The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-07-01
John sCDfe,s Committee.

which John Scott is the chairman, to inves-
tigate socaled Southern outrages, is rapidly
coming to grief. It's unsatisfactory perform
ance has not come up to the high~sounding
tone of the manifesto. At Washington it
has come to be regarded as miserable fall
ure. This result was predicted at the out
set, and If the committee had made per-
sonal visit to the alleged insurrectionary
districts in the South and taken the testi-
mony of respectable and competent wit
nesses on the spot, instead of sitting at
Washington, the true state of affairs could
have been perfectly ascertained and its dis
comfiture would thereby have been tho more
complete. OF course some evidence has been
procured from interested and untrustworthy
sources, which at first sight would appear
to answer the foregone purposes Of the COM
mittee, but wheh the truth has been elected
these damaging statements are found in
some instances to be greatly exaggerated and
IN others wholly invented. A studious ef-
fort has been made by the majority of the
committee to prove the existence of the 'ku
Klux Klan" in Alabama and that grievous
and atrocious outrages have been commit
ted by its masked adheTents on peaceable
and inoffending citizens. The attempt has
proved abortive, the evidence Of those most
likely to know establishing the fact that
the people Of Alabama are obedient to the
law and that there exists in that State am
pie security to life and property. On yes
terday week. Hon. Richard Busteed, former
ly of New York. who was appointed Judge
Of the United States District Court Of that
State by President Lincoln. was examined
| by the committee. The following is cons
densed report Of bis testimony, and is d.
rect and to the point:
WASHINGTON, June 23.-Hon Richa I'd Bus
teed, United States District Judge of ALABAMA 4.
! was examined to-day. In reply to a question
! by tie chairman, he said he had been told con-
| fdentially year and half ago by citizen
/ OF Huntsville that there was a ku Lux organ
ization in the northern part of the State. His
informant. however, did not tell him the OBJ
ject, did be know from auv other source
He believed now there was no such organiza-
ton in that State. Having been asked whether
there was any danger to person property,
he replied, these were safe as in any other
State in the Union. Since the administration
Governor william II. Smith. public quiet and
tranquility were essentially preserved. As to
the character of the persons holding subOrdin-
ate official positions under the State consttu
tOn, he said it was generally nOtOriOusly bad
both to Intelligence and honesty. He had
been i'll the State since 1868, having previously
been appointed judge by President Lincoln
There had been no obstruction to the admins
tration of his Office or the laws of the land,
except in one instance. when the Republican
Auditor of the State disobeyed the injunction
of the court, for which he vas fined and i'm
p:isoned The greatest respect was paid to
the judicial authority by lawyers, senators, and
jurors, and all other parties. With regard to
the feeling Of the people toward the general
government, he thought it to obey the
/ laws, however obnoxious they were, although
there was a deep-seated conviction that they
were not equally impartial. Having been ques
toned as to the testimony Of the Rev. Mr..
Lakin, parts of which were read TO him, he
said it was entirely untrue. Lakin had repre-
sented that thirty three indictments had been
! found in Busteed's court for violation of the
! Civil Rights bill, and had been tried but the
truth that only one Indictment had been
! found, and that had not yet been tried. On
! ex paTte inquiry it appeared to be serious
case. Lakiu is man who is apt TO make wild
! statements without acurate basis. He had al
! ways charged the jury to obey the laws, how
! ever distastefu, as it was within the power of
/
the best interest of the community to respect
| them
! The testimony of other residents of the
State, men of acknowledged integrity and
veracity, who have appeared before the
committee, is to the same purpose. But if
/ any additional evidence were wanting to
prove the shameless falsity of the charges
/ Of widespread violence against person and
| property in the South, Including Alabama,
it is conclusively supplied by the editor OF
! the Daily State Journal, the organ of the
Republican party in Alabama, published at
/ Montgomery who, 10 his paper of June 2Sd,
/ thus speaks of the aspect of affairs in that
State. Such a statement, coming from so
responsible a source, ought to silence the
malicious ISLANDERS of the political dema~
! gogues who originated John Scott's elec-
! tionecring committee.
ave have lived in this State for more than
| quarter of a century, and have never felt in
secure IN person property on account of no.
litical opinions. We are sincere in our Repuh-
| licanism, and we feel safe because we love our
people and honestly believe that We are pursu-
| ing course that will rebound to their peace
| happiness and prosperity. Those men who
call themselves Republicans and who are con-
tnualy trying get into Office, stirring up dis
order and strife, and poisoning the minds OF
voters in secret dens at midnight, where honest
men and sincere Republicans are plotted
| against simply because they are honest and
| sincere, and have social standing in the com
munity, may feel unsafe. We endorse no such
ibels upon the whole people of our State
Radical yultuFes, Ku Klux Office seekers OF
every party, doing US more harm as a peo-
pie than all the ibes ever written We be-
lieve that every honest man is safe in Ala
| bama, no matter what his politics are