IN THE AUTHORITIES.
In Laurens county hear the same complaint l
have heard in Newberry county-namely, an utter
people by the Governor or by the yotes OF the negro
They run the macnlnery OF the government In the
the n1onertyNare oniv ihonebf or in conUec,,on on
with the taxes. Governor Scott Is held In supreme
vim aupcs,y cs M and double deans with saying one
thing TO the whites ana the exact opposite TO the
blacks, while he does everything 10 satisfy his
GoyERsoR SCOTS MISREPRESENTATION.
do not pretend 10 say that In al the disturbances
which have takcn place The whites have been wholly
blameless. Undoubtedly, they have done some things
winch they ought not TO have done. But some
allowance must be made for human nature. Men
are likely to become exasperated wnen their barns,
horses, stables, &c, burned To the ground, and
alter they have succeeded IN getting the criminals
convicted see the Governor turn them loose. have
conyersed with some OF the most respectable citi-
xens Of Newberry and Laurens commissioner whom
70 doubt would be equivalent 10 pronouDcing the
entire southern people liars aud scoundrels-and
IN all cases the same complaint has been made. the
laws OF the state are bad enough. they say but let
them pe fairly enforced aud there will be no ku
Klux. They declare II to be a notorious fact that
commit CRIME with impuni,y. il even their offence
n 80 atrocious that the negro jures compelled to
convict Governor Scott stands ready with pardon
% hem Tree. Just previous TO the last election
fby way OF ustrailonb several negroes In Newberry
county were convicted OF rioting. 1ney were sen
fenced 10 the penItcntary. 1t so happened that
they were influential In politics and they were
KU KLux CONFESSIONS.
Put together all the facts have narrated and say
whetner there is any community IN the western
States which would have resisted the temptation TO
take the law into their own hanos. Nou will hear
agreat deal about what the prisoners arrested con
tess. As telegraphed you, some OF them undoubt
cdiy admitted tnat they belonged to the Ku Klnx
organization. but none have said that their object
WAS political Reports OF the character OF their
cannot be relied upon, for that paper Is notorious
for It's enerts 10 reduce the whites into abect sub
mission to The negroes. Its editor Is carpetbagge
VINO has fat,ened on the plunder OF the State and Ii
Interested la keeping UP political agitation so that
mis- party may remain IN power. l do not attempt
20 lessen the force ol any conession: merely pro-
pose 10 state the facts. IL would be folly TO justify
N n N1 a N n 4
would be CRIMINAL 10 Ignore the proyocaiion for
them. They are the result oil gross msulanagement,
~, under the circumstances, Ssrtual endorsement
- such nsgovernment.
POSSIBILITY or ARMED RESISTANCE.
Ana now one word more before close. It is ind
mated IN the proclamation OF the President that ap
lnsurrection exists in Newberry, Laurens, York,
Union, Chesterfield Chester, Spartaptur9, Lancaster
and Fairfield counties dare the most prejud .ced
radical 10 assert tlat single armed band has been
encountered by fhe United states soldiers Tie entire