The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-18
Scallawags and Carpet-baggers
Responsible for 0utrages.
No Ku.Klux Organization in
Georgia.
Gov. Bullock's Rascality Exposed
Foster BlOdgetfs Railroad
SWindles.
From the Patriot, friday

From the Patriot, Friday.l
Judge Wright, Of Rome, Georgia
was examined nearly six hours yester
day before the committee on Southern
Outrages. He was subjected to heavy
cross,fre of questioning by Mr.. Pool
Of North Carolina, who was not at all
pleased when, in answer to a question
as to the real disturbances in the South
he was told that they were mainly at
tributable 10 the "scallawags," who
many of them, were originally leading
rebels, and had joined hands with the
carpet-baggers to despoil the Southern
people Of their substance. Judge
Wright stated that he was, and had
been, an earnest Union man, and that
the class to which he belonged were the
special victims of the present condition
of things, because as Union men, they
were badly treated by the Confederates
during the war, because OF their dis,
LOYALTY to the Confederate cause, and
since the war they had been subjected
to the same suspicion and plundering
treatment by the very class, formerly
rebels, now "scallawags," assisted by
unscrupulous carpet-baggers. So that
they were ground to powder between
the upper and neither millstones.
Mr.. Pool demanded to know about
Ku.Klux organizations; whether there
were not such organizations in Georgia
and other parts OF the South2
Judge Wright said that if the ques-
ton was whether there were regular Sc
cret organizations, with secret signs and
passwords, and organized under head,
or in accordance with any design to pre-
vent any class of citizens from exercis-
ing their privilege Of citizenship, or
with a purpose ofresisting the authority
of the Government, he answered no.
He had no knowledge of such organiza-
tions. But he added that there were,
in some localities, local organizations
for the purpose of preserving the peace
and repressing lawlessness for the gen.
eral good, and he had no doubt but
that such organizations had sometimes
committed excesses, and perpetrated
wrongs against individuals. They were
not organizations effected to prevent the
negroes from voting, and he had known
no instance in which, in his section Of
country, they had attempted such a
thing. He stated that the worst acts Of
violence he had ever witnessed in this
regard were the violent outrages COM
milted by Radical negroes upon persons
of their own color who had attempted
to vote with the Democrats. He had
once seen the white citizens organized
and armed to protect negroes who de-
sired to vote their personal sentiments,
in opposition TO the wishes Of the Radi-
cal organizations.
Mr.. Pool then questioned Judge
Wright as to his religious opinions,
and was told that the witness professed
a very humble and simple faith; that
he was in fact, a feet.washing Baptist.
This answer puzzled the North Caro-
lima Senator not little, for it was evil
dent he had never heard Of tie feet
washers. He asked the Judge it feet
washing was doctrine or an observ-
ance. The Judge replied that the
doctrine of feet-washing was derived
from the Last Supper" as described in
the Scriptures, and that its followers
believed that it was Christian duty
and privilege to perform the same
office towards one another, in imitation
of the humble example get His discip-
lea by the Savior Of mankind. He
added that he had witnessed the obser-
vance OF ieet.washing administered to
humble negroes by white brethren OF
the faith, and would cheerfully per-
form the same ceremony himself If
occasion demanded. The disciples Of
faith were generally sincere believers
in its efficacy.
The Senator having satisfied himself
of the soundness of the religious faith
of the witness, next catechized him as
to what political offices he had held,
and was told that Judge Wright was
elected circuit Judge in his 9th year,
and held that position seven years, when
he resigned it, and was subsequently
elected to Congress. He gave a brief
history of his public course in opposl.
ton to secession, saying that he opposed
il to the bitter end; that, during the
Breckenridge, Douglas and Bell cam.
paign, he was a Douglas Democrat, and
stumped a portion OF the State for that
ticket. He detailed rather circumstan-
tially the manner 10 which the State
Of Georgia was dragooned out Of the
Union, and said that he never had q
moments sympathy with the men who
broke UP the Union. He believed that
if the secession ordinance bad been sub
mitted to the people Of his State after
being passed upon by the Convention,
il would have been defeated by over
$4,000 majority. He went to the
Confederate Congress at the earnest re-
quest of the Union people, in the hope
that he might be able 10 do something
TO bring about q better state Of things
and the lastact he did as q member of
the Confederate Congress was to intro
duce a resolution, providing for calling
general convention Of the Southern
States, to reconstruct, under the Fed.
eral Constitution, md for which act be
ran the risk of his life. The resolution
was afterwards published in an Ala.
L - and suhaeonanflx fnund