The Lincoln County herald., 1872-05-09
TERMS or ADVERTISING.

after personal examination TO report to
me the facts in relation to the subject.
Un the 10th Of October last lie addressed
a communication from South Carolina, in
which he stated that in the counties Of
Spartanbury, York, Chester, Union,
Lau'eus, Newbu,y, Fairfield, an, ostcr
and Chesterfield there were combinations
for the purpose of preventing tho free
political actions Of citizens who we're
friendly to the Constitution and the gov
erument Of the United States, and Of de-
privng the emancipa,ed class Of the equal
protec,ian Of the laws. These comblna.
tions embrace at least two thirds of the
active white men Of those counties, and
have the sympathy and countenance Of
the majority Of the other third. They
are connected with similar combinations
in other counties and States, and no
doubt are part Of a grand system of Grim.
inal associations pervading most Of the
Southern States The members ore
bound to obedience and secrecy by oaths
which they arc taught to regard as OF
higher obligation than the lawful oaths
taken before civil magistrates they arc
organized and armed they effect their
objects BY personal violence, often extend.
ing to murder; they terrify witnesses
they control jures in the State courts,
and sometimes in the courts of the United
States systematic spying is one Of the
means by which prosecution of the mem.
bers is defeated. From information
given by officers Of the Safe and Of tho
United States, and by credible private
citizens, I am justified in affirming that
the instances of criminal violence perpe-
trated by these combinations within the
last twelve months in the above named
counties could be reckoned BY thousands.
received information Of similar
report from various sources, among which
we're the joint committee Of Congress
upen Southern outrsges, the officers Of
the State, the military officers Of the
United States on duty 10 South Carolina,
the United States Attorney and Marshal,
and other officers Of the government, re.
pentent and abjurlng members of these
unlawful organizations, persons specially
employed by the department Of justice to
detect crimes against the United States,
and from other credible sources. Most,
if not all, of this information. except
that derived from the attorney General,
came TO me orally and was to the effect
that said counties were under the sway of
the powerful combinations popularity
known as the "Ku klux Klan," the OBJ.
jccts of which were by force and terror
to prevent all political action not 10
accord with the views OF the members, to
deprive colored citizens Of tho right to q
free ballot, to suplr r.ss schools in which
colored children we're taught, and to re.
duce the colored people to a condition
closely akin to that Of slaves; that these
con bnatlons were organized and armed
and had rendered the local law Intellectual
to protect the classes whom they desired
to Cypress that they had perpetrated
many murders aud hundreds Of crimes
Of minor degree, all, Of which were un.
punished, and that witnesses could not
safely testify in courts there unless the
more active members were placed under
restraint.
(Signed) u. s. GRANT.
Executive Mansion, April 10, 1879.
1t will thus be seen that President
Of tho United States has descended to
appear before the country as tho vindic-
tive enemy Of helpless people, and who,
to achieve cer,ain ends of his own, is
willing to destroy the social as we'll as
pablo standing Of the citizens Of a Por-
ton of the country. The intention of
this "messoee" is two fold: first, to in.
fame the public mind, and by the aid Of
his reckless supporters attempt to create
anew the old feeling Of sectional hatred {;
and second, to force, through the exhibl.
tion Of this distorted picture, the passage
Of the extension of bayonet rule over
the South. 1t has been developed dur.
ing the last few weeks that many prom.
inent RADICALS have repented of placing
30 great power in the hands Of such an
indiscreet Chief Magistrate, and are also
becoming alarmed at the feeling which 10
arising at the prospect Of forcing the
election Of Grant at the point of the
bayonet, and in consequences this horrible
picture is drawn to increase the III feeling
Of the Radical Congressman and induce
them, while wholly under this feeling, to
acquiesce in the wishes Of the reckless
leaders and vote to allow the Southern
vote to be manipulated by the army ring
in the interests Of tho Philadelphia nom.
inee. The message was referred to the
Committee on Insurrectionary States.