The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-09-01
KU.KLUx INVESTIGATION.

From the reports of the majority
members of the Congressional Ku-
Klux Investigating Committee it is
evident that they have resorted to the
most wholesale fabrication to make
out good case against the white citi-
zens of the South and to further incite |
Congress to Cypress them with parti-
san legislation. This majority even
went so far as to violate the rules
adopted for their government in per-
suing the investigation and purchased
aud manufactured the worst kind of tes-
timony against the Southern whites,
thus being enabled to present scene
of bloodshed, crime and outlawry in
the South far in excess of even the
exaggerated accounts heretofore
given.
Immediately after these statements
were made public by the Radical
members of the Committee, in rela-
tion to the South Carolina outrages
which they succeeded IN manufacturing,
Judge Van Trump, on behalf of the
aainority, pronounced that publication
untrue in many essential particulars
and perversion of facts in others, ev-
identity colored with the purpose of
producing q partisan and false inn
preston. The testimony shows that
there are four counties, namely: Lau-
rens, Chester, York. .and Spartanburg,
where acts of violence have been COM
mitted on both sides. The whites and
blacks are nearly equally divided in
population, and the carpet-bag rule,
by which the negro is forcibly put
over the white man. has produced a
bad, and even dangerous state of feel
ing. The poor whites are mostly
grieved at an oppression which is in
tended to make them the interiors
of recent slaves stepped in ignorance
and vice.
Everything has been done to aggra-
vate the laboring whites, and to outrage
the social condition of their families.
On the very eve of the last election,
Governor Scott organized fourteen
negro regiments and armed them with
T,400 Winchester rifles and 100000
rounds of fixed ammunition. These
regiments were distributed in differ
eut parts of the State, and especially
where their presence would be most
likely to excite bad blood. This pro-
. ceeding was rendered more offensive
by the fact that the whites, who had
become alarmed, were refused the
same privilege to protect themselves.
Accompany which. had been in ex-
istence long before this time, was dis
armed and disbanded by. the Cover
nor. ; 1t is in proof before the COM
mittee that negroes, disguised as Ku-
Klu1, committed many outrages.-
The testimony given by the negroes
was of the lowest kind, and utterly
unworthy of belief They were at
tracted by the fee of 50 per diem, and
IN many cases were evidently drilled
tor the occasion. At Spartanburg
Numbers of them were congregated in
the Post Office, while waiting to be
called as witnesses, and doubtless
Learned the lesson which was after
wards rehearsed substantially In the
same words.
One Of the principal witnesses,
named Owen, on cross-examination,
admitted himself to be thief. Con-
gresham Wallace, who was elected
first by the House of Representatives,
and then by stuffed ballots In dis
trict with 5000 Democratic majority,
followed the committee everywhere,
and was one of the active managers.
N getting up testimony. The affair
IN which be figured at Spartanburg,
and which was telegraphed all over
the country as gross outrage, exhib-
its the purpose to magnify and exag-
gerate for political effect. He was
seated next to Mr.. Stevenson, of the
committee, at the hotel table, when
3 man named Berry, who formerly
had feud with Wallace, entered in a
state of intoxication.
Discovering his old enemy, he
seized pitcher of milk and threw it
at him, whereupon Wallace drew a
revolver and would have fred, but
for the Intervention Of those present.
This was the extent of that outrage,
and Berry, when sobered, sought to
make every atonement, as the citizens
did who were injured by his reckless
conduct
There is no political feeling of any
kind in the unfortunate disturbances
which have occurred in these few
counties of South Carolina. They re-
suit from mal-administration, corrup-
ton, robbery, carpet-bagism, and es-
pecially among the poor laboring
white men, from wicked purpose on
the part of the authorities and the
Legislature to assert black supremacy