Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-02-28
The Kuklux Committees Report.
WnAT TnE MINoRITY sAY.

, WHAT THE MINORITY SAY.
The minority of the committee say that,
although, Tennessee has for some reason q
place among the states assigned to one Of
the subcommittee, no evidence was at
temped to be taken to show any lavless-
ness there. 1t follows, therefore that five
at least Of the eleven southern states, To
Wit: Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas,
Louisiana aud Texas, are free from even
the lawlessncss on the part of tie poo pie,
whatever may be the fact as TO their rul.
ers. These five states embrace greatly
more than half the territory and nearly
half the population of the eleven southern
states, and 1t is hard to conceive how.
if Il political or other combination existed
for any general purpose, there should be
left out the whole five states or a part of
them in combination for any such OBJ
iocts.
The minority do not deny that bodies of
disguised men have in several states of the
South been guilty of committing crimes
which they neither seek to palate or ex.
cuse, for the commission of which the
wrong-docrs should suffer speedy and con-
digo punishment. but they deny that these
men have any general organization, or
any political significance, or that their
conduct is indorsed by any respectable
number OF white people in any state. On
the contrary, the men and bands by which
such outrages are perpetrated are almost
universally regarded by the intelligent
people OF the southern states as the worst
enemies of the south, as they furnish the
men in power at Washington the only ex.
cuse to make war on them, and TO con.
tlnue the system Of robbery and oppres-
sion which they have inaugurated-a sys.
TEN which is destructive not only of their
peace and prosperity, but is intended to
blacken and halIgn their character as men
before the world. They quote testimony
to show incontrovertibly that in no one of
the six states of North and South Caro-.
llna' Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and
Florida have there at any time existed
combinations of lawIess men in onc-terth
part of any one Of said states.
The report alludes to the condition of
the South at the close OF the war. The
Suthern people, acknowledging their defeat
we're accepting the situation and going to
work earnestly to build up their waste
places aud retrieve their lost fortunes
They were determined honestly and earn.
estIy to support, defend and maintain the
Union and constitution. Society in the
South was greatly disorganized. The
strain on the people TO supply the armies
IN the field had exhausted their resources.
The regions which has been the scene of
active military operations were laid waste
stared the people in the face.
Labor was absolutely demoraized. The
negro population, which as slaves had
furnished the great bulk of labor, being
LIBERATED, in their poverty, ignorance and
ncapaclty to appreciate the effect of their
Uttered condition, were slow to recoanize
he necessity for sustained and continued
abor on their part. The result was that
ne confederate soldiers, and all others
who had during the years of the war de- ,
'oted themselves to that cause, found On
he return of peace nothing but poverty 9
ND ruin In all their land, and themselves .
bsolute beggars among people who had /
othlng to give them. Under such cir
it was impossible to restore h
armony in civil government without some 4
onfusion. Yet, so earnestly did the peo- !,
lie struggle to return to allegiance and Il
hus entitle themselves to the protection
Inch had been promised, that from the
ay oil the surrender of their armies no
ostle arm has ever been raised against n
nc authority of the United States. I
Before even breathing time was allow
d them, set Of harpies, most of whom $,
ad shlrkcd the dangers Of the battle field
lmp-foIlowers, horse-holders, cowboys, a
underers from both sides during all the b
ears of strife, rushed down, singly and :
squads, on that peole, thus PROSTATE =,