Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-03-14
oUTRAGES 0NSOUTHERNLOIALTl


WAsHlNGroS, March 10 Senator SEQ
today submitted report from the Selec
Committee, of their investigation into the al
legged outrages in the Southern States. The
Committee state that they were directed by
the resolution to ascertain, first, whether the
alleged crimes were committed by organized
bands of political character; and, second
whether persons and property are secure in
the Southern States. The Committee have
confined their labors principally to the State
of North Carolina, from which they have ex-
amined 80 witnesses, among whom were %
Republicans, q Democrats, including some
of the most prominent members of either party,
of no party, and members of the KuKlux-
Khan. .
The report gives a full history of the origin
and growth of the Ku-Klux organization,
which first appeared in some counties of the
State as early as 1867, and continues No
reasonable man can doubt that the purpose of
this organization is political, and any attempt
on the part of witnesses to give it the charac-
ter of league simply for the protection of
person and property, can be viewed only as
an additional evidence of the extent to which
its demoralizing effect and influence has been
carried, or of their ignorance of its real char
acter.
1t is to be noticed that after enjoining Sc
crecy, the first requisite of membership is that
the novitiate is not member of the "Red
String Order" of the Heroes of America"
bearing in mind that this order of 'lIeroes Of
America" were opposed to the rebellion, and
that its members were charged with treason
against the confederaey, because it had for
its object adherence to the Constitution of the
United States and the restoration of the Union.
1t follows that the spirit Of the organization,
into which men were admitted under this oath,
/ lie tha If obp nd hat rpfp fol
ship to those who are true to the United States.
The other requisites for membership were that
applicants should not have been members of
the Union League or Grand Army of the Re
public, and if these were not enough, an
obligation was made expressly, that no men,
! Der of these organizations, any holding
radical views or opinions, should be allowed
to be initiated.
The further obligation TO oppose the radicals
and negroes in all their political designs, some
of the members of the order stated that they
did not remember, but whether it was part of
the obligation or not the effect ofthe preceding
obligations leads to that result. 1t is not ne
cessary to pursue the argument further, nor
! to cite from the evidence to show that the or
ganlzation itself was secret, which, by the
terms of its oath, excludes all members of
other secret societies whose objects were to
protect and preserve the Government of the
United States. 1t is of political character,
what is that political character? The test-
mony is uniform that none but members of
the Democratic party, or the Conservative
party, in North Carolina, Join it.
This being the case the members and press
Of the political party, which according to the
testimony had 40 900 of its adherents enrolled
III these camps, would be, to say the least,
under great temptation to palliate their often
ces and to withhold denuncations when crimes
were charged against them. To show how
this subject is viewed the testimony of several
gentlemen, OF high standing in opposite polt-
ical parties, in their own words is g ven. The
Committee give the names of ninety blacks
and forty four whites in the counties of Lin
coin, Alamance, Catawba, Craven, Caswell,
Chatham, Jones, Orange. Rockingham,
Rutherford, Wake and otheS counties, nearly
all of whom were whipped, the remainder
shot, robbed or driven from their homes.
Besides these specific causes of outrages
the testimony refers in general terms to 9TH
ers committed in thirteen other counties. The
testimony shows in many instances that MUIR
ders and whippingS were expressly voted up
on in the Ku-klux meetings, and executed by
the members. When it is remembered. that
/ the disclosure of their secret proceedings in
ours the penalty of death, and that all other
secrets, such as involve the members in guilt
of assassination, murder and violence would
be most sacredly guarded it is remarkable,
now that SO little evidence has been procured
bearing upon these particular cases, but rath-
err that any should be elected.
The members of the orders were unwilling
to go into the details. However, they stated
enough in general confession to authorize the
belief that this organization, by whatever pre-
tence the men were induced to enter it,
stopped short of no means, however criminal,
/ To NIL oh he
quoted, almost without exception, establishes
that the outrages perpetrated by these
bands in disguise were inflicted upon members
of the Republican party, both white and col
ored in some instances the fact that they
were OF that party is given as a reason of pun
ishment, in others the alleged crime being
some such act as keeping Sunday School for
colored children, giving as a sufficient reason
in one instance that three negroes had as
sumed the disguise of Ku-Klux to cover their
crimes, but they were detected, convicted
and are now in the penitentiary. Some of
the witnesses also say that they have no douot
that the disguise was assumed in other cases
by bad men who were not ku klux.
The second inquiry, namely, whether per-
sons and property were secure in the State
were considered in two aspects First 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 commit acts
of violence!
: The committee here review at length Gov
IIolden's official course, his declaration of
martial law in Alamance and Caswell counties,
his pending impeachment trial, and sum up
, the testimony rs clearly establishing First
. that the ku-kluX organization does exist, has
political purpose and is composed of menu
bcrs of the Democratic or Conservative party
and that it has sought to carry ont its purpose
by murders, intimidations and violence against
its opponents. Second, that it not only binds
its members to carry out DEGREES of crime,
but protects them against conviction and pun
ishment-frst, BY DISCUSSES and secrecy, and
secondly, by perjury, if necessary, upon the
witness stand and in the jury box. Third,
that of all the offenders against the law in this
order, and they must be many hundreds, il
not thousands, because these crimes are shown
TO be committed by organized bands ranging
from ten to seventy-fye, not one has yet been
convicted in the whole State. Such being the