The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-04-20
HANa1Na TO A TREE

III
BY the roadside, about a half mile
away, and my brothers body lay by the
side of it. They were dead.
The Columbus Journal, referring to
Senator Sherman's speech on this sub
ject, likewise says:
John Sherman is a cool, even tenn
pered, dispassionate man. He has been
accused Of having no feeling, such is his
ealmness under provocatiOn. Yet even
this judicial temperament has been
stirred to its unwilling depths by the re-
cord of ,outrages in the South. His
snaeeh in the Senate-Democratic and
RepubIican-is enough to make the
blood boil. There is a horrible fascina-
ltfen in the story as detailed by this cooi
bIooded man, struggling to keep his
amotions under control, and breaking
into occasional bursts of frightful vehe-
mence. We quote a paragraph
aMr. President, I do not know any
where an organization similar to this
Ku Klux Klan. I have thought OF the
Things of India. They murdered, and
they murdered secretly; but they did
NOT conceal themselves while they were
in the act of murder. II any Senator
now in looking over the records OF
crimes in all ages, can tell me OF an as
sociation, a conspiracy, or u band Oh
men who combined in their acts and III
their purposes more that is diabolical
than this Ku Klux Klan, I should ike
IN know where it was. They are Sc
cret. oath bound; they murder, ROB-
rlnnder. whip and scourge; and. they
commit these crimes, not upon fhe high
and lofty, but upon the lOwly, upon the
moor upon feeble men and women who
ore utterly defenseless. They go out al
rfpht. armed and commit their work
; they 90 over vast regions Of country
. carving terror wherever they go. II
. oil the records of human crime-anI
God knows it is full enough-where i
= there an organization against which hu
y manity revolts more than 1t doe
ogsinst this I know there is not
senator here but feels this thing ough
to be put down"
h Such language from John Sherman
Q has power which no amount of inve'
A. i've could have in the mouth of rar
% ter.
Z awe have every day cumulative ev
It denee of the truth Of the statement
Il, made to this Congressional Committe
III under oath. The heart grows sick an
" the understanding weary of the hOrrib
d. iteration.
t. "Is Congress pOwerless to provide
y remedy?
u "If the Union soldiers in the war
O. the rebellion were acting under lawf
or orders. we confess an inability to COZ
III urehend why the army of the Unit
Isl States may not properly, legally al
,ts constitutionally be used to stop the
= outraqes. If it was lawful to shoot m
e l' in arms, fighting manfully as the 81
III der should fight against the Cover
N, ment. we do not see why it is not la
3h. fui to hang the Ku Klux by drum-he
lb- court martial"
-oo TIE KU KLUx-SECREr OATH AND 4
PHABEr.
c'' " The following extracts are made frC
be testimony taken in the trial of Gov
On. nor Holden of North Carolina
ick Peter Hughes, witness called on
ith half of the respondent, testified that
,Iv lived in the county of Alamance, a
90 was a member of the White Broth
w. bood. otherwise the Il. X. K; he y
age in only one of their raids, but they
not whip anybody that night; upon
oomins a member of the organization
on took the following oath:
ion THE KU KLUx OATH,
al You solemnly swear, in the pl
lin ence of Almighty God, that you :
,o.. never reveal what is now about 10 CO
~. to your knowledge; and you will nc
'ii9 reveal the names of the men who il
hed ate you; and that you have not and
dis not belong to the 'Red String u
union League or II. of A. NJ. (Hel
Of America or any other political s
ra- ETY. whose aim and intention was to
,oD stroy the rights of the State and the
pie. and to elevate the negro with
give white man, and you are opposed to
his such organization, so help you God.
ng a "You now further swear in the P
and ence of Almighty God, that you viii
iDad true to the principles of the Brot
- hood and to the members, that you
~ never reveal any of its edicts, order
principles to any person, not eve
lila. known brother, or that You arc n
H.. Der yourself, or who are members
that you will obey all calls and E
u 10 mons of the chief of your camp Y
otec- in your power to do SO; and should
Ould member reveal any of the acts, OF
ct. or secrets of this Brotherhood you