Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-01
THE 2KU.KL,x RVESfIGA.
TION.
Gen. John Id. Gordon on the
Witness stand.

Gen. john ID. dOlOOn, OF Atlanta, Ca,
was examined for five hours yesterday
before the Ku- Klux Committee. Having
been asked question concerning the re-
lations of the whites to the blacks, he
testified that the very kindest feeling ex-
listed on the part of the former toward
the latter Immediately after the war.
This was evidenced in their subscriptions
to churches and school-houses. This
feeling continued, in the main, up to the
time the carpet baggers came into the
State, and who have, in great measure,
been instrumental in arraying the blacks
against the whites. But even now, il
left to themselves, the negroes would be
as kindly disposed toward the whites as
the whites are toward them. 1t was the
interest of the South to keep the blacks
among them, instead of encouraging or.
ganized bands to drive them out. The
people were compelled to have their la
Dor. 1t was the best they could get.
They could not cultivate their rice and
cotton lands with any other labor so
successfully.
Immediately after the war bitterness
and at other places on the coast, by the
negro troops insulting white men who
had served in the Confederate army
There were so many outrages of this
kind that the witness, at the solicitation
of the citizens, applied to General Grant
to remove the negro troops. Notwith-
standing the insults by the troops, the
whites were forbesring and kind, having
subscribed to negro churches and schools,
and otherwise aided them all they could.
They continue to give evidence of that
kind feeling. In an educational conven-
ton, just held at Montgomery, Ala, the
speakers advocated the education of the
negroes by the white people. The wit
ness was In favor of it himself, as were
the people of Georgia. There was no
disposition whatever in that Slate to OPP
press the negro. Ii any outrages had
been committed, they were not counte-
nanced by the people in mass.
Having been asked if he belonged to
any secret organization, such as the Ku-
Klux, in Georgia, the witness replied he
had some reason TO know of an Organiza-
ton there, but he knew nothing about
Ku-Klux of the kind described in the
newspapers. He had been applied to by
some of the best people of Georgia to
join an organization, which had for its
object the suppression of violence and
the protection of life aud property in the
State, and for no other purpose. There
was nothing political in it. He did no:
know of any disguise attaching to that
organization. The organization of the
Loyal Lesgue, The drilling of the negroes,
and the instigation by the carpet. baggers
of autagonism and hatred against the
white race, aud the apprehension that in
the populous negro districts of Georgia,
under the lead of very bad white men
from distance, the negroes would COM
NIT depredations and violence, led to the
organization by the whites of which he
had spoken.
The witness believed that the reported
number of what were called outrages by
disguised bands had been greatly e1agger-
ated. In some instances outrsges were
instigatei by parties belonging to the
Radical party, and, in the opinion Of the
witness, with the svowed purpose of
making political capital at Washington.
In one or two cases in Georgia, parties in
disguise, belonging TO the Radical party,
had been captured, and 10 other cases the
killing of Radicals was believed to have
been the acts of members of that party,
and had been proven in one or two in.
stances of late.
The witness did rot believe the organi-
zstion he WAS invited to join had been in
existence for the last two years. At
least, he had not heard of it, ana ne had
been in position to learn if it really ex-
listed. He, however, approved of tn I
organization, in view of the peace ard
order which it was intended-to promote.
He believed there was necessity for it
at that time, and would again approve of
an organization of that kind, for the same
purpose, and under similar circumsanc IS.
The people were entirely without protec-
ton. They believed the carpet bsggers
had the ear OF the National Government,
and that in case of an outbreak or con-
| flict between the two races, if the people
had not some sort of an understanding
among themselves, they would be over
whelmed, and vast deal of damage d0ue
before aid could reach them from any
source whatever. He did not believe that
this organization had ever been used for
any political purposes, and repeated, it
was merely for defence. If it had, how
ever, been so used, il was contrary to the
object of its formation, and contrary to
the wishes OF those who were prominent
in forming i.
| Having been asked relative to the feelS
ing of the South toward the National
Government, he replied, there was NJ
hostility against the character of the
Government but there was a CREST dea
| of luminosity as 10 the manner of its sd
minisration by the Radical party In pow
er. He said, probably no one Occurrences
| in Georgia had done more to create dissst
isfaction among the people of that State,
than the arrest of some of the bes
young men of Georgia by the military,
without charges and without warrant
and their Imprisonment in hot calls, il
plank houses, exposed to the open sun il
midsummer. These cells were not larger
than six by eight feet. They were con
fined there, subject to the indignities OF
regulars, and almost suffJcated for 6
great length of time. When they wer
taken out they could scarcely walk. Fl
nally, they were tried by military c)m
mission and acquitted, The peopl
thought this was q great outrage, ant
had not recovered from its effects.
The witness was asked as to the geuer
al feeling of the South, when he said tn
Federal soldiers, as class, if left t
themselves, on their return to their home
after the war, would have been more gen
erous than the men not in the army 9
all, and that the alienation of the South
err people had been greatly increased b
the Radical measures, which they con
sideIed as the infliciion of great wr0n
upon them. They considered the Dis
franchisement Of their best men, aud tn
enfrsnchisement of their former slaves
as intended By the party in power to hu
initiate them, and this was one of th
sources of bitterness in the Sou b.
In reply to the question as to what, il
his opinion, would be the effect of an
nesty, he replied it would be good Tt
people of Georgia felt it was great won
, TO deprive them of the benefit of the
wisest and best men in their councils
There must be from fifteen thousand
twenty thousand of the most intelligel
and experienced men in that State di
i franchlsed at this time.
, Having been interrogated as to the I