Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-08-11
ku-KIux DIabOlIsm.


committee in South Carolina--have now |
been in daily session more than two |
months, and have had before them many |
scores of witnesses from all sections of the
late insurrectionary States, men of both
high and humble station-presiding eld'
ers, preachers, exmembers of the Fed
eral Congress and ex-members of the
Confederate Congress, ex-generals of both
armies, governors, ex.governors, judges,
solicitors sheriffs, revenue officers, officers
of the army, postmasters, school teachers,
repentant and non repentant members OF
Ku-Klux Klans, and dozens of their
MANNED and suffering victims, black and
white
And what has this patient and thorough
investigation established, and established
beyond all future cavil and question?
These atrOcious facts
/. That in all the late insurrectiOnary
States, and generally difiused. though not
found in every county, is an oath-bound
secret organization, working only at night,
and its members always in disguise, with
Off ers, signs, signals, pass words, grips,
and all the necessary paraphernalia, with
the pledged and sworn purpose of putting
down the Republican and putting mp the
Democratic party; known in different To-
calities among the initiated by different
names, but everywhere recognized by the
general cognomen of "Ku- -Klux"
2. That the organization came into being
few months previous to the last Presi
dental election, during which canvass 1t
was in its most vigorous condition, but is
now through all the South, with more effi
cient discipline and eff ctive direction than
ever, reviving, in preparation for the next
| Presidential campaign, when, as they told
Of xrfn in, fay
weeks since, "no id Radical voting is
to be allowed in any Southern State, by
| black or white"
! 3 That this Ku-Klux organization is the
premeditated and determined scheme for
carrying the South at the next election Of
| President, and so, by securing the entire
| electoral vote of that section, make sure
the election of the Democratic nominee.
L. That the officers and establishers of
these "dens," as they appropriately call
| their separate bands, are the leading and
active Democratic politicians of the South.
| D. That the scheme has the hearty good
will of large section Of the Democratic
party in all those States, and the acquies-
cence of nearly the entire party.
8. That the direct and chief purpose of
the organization, as sworn by all the vic
tins as the assertion uniformly made to
them by these midnight assassins, and cor
rObOrated by the universal testimony of
the repentant and diVulging members of
the order, is this The putting down of
the Republican, and the putting up OF the
! Democratic party.
Z. That while the Democratic and Ku-
Klux witnesses on their direct examiua.
ton usually deny the political purpose of
the order, asserting that the ku Klux are
a social necessity growing ont Of the abO-
lition of the old patrol that they have 20
ride the country to keep the nigrers in
their place" and that under the influence
of radical legislation and Methodist
preaching the niggers are liable to become
saucy, and without an occasional Ku.
Klux visit would "begin to think them
selves as good as white folks" and that
these frequent tioggings, and an occasional
murder, are necessary to maintain such a
state of morals among the blacks as will
permit the. vice hating whites to live in
their neighborhood; yet, on the cross-ex-
animation, these witnesses also generally,
as well as very reluctantly, confess that
the intimidation of Republican voters is a
prominent and not to be regretted result.
8. That to secure this purpose, the put
ting down of the Republican and the put
ting up of the Democratic party, intimida-
ton is the grand measure-the .intimida-
!. ton of Republican voters, black and
white, but especially the humble and de-
fenseless, by midnight raids; by burning
houses and stores, and the destruction Oi
crops; by whippings of such extreme
cruelty as often TO end in death by most
Indecent and painful manning; by assassi
nation and murder in such c1wardly man
ner and with such hellish device as may
. strike terror into whole counties, anC
, bring down the Republican vote from two
} or three thousand to less than a singli
= dozen.
.. That chool-teachers," and "presch
ers Of the Methodist Church North, seen
: to be the especial abhorrtnce of thest
Democratic assas ,ins; and hundreds o
school houses ard Methodist churche:
have been given to the flames; and Chris
: tendon will stand aghast when it is mad,
/ known the scores of school teachers anC
, Methodist preachers who, by this Demo
/ cratic agency, within these three years
have been Whipped Shot! Hung! and
in some instances, it is believed, burned a
J the stake.
10 That in nearly one half the States o
, this Union this work Of hell is now goinl
| on, night by night-every month extend
ing the range OF its bloody operations, anC
fearfully multiplying the number Of it
victimsl
5 IL. That it is solely and Immediately il
, the service of the Democratic par ty--'
t large portion of the party South heartily
approved-large numbers of the party
2 North attempting its palliation by excuse
t and its shelter from scorn by covering VI
or denying its crimes, as if cowardly as
5 sassination could be palliated and bruta
A murder excused-and the Democratic partl
7 throughout the land rejoicing in its prom
? ise Of help. So, either by open and aC
= knowlsdged action, or by the no less Grim
e inal and the more cOWaTdly participation
: of eXtenuating ard shielding the crime
= the party South and North, become, be
Y fore the people and before God, equa
h sharers in the responsibility.
: Out of the mouths Of more than 20
y witnesses is every syllable of this estah
G lished; and more than 10000 of tn
il shroudless dead, from hidden places b,
r the wayside, in swamp and mountain, an
y from the sleepless ashes of fired homes
d shout their CHASTITY amenl
A single instance of these thousand out
RACES, perpetrated upon an American cit
N zen on foreign soil would be thought am
pie cause for war; and our entire nav
would hasten to enforce the nations In
dignation. And such abuse as is dali
d meted out to these humble. Methods
n preachers, if offered one of our missions
a ries on heather ground would arouse tn
y whole American Church until every min
was laden with demands for protection.
D. The thanks of all citizens who loV
right and hate rapine are due the faithfr
g men of this committee, who, forgettin
e their own ease, have so industriOusly d'
'e voted these hot months to the unearthin
r Of this giant villainy.
2, Christian men of our couutryl HI
u name men! All decent men, we appei
u to you! Is party worthy of life in tn
d land which seeks supremacy through sue
S he'll born measures p Washington ChrOa
y Gle, July 81.