The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-03-13
GI1eqatettiQerter.
THE SOUTHERN oUTRAGEs,,
Majority Report of the Senate Com
mittee.
WASHINGTON, March 10.

s@SSNsANS ~
mittee.
WASHINGTON, March 10.
Senator Scott to-day submitted o report
from the select COMMITTEES Of Investigation
into alleged ou1Sges in the Southern
States, The committee state that they
were directed by, the. resolution to ascer
tain whether the alleged crimes WERE
committed by bands OF political char
acter, and whether persons and property
are secure In the Southern States. The
committee have confined their labor
principally to the State Of North Caro-.
lima, from which they have examined
fifty.two witnesses 30 Republicans, 81
Democrat, and two Of no party and si1
members Of the Ku:Klux Klan, including
some Of the most prominent members o.
either party. The report gives full his
tory Of the origin and growth OF this or
ganization, which first appeared In some
counties of the State as carly as 1867, and
still continues. It Is not necessary to cite
from the evidence TO show that an organi'
zation itself secret, which, BY, the terms Of
It's oath, excludes all members OF otheE
secret societies whose objects were to pro
tect and preserve the Government of the
United States, Is of o political character
What Is that political character? The
testimony is uniform that none but mem
bers Of the Democratic or Conservative
party in the State Of North Carolina join
1t. This being the case, the members and
press Of the political party which, accord
Ing to the testimony quoted, had forty
thousand of It's adherentS enrolled In
these camps, would be, to soy the least Of
It, under great temptation 10 palliate their
offenses, or to withhold dGnunciations
when crimes were charged against them.
The committee give the names ofninety
blacks and forty.four whites In the coun-
ties Of Lincoln, Alamanca, CataWba, Cra-
ven, Caswell, Chatham, Jones, Orange,
Rockingham, Rutherford, Wake, and 9th:
er cohndesy nearly oil Of1whoni were
whipped and the remainder shot, robbed,
hanged or driven from their homes. Be.
sides these specific cases Of outrages, the
testimony refers in general terms to Others
committed in other counties. This list Of
crimes suggests the question whether they
were committed by members oil the Ku-
Klux organization, and by It's direction or
withits countcnance. The testimony al.
ready quoted and referred TO shows that
in many instances the murders and whip
ping OF men were expressly voted uponin
theif meetings and executed by members.
When Il Il remembered that . disclosure
of their secret proceedings incurs the pen
atty of death, and that, OF all other secrets,
such as involve members in the guilt Of
assassination, murder and violence, would
be most sacredly guarded, 1t is remarka.
bic, not that so little evidence has been
procured bearing upon particular cases,
but rather that any should have been
ELECTED. Members Of the order unwilling
TO 90 into details have, however, stated
enough in o general confession to author
lie the belief that this organization, by
whatever pretense men were induced to
enter 1t, stopped short Of no means, how
ever criminal, to accomplish It's purpose.
The testimony quoted almost without
exception establishes that tho outrages
perpetrated BY those bands in disguise
were inflicted upon members Of the Re-
publican party, both white and colored-
In some Instances the fact that they were
Of that party being given as reason for
punishment, In others alleged crime being
a pretext, while In some such acts as keep
ing Sunday school for colOred children
were given Us sufficient reason. In ono
Instance, three negroes assumed the dis.
guise Of Ku. Klux TO cover their crimes;
but they were detected, convicted, and
are now in tho Penitentiary. Some wit.
nesses also say they have no doubt the
disguise was assumed In other cases by
bad men who were not Ku,Klux. Is
The second inquiry, namely, whether
persons and property are secure in the
State, Is considered In two aspects-frst,
Is the civil law adequate to protect those
wronged and punish those who are guilty
Of these crimes ? second, To what extent
does this organization still exist and COM
nit acts of ViolenceG
Many persons, and some Of those whose
testimony Is quoted, have stated that they
believe persons and property are as secure
under the laws Of North Carolina as
under those of Massachusetts or Pennsyl.
vania. With the exception Of the out.
RACES committed by the secret armed
bands Of Ku.KluX, the statement Is true,
To what extent that opinion is sustained
as to these offenses, when 1t Is shown
that over one hundred crimes, ranging
from murder to petty larceny, have been
committed by members Of an Organiza'
ton made up Of the adherents Of one pc.
litical party, and that in no one instance
has there been conviction or punishment,
must be lei( tn the reader Of the testimony
herewith submitted. Under this state Of
facts II Is idle TO say that In the past vic
tins OF violence have been protected OF
the public safety secured by vindicatioD
OF law and punishment Of the guilty.
The policy pursued by Gov. Holden in
exercise Of the power conferred upon him
BY the law to secure the better protection
OF lie and property, and the conduct and
character Of the troops employed, and
their officers, have been freely commented
upon by many witnesses, and while con.
ueLnueu WlIuUut oACepGluu ny tuo SOuScL'
NATIVES, seem also to have arrested some
division of sentiment among his political
friends. Cruelties upon persons are testi,
fed to as having been inflicted by officers
which, If true, can not be too strongly
repfobated. The officers deny them, and
it Is to be observed that the witnesses
who prove the most aggravated cases ad'
nit that they are members of the Ku'
Klux organization.
Frederick n; strudwick,a member Of
the House Of Representatives, whose name
Is unenviably connected In the testimony
with an alleged arrangement Us mem
Der Of this order to assassinate Senator
Shaffner, introduced resolutions of i'm.
parchment against Governor Holden, and
he Is now upon his trial before the Senate
With what feelings and apprehensions
the class Of persons who have heretofore
been victims Of the lnWless outrages il
Alamanca county look tothe result a
these proceedings, will DO better under