The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-06-30
Hon. Richard Busted before the
Ku.Klux Committee.


HoN. RIcHARD BUsTBKD, United
States District Judge, Of Alabama,
was before the Ku-Klux Committee .
few days since The testimony Of this
able jurist should forever silence the
howl raised by Northern fanatics to
keep alive the emters of partizan
strife and sectional hate. Judge Bus
TEED Unsupported to his present po-
sition, which by his fearless indepen-
dence and transcendent ability he so
worthily adorns, by President IHN-
colin; and no man in the South has
had a more favorable opportunity Of
knowing the true state of feeling
among ourpeople. Surely if any such
order as the Ku-Kux had existence, In
the great State over which he ssjuris-
diction, he would have known it. He
forever spikes that Radical gun.
Before the Committee he testifes
that he had been told confidentially, o
year and half ago by citizen Of
Huntsville that there was Ku-Klux
organization In the northern part of
the State. His informant, however,
did not tell him its object, nor did he
know from any other source. He be-
level now there was no such organi-
cation in that State. Having been
asked whether there was any danger
to person or property, Judge Bustead
replied that these We're as safe in Ala
bama as in any other State of the
Union. Since the administration of
Governor Lindsay, and the retirement
of Governor William H. Smith, public
quiet and tranquility were essentially
-, re-. Is
AS to the character of persons hold
ing subordinate official positions under
the State constitution, he said It was
bad, both rs to intelligence
and honesty. He had been in the
State since 1865, having previously
been appointed judge by President
Lincoln. There has been no obstruc-
ton to the administration of theaffairs
of his office, or the laws Of the land, e1-
cept in one instance, when the Repub-
Iican auditor ofthe State disobeyed the
of the court, for which he
was fined and imprisoned. The great
est respect " as paid to the judicial au.,
thority by lawyers, suitors, jurors and
all other parties. With regard to the
feeling of thepeople toward the Gener-i
al Government, he thought it was to
obey the laws, no matter how obnox-
ious they were, although there was .
deep-seated convictiohthat they were,
not equal and impartial. ~ ere ~
Having been questioned as to the tes-
timony of Rev. Mr.. Lakin, parts of
which was read to him, he said it was
entirely untrue. : 5la ~ .'H az
Lakin had represented that thirty
three indictments had been found in
Busteed's court for violation Of the CIV
il-rights bill, and had been tried. But
the truth was, only one indictment had
been found, and that had not yet been
tried. On er-pdrtc testimony ltappear-
ed to be a serious case. Lakin il Aman
who is apt to make Wild statements
without accurate basis. Busted had
charged his juries always to obey the
laws, however distasteful, rs il was
within the power of Congress to enact
them, and that it was for the. best in
terest of all.the community to respect
them. $3.50 EF'f9 Hr
In reply to question, Judge Bus
tced said he knew a man named VIII
lard Warner who applied for exemp-
ton from jury duty inibis court in 1867
or 1S6S, on the ground that he War
ner) was a Senator of the State of Ohio
at that time. f~l
There was other testimony showing
that the people Of Alabama render full
obedience to the law, and that there is
in that State ample security to life and
property, with continuous improve
ment in allpublic and private relations
a