The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-08-01
WuATTHEKU-KLUx PURPOSE.
The Central Fact Developed by the
Congressional Investigation.
A letter rom H. V. BoyntOn in the Gin. Gazette.
WASHINGTON, July 20.

.
so often became necessary, who had grave
doubts regarding the policy Of the enforce.
ment bill, and who began to believe that
much OF the talk about the ku.kluN was
manufactured for political effect will be
compelled To conclude from the mass Of
evidence already taken by the committee
Ofinvesligalion now sitting here that there
Is a wide spread and concerted movement
in the late rebel States looking toward an
undOing OF the results Of reconstruction,
so far as such an end can be attained by
the reinstatement in power Of the old po'
litical elements. The evidence taken Is
conclusive that notification OF the recon
struction laws is the key to all present pO.
litical movements in the south outside OF
the republican party, The idea Of such
notification is today more general in the
south among tue democracy there than
I the views Of Calhoun were few
wears before the war il any faith is
10 be placed in the evidence taken,
No Investigation was necessary tOpruve
that oulrages existed, and 50 the Demo
Gratis upon the committee did not expect
the Republicans TO make much political
capital from any collection Ol murder sta.
tis,,cs, whippings, or house burnings Nor
was there much uneasincss when the evi.
dence began to develop the actual exist
Cncc Of the Rn kluX bands in various
quarters, Tor it WAS confidently believed
that these Cnnla IN plausibly changed to
The uS.l,l disorders following civil war,
Bat when tho evidence began to show
that the Democracy Of the south was de-
trrmined upon Oytrlhr0wing recOnstruc'
ton so lar rs future legislation could do
il, then the Democrats upon the commit
tee became seriously alarmed. And from
that moment they have united TO throw
all possible obstacles in the way of full
Investigation. For sometime the prOpO-
sal To send u sub. committee to the south
was opposed by them, and up to the
point where further opposition would
wear a most suspicious look. Then one
after another Of the Democratic witnesses
either failed To respond 10 the summons
Of the committee, or abruptly LEFT the city
without notice or leave, previous TO the
day fixed Tor their examination.
In fact, there has been real panic on
the Democratic side in view Of the clear.
ness with which the spending investigation
Is bringing out the TACT that the central
thought Of the Southern Democracy to.
day is directed toward ovcrthrOwlng both
reconstruction constitutions and the re.
construction laws. Until this began to
be apparent the Democrats upon the
committee manifested but little uneasi.
ness. They relied upon the disfaVor with
which large body Of Republicans regard
the dOings Of so many Of the pl esent State
governments ut the South as furnishing a
plausible excuse for some Oi the acts COM
planned Of. They felt that enough Of
these irregularities could be successfully
charged To the desperation Of men who
felt themselves robbed and ill.treated by
their imported rulers to eiIeClually neu.
tralize the argument from Southern out.
RACES when brought forward ON the
stump.
But the later developments Of the eyi.
denCe have set the whole matter in dif
Ierent light, and brought great trouble
into the Democratic camp Instead Of
individual Outragcs directed against ne
grOcs Ur Union men, against Republican
OGlCchOlders, or State officers, they find
that the indications point to u rillying Of
all Democratic elements in the South Tor
the purpose Of defeating the political ben.
eilts secured by the war. And hence has
sprung their earnest attempts to throw
every obstacle In the way Of the present
investigation Nor ARE the adviCes re.
CCiyeh from the sub committee, now at
the South, of kind to reassurC their Dem.
OcritiC associates The state Of affairs de-
vclOpcd by the short visit Of Mcssrs, Scott,
Stevenson, and Van Trump To South Car.
Olinl, has been far worse than any mem.
bcrs Of the committee believed before.
And even Mr.. Van Trump has been
Obliged to acknowledge that there Is much
truth in the statements made 10 Congress
as TO the necessity Of special legislation to
compel order in the South.
Tie investigation thus FIR has proved
extremely important In thus bringing to
light the purpose Of the Southern leaders
u nulliiy the reconstruction laws. This
now appears IA the central fact OF the In.
vestigatiOn, and the same patriotic men
who rallied without regard TO party predi.
leCtiOns to save the country from treason,
should recognize this purpose TO override
law and constitution again, and meet II In
time ut the ballot box.
There is no doubt that many Of the re.
constructed governments Of the South
have been fearfuly corrupt. There Is no
tQuestlOn hut that hundreds Of the men
from the North who have fastened them.
selves upon the radical party Of the South
ara nlvGniiirnra ipspFVinu universal rnn.
domination. There Is abundant evidence
Of robbery, corruption and misrule. And
to limited extent, these things will ox.
plain u certain class Of the Outrages,
which have been committed, TO which
men have been partly driven by despera.
iiOn, and partly persuaded through their
desires. llnt beyond all these causes and
effects, and above every other fact which
the evidence taken has disclosed, ia the
one central and all.important one, name.
ly: That the democracy Of the South Is
organizing Ia assert It's old sway; and So
as far rs possible, TO restore the old
times.
The democratic members Of the com.
lnittee are fully alive to the conviction
that the moment the North understands
that this Is the fact which underlies the
present disturbances at the South they
will rise again. without regard to party,
and put this new form Of treason down.
Hence the present democratic panic in the
ku.kluX committee.
Virginia Bonds.