The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-08-09

rae EU@KLU1 INVESTIGATION.
We print, on another column, what
We suppose may be considered ths
semi oficial report of the Sub Commit
tee sent to South Carolina to look after
the I'm Klux bug bear. Il vas to be
expected that tale Of " rev head and
bloody bones" would be capjured up,
for effect upon the Northern masses
looking to the next Presidential elec.
sicn1.. This is the whole business. How
/ far it will be successful remains to be
seen. The Northern people are begin
ming to see through this sort of thing
and this very report, it would seem,
must let out sufficient truth to fling
discredit upon the. whole effort. -;
If we may judge from the statements
of Senator SCOTT and Representative
STEVENSON, the Republican members
of the committee, remarks the New
York Sun, it would seem that they COD.
fined themselves, while in South Caro-
lima, wholly to the examination Of the
alledgea victims of the Ku Kluz and
their carpet bag allies, without attempt
| ing, at all, to inform themselves Of
facts, as coming from the truthful and
respectable people Of the country. This
is no doubt the case, and any one, with
ordinary acquaintance with the situa'
ton in this State, must know how ut,
terly unreliable must be the mass OF
statements gathered up from negro
sources, prompted and put forward by
mean white men. Everything of vio-
leuce resulting from the evil passions
Of men, is ppt down to the account of
| the Ku.Klux, and nagni6ed and
distorted until scarcely grain of truth
could be sifted therefrom.
Representative VAN TRUMP, how
ever, the only Democratic member Of
the Committee, was decided difficulty
in the way. A modicum Of truth, at least,
has been evolved through his couuex;on
with this Radical strategy. While he
admits that whippings aud, in many
cases, even murders, have been COM
mitted among the colored people, he is
slow to admit that there we're invariably,
as is claimed, the penalty of voting the
Republican ticket. Aud in this he
comes to the side Of truth, gathered
from the intelligent aud reliable citizens
he caused to be summoned before the
Committee. He bad judges, lawyers,
ex.governers, and educated men of
different political sentiments before him.
And these witnesses were unanimous in
in the belief that Ku.Kluxism in South
Carolina is the natural result of the
Infamous and scapdalous rule to which
the good people OF this State have been
subjected since the so called reconstruc.
tion.
To the semi-ofscial report Of SCOTT
and STEVENSON it is stated that in
every case the colored victims of the
Ku Klux we're forced 10 forswcar
RepublicaDism, aud, as an evidence Of
this, attention is called to copy of a
newspaper containing forty-two cards
signed BY colored men renouncing their
allegiance to the Republican party y
These cards, the Committee say, are
procured by threats aud intimidation
This is not only nosoriously false, but
If these men, in their blind fanaticism
and adherence to the fortunes of Radi.
caHsm, really believe such to be fact,
they will End themselves sadly mis-.
taken. Colored men of fthe better class,
all over the State, are voluntarily re-
nouucing tho party and leaders, who
have deceived them 50 often. Gradually
they begin to see the rascally character
Of the carpet baggers aud scalaWags
who have made tools Of them, only that
they might be foisted into position to
Gil their pockets. Many of them have
acknowledged this at Columbia and
Charleston, without fear or even thought
of Ku- Klux band. And the reoen,
c. municipal election OF Charleston
s.yes abundant testimony of the fact
More than q thousand colored men
voted against their former leaders and
what was left of the Radical orgariza
tion ofthat city. This for the sea coast
where q Ku- Klux is not heard Of. AT
York, an indignation meeting was some
time since held by the cOlored people,
the result OF which was that the Radical
officials we're called 90 to resign.
Upon the whole, we think the Radi-
cal wire workers will make but little
out of this Ku Klux investigation