The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-03-16

VI itS 'feCopStfnotiOn measures for the
purpose of embittering more and more
the people Of the South against the Ge.
neral Government. ID,
Majority and minority reports have
oeen lald before the United States Sen
"'0, W the select committee appointed
TO Investigate the alleged outrages in the
Southern States. The com mittee confine
tnclr report to an account of the condi-
tion OF North Carolina. Fifty.two Wit
nesscs were examined-of whom twenty
nine were Republicans, twenty one De
mocrats, and the cdd one u minister who
had no political convictions The mnjo-
rlty report is signed by Senators Scott.
Chandler. Wilson, Rice and Nye, and
thelr conclusions in relation to North
Carolina are summed up us follows:
LIST. That the Ku Klux organization
does exist, has a political purpose, and
Is composed of members OF the Demo-
cratic or Conservative party; that it has
sought to carry out its purpose by MUIR
ders, whipping, intinidntions, mud vio-
lence against its opponents.
III. That it not only binds members to
carry out DEGREES of crime. but protects
them against conviction and punishment.
hrst by disguises nnd secrecy, and se.
condly, by perjury, if necessary, upon
the witness stand and in the jury box.
ID. That Of all the offenders against
the law in this ordcr-and they must be
many hundreds. if not thousands be.
cause these crimes are SHOWN to be com.
mltted by organized bands, ranging
from ten up to seventy five, not one has
yet been convicted in the whole State.
While engaged prosecuting
our inquiry as to North Carolina, many
communications have been received cali.
ing Tor examination into the outrages of
II similar character to those complained
OF III that State, which have been com
mltted before aud since the committee
was organized, by bands OF men in dis.
g"'Se IN other States. Complaint is
made that within the last two weeks the
capital of Kentucky was entered in the
n'ght by body Of men, armed and
masked, who proceeded to the iail. took
possession Of it, set ut liberty n man
chnrged with murder, and then rode
away unmolested. Shortly before that
the Jail at Union, S. G., was entered and
ten PRISONERS taken ont aud killed. Like
complaints Of murder, scourging ana
violence, without redress and demands,
tor investigation. and the protecting arm
Oh the Government against these lawless
maranders, have been forwarded from
the States of South Carolina, Georgia.
Florida, Mississippi, Virginia, Kentucky,
Texas md Tennessee.
Into none of these could the commit
tee examine, considering it better to pur-
sue our inquiry to completion, if pussi-
Ole, III one State, rather thnn take par
tial or disjointed statements IS as to all. md
leaving to the Senate the determination
OF whether the public interests require
this investigation to be pursued further.
The minority of the committee, con
sisting of Senators Blair md Bayard. re-
port as follows:
They find no power for the formation
OF the committee, as no State has passed
any law in violation of the fourteenth
amendment; they protest, therefore,
against any inqnisitorial investigation by
Congress into the domestic affairs of any
State, or any attempt of the Executive
To Interfere with State Government.
The Investigation is 'plan cut and
dried, conspiracy Of disappointed
politicians who have lost Office and the
good will OF the people. At the head of
this conspiracy plainly stands William
w: Holden, the Governor of North ca
roiinn, and now undergoing trinl by pro.
cess of impeachment, for high misde-
meanors and gross abuse of his official
power. He has beggared the treasury
OF his State, and plnndered. outraged
and betrayed her people, and now looks
to the strong arm Of the Federal Go
vernment as the only means Of rescuing
him and his followers from the Just pun
ishmcnt due their crimes The charac.
ter OF the witnesses Is then attacked, as
hitting instruments of Governor Hol-
den's dark and bloody intent" Not one
OF them testifies to facts within his own
knowledge tending to prove North Caro-
linn to be less safe rs Il place of residence
than any portion Of the Union lying
North OF her boundaries. The minority
then entered upon an extensive :,rg,i.
mcnt to show that the disorders which
lave existed in North Carolina are at
tributable to l.,isrulc Of the so.callel
carprt-baG State officers, The unwi,.. le
SiHlation of Congress, aud the mnchin:.-
tinns of the loyal league, melting and in,
stISating the negroes to idleness, disuif,c-
ton and lawlrsSness.
The New York .Sm says: Mr.. Sumner
IS as strong among the Republicans of
the Northeast in 1871 IL. Mr.. Douglass
was with the Democrats of the North.
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