New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-14

President Grants Return-The Ku-Klux
PrisOners-Detective Whitely's Re-
port.
WASHINGTON, August I3.-. President
Grant is expected to return in time to at
tend Fridays Cabinet meeting.
Colonel Whitley, the chief Of the govern
ment detective force has addressed the fol-
lowing letter to Attorney General Williams:
New YORK, August 9, 1872
| SIR have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of a communication from your
department, under date of the second in
stant, inclOsing a copy of a,letter from Ger
rt Smith, Esq, addressed to the President
in relation to cOnvicts in the Albany peni-
| tertiary, who were convicted of violations
| of the enforcement acts, and requesting me
/ to 60 to Albany and make thorough inves-
| tigatiOu into the condition of those prison
ers, and report to the department my views
| as to the eXpedienCy OF exercising the exc
! cutive clemency in regard to any of them.
| In accordance with your request | pro-
| ceeded to Albany on the seventh instant,
| for the purpose of fulfilling the duty as
| signed mt.
| AS a me. rs of conducting my inquiries in
a manner est adapted to arrive at all of
| the facts il the case, and also lead the pris-
Oners 10 express themselves as freely as
possible. Geemed il best to see each OF the
parties separately, without any knowledge
On their part as to my official character, or
the object of my visit. In this ] received
the fullest aid from Mr.. Lewis ID. Pillsburv,
the head keeper of the Penitentiary, who
brought each prisoner IN separately, with |
the simple remark to each, This gentleman
desires to talk with YOU"
The prisoners were mainly frank and
communicative. Some Of them are very
poor, unlcarned aud h, We left large fami-
lies behind them, and wbile acknowledging
that they were members of the various or
In ,F
Klux' KIans, and that they had been Justly
sentenced as such, plead in eXtenuation |
that they had joined the order without a |
fun knowledge of its aims and Objects and |
had been melted 70 deeds of violence by |
their leaders, who had managed to escape |
from the country, leaving LhcIu to bear the !
responsibility and the punish lent of their !
misdeeds.
A number of them stated tina. they had |
been compelled to Join the order to save |
themselves and families from visits from |
the khan; others had entered into it's ranks |
under the suppOsitiOn that it was society |
organized for mutual protection, but !
learned subsequently that It's real designs
was the determination Of the negro race
and the driving out Of such of the whites as
were in favor Of the political equality and
social elevation of the blacks. These s,y-
orally exhibited the heartiest cOntriti0n for
their misdeeds; stated thar the order was
one iull0lCal 10 Jn6 DesL IL u5TeSJH 81 society, !
and that the government vas fully justified
III breaking it up.
In further extenuation Of having been
members of the order they stated that the
operations of the Ku-Klux Klan are wide
spread, embracing within is folds men of
superior intelligence, ID whom they had
been accustomed to look for al vice and
counsel, and whom they did NOT suppose
would lead them into any combinations
that contemplated pegs sJnal violence aud
even murder, if these were necessary, for
the accomplishment Of rs eDd-. They
were told it was a good institution to.put
down meanness in the COIntry, and they
accepted the statement iTng g.icitly.
Upward of forty examinations were
made in the matter above mentioned, indi-
eating that neither prisoner knew that any
but himself had been called out, and none
of them being aware, as before observed,
of any official character IT tie object Of
my visit.
There was a singular ulanimi.y 10 their
statements and general expression OF re-
gret that they should have been drawn into
an organization differing 50 entirely III the
object which they supposed it had in view
when they joined it,
In reply to the general question, what
were the objects Of the organization! the
answer was almost invariably: When we
joined the order we supposed it was So
ciety established for mutual protection, but
after having been fully initiated we dI-cov-
cred it to be for political purpose, wricb
purpose was embodied in an oath. in " hjah
we swOre to oppose the Radical party in aI!
it's forms, and prevent the negroes from
voting. 1t was the deception which ml7laa
US and which has brOught IS into our pres
ent condition.
The cOntritiOn manifested by rl3dy OF
these prisoners. the hearty abhGrreUce eG-
NV |
mission of which they e'aim they were BE-
trayed by unaCrupulOus and designing men
of more enlightened minds, their general |
want of intelligence and heir eXtrrme pow
erty, all appeal strongly Tor mercy.
MY views as to the eXpeliency o. EcotVT-
ing any of them to society through the tx
ercise of executive clemPncy are clearly iD
favor of such a course with some portion Of
them, and believe il may be done IN some
of the cases. not only in great safety, but
fully in the interest Dl public good In
those cases, TO which I mend respectfully
to call your attention, tbs prisoner appear,
not only truly Tepenta--. but absolutely
ashamed of the course s-L:ch they eesm to
have unwiHingly pursus1, They expressed
themselves anxious TO return to the peace
tul pursuits Of industry Tlenevsr tina or
pOrtunity is afforded than, and become
law-abiding citizens n cr--r respective c.,i-
Colonel Whitley then names ton" "'t
SONS safely to be cOpsld rcd as proper ''-l-
iects for the exercise Of eEeeutve ei74euc
They are old men, poor and unloaIhed, anu
were undoubtedly led into the IN r.tll@ r5.ltll'l5@
Klan order by misrepresentation. " I.e
regard to the others, shou-d'lt ce tlc 'uj32-
ton of the government 20 m"H5 aL *
tended exercise of its clenency IN tuat Iii
rection, he submits the names Of eighteen (
persons whom be deems most worthy ut its
confederation. AS to the remainder O. the
EnrnI L. ---i--- L.