The Portland daily press., 1871-03-01

Apanserous kind of M eon,hine.
PORTLAND.


Is the Ku-Klux Khan myth? We have
tried to think So For the credit OF humanity
we have gladly endeavored 10 believe that
these tales OF murder, outrage, violence and
prescription, inflicted by the whites of the
South on defenseiess negroes, were faorlca-
tions for which Jealous but too unscrupulous
Radicals are responsible. We have done our
best to look upon them as tales told by ne
publican before election, full of pistois' oom-e
knives and blood, sgnifying nothing ou'
generally the evidence has been 100 strong
for any common Incredibly 1t Is difhcult
IN d;.reoard the solemn declarations of COM
mittees of respectable Congressman that have
from time to time becn appointed to investi-
gate these reported outrages. 1t is difficult 10
di:belIeye So respectable a man as Senator
Warner of Alabama when he states at length
his personal experience as witness, and as
almost victim, of muldeious and utterly
unprovoked assault upon peaceful, political
meeting, resulting in the death of large
nu nber of innocent men.
Ii these Ku-Klux masqueraders are nothing
but creations of the excited Radical magma
ton they are singularly fatal to such as they
happen 10 encounter in a spirit of hostility
We have had this conviction more than ever
forced upon our mind by reading speech of
Hon. Alfred E. Buck, a member of the Ma
tional House OF Representatives from the Mo-
bile district of the State of Alabama MIR,
Bucks statements will be taken as true by
the people of this his native State, where he
Is widely known and respected as a man of
perfect integrity and unimpeachable veracity.
Mr.. Buck in this speech declares that the
crimes and outrages he describes are only
such as have come to his knowledge and "can
be sabstantiated by overwhelming evidence"
In the first place he gives the details of the
% murder, within the last year, by Kuklux
bands, OF sixteen persons, white and black,
besides those mentioned by Senator Warner.
; Their only offense was that they were Reprb-
licans. In every one of the sixty odd coun-
ties of the Stale murders and oulrages have
been committed. Mr.. Buck says:
In most. if not in all of them, men have
been put 10 death, they have heen wounded
by the pistol and the knife, they have been
beaten with whips aud with bludgeons until
ready to excam in the morning "woull God
1t were evening"" and when the shades oil
night began to gather found them and they
took their way to the swamps for safety
: would God it were morning" You perhaps
feel inclined to doubt the reality OF these
statements; but, sir, 1t is only too true. Hun
dleds and hundreds OF colored men, and many
White men also, have been compelled to leave
their dwellings, their wives aud little ones
and sleep night after night for weeks and
months IN the woods to avoid those who
sought their lives. Many of item did not
dsre to sleep, even in the woods, twice in the
same place, SO wa1chiul were their enemies
s"' pursuers during the past summer and
fall.
rive men were hung in one night by the
"a ne band of desperados. The chief execu-
tive of the State at that time was Gov. Smith,
q Republican, and he put forth every effort to
have the murderers brought to justice. The
attempt was comp etc failure. 1t was all he
aad the United States troops under his CON-
mand could do to protect the court that was
convened 10 try the wretches. Without this
oltsoe aid The mob would instantly have
"aljoulned" the Court in the summary style
p culiar to the South. But in the course OF
proceedings The following highly important
testimony was elected from one witness-tes-
Il nony that should put at rest all question as
to the existence and purposes of this organi-
zation. Mr.. Buck says:
learn, sir, from the evidence taken on
that investigation before judge Peters, that
oee of the witnesses testified he BELONGED to
the KuKlux Kan; that he knew it had an
organization in that State of eight or ten
thousand members, and IN the State of Geor-
seia OF ten or twelve thousand: that each
member was bound by his oath to keep all
the secrets OF the Khan, to obey all orders
given him by an officer, to aid BY every means
in his power any member who was in custo-
dy; that his obligation to the Khan was para
mount 10 any which the law of the State
could require OF him; that he must therefore
swear to anything in court as a witness that
was necessary to acqult member on trial
charged with any otense; as grand Juror be
must refuse TO find bill against member
and as petit juror he must never find YER
dict OF guilty against one OF them; be must
assist in releasing member from Jail; the
Klan must convey any member that was kill.
ed as near to his own door as possible, and
lay bis body down and unite in saying he was
killed by the KuKlux Khan; if member was
wounded he must say, and swear il necessary.
the kuKlux Khan did it while he was about
his own premises. This witness also testified
that the object OF the Kan were to control
the negro and put the Republican party out
ofpower or put it down. The duty of obey
ing orders given by the officers ofthe Klan ex-
tended TO taking life and committing perjury