The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-03-01

the Kuklux, have at last submitted
their reports. The report of the ma
jority of the Committee, who are all
Radicals, maintains the existence Of
a formidable secret political organi-
zation, who have committed great
crimes, but admits that some Of this
lawlessness has been provoked from
a plundered and tsx-ridden people
by oppressive carpet-bag legislation |;
but at the same time advises the most
stringent acts of Congress to put
down the so-called kuklux. The
Minority report is signed by Senators
BLAZE and BAYARD, and Represena-
tives BECK, Cox, VAN TRUMr, WAD-
DIES, HANKS aud Robertson. Below
we presenta synopsis oftheir report !:
"While we do not intend to deny
that bodies of disguised men have, in
several of the States of the South,
been guilty of the most fragrant
crilncs-crimcs which we neither
seek to palate nor excuse, for the
commission of which the wrong
doors should, when ascertained and
duly convicted, suffer speedy and
condign nunishment-wc deny that
these iucm have any general Organi-
cation, OF any political Significance,
or that their conduct is indorscd by
any respectable number of the white
people in any State. On the CONTRA
nv, the men and the bands by which
such Outrages are perpetrated arc sl-
anost universally regarded by the in
tclligcnt people of the several States
as the worst enemies Of the South,
as they furnish the men now in pow
er at Washington the only excuse
left to maintain war upon them, and
continue the system Of robbery and
oppression which they have inaugu-
ratcd--a system which is destructive
not only of their peace and prOsperi-
ty, but is intended to blacken and
malign tEeir character as men before
the country and the world. -
We will show by testimony incon-
trovcr.ibIc that in no one of the six
States of North and South Carolina,
Georgia, AlabaIIiss Mississippi and
Florida, has there at any time existed
combinations of lawless men in one
tenth part of any one Of said States.
These six States have in the aggre-
gate q population Of 4,913,13o, and
the total number of their counties
exceeds 40. VIC do not tear sue
ccssiul contradiction when We say
that there never was q disguised band
in onc.tenth part of them, or in over
forty Of these 420 counties. Simply
in county here and there, or at most
in one Or two counties together in
several of these States, have such
bends committed depredations aud
We will show to all men not blinded
by prejudice OF passion that the ku-
klux Bill and the conduct and report
of the majority of this Committee, as
inaugurated, continued and reported,
is the grossest outrage, the fOulest
Calumny ever perpetrstcd or cifcula-
ted upon or against helpless people
by their rulers, who ought for that
reason, if for no other, TO be their
friends instead Of being Their rclent-
less enemies and calumniatOrs." --.
After detailing the disbanding OF
the rebel armies and giving the state
of society then existing, the invasion
of the set of adventures who over
run the country is then pictured.
Before even breathing time was al
lowed them, o set Of harpies, most Of
whom had shirked the dangers Of the
battle. field - camp-follewers, horse
holders. cowboys, plunlerers from
both sides during all the years OF
strife = rushed down singly and
in squads Oh the people thus PROSTATE
and defencelcss, and for their own
private gain seized and carried of
whatever could be found worth seiz-
ing in that country. All remon-
STRANGE was stifled and crushed out
by the cry of disloyalty and treason
they raised against the Southern PEG.
pic, and by the prctcnsc that the plum.
dcrcrs were prosecuted because of
their loyalty and devotion to the
Union, and especially to the Repub-
Iicau party and its continued su-
premacy. ga. :, {,
But the subject which attracts the
greatest attention il the existing fl
nancial condition OF tao States sfter
the few years rule Of the men the
Radical party intrusted with the des-
tines of these communities. A care
full compilation of the debt as it OK
listed previous to the war, and that
heaped up by these Governments, re-
veals the fact that the aggregate in
crease of the debts and liabilities Of
these several States will DC found 10
grealy exceed two hundred million
dollars. No account of the war debt
of these States cutters into the above
statement, as that indebtedness wac
repudiatcI by the fnurteenth amend
ment 10 the Constitution. Although
the value of property i'll the eleven
States of tue South has been reduced
from 1888. 7J7, G42 i'll 1860 toifz, 026,.
1851 in 1870, being loss of S2,W7,-
3OG,9T, or over $300,00o,O00 more
than now remains, the State taxation
on what those people now have was
in 1870 Sls,Sl3,Gls. Willie il was S.
I65, 4S6 in 1850, when their affairs were
by their own people. ~ ;.
"Thc county taxation in lSGO Oh all
the property they then owned was
only $3,II5,IS4; while now, under
carnet-bag and negro rule, it is @l4,-
Us $50, or Sll, ls3,ii6 more on the
remnant still in existence than 1t WAS
on the whole property they owned
when the war began. ....
Taking the State of South Carroll
ma for all example, it appears that the
officers wing were put in power by
the Radical party, all told, pay only
the small sum of. $l7 yearly. The
salaries awarded to these officers arc |
TO the enormous sum OF
Sl2J,9S9 over hat was: paid TO the |
under tho old regime
The report winds up with q severe
of the Executive, and
charges him with submitting to the |
dictates of party vengeance, rather
than doing equal and exact Justice to |
all classes of citizens. f.'...-. -....s
..--i
w. j. WEITTHuRHE, Sr., of Shelby. |
Vile, died OIL the morning Of the 10Th |
of February. For many years he was |
{ ,ircuit Court Clerk of Bedford COun. |