The Portland daily press., 1872-02-19
WASHINGTON.
Report of the Ku-Klux Committee.
More Courts and Amnesty Rec
commended.


business to-day, adopting resolution urging
Congress to grant additional and liberal dona-
tions of lands for existing and future agricultu-
raj colleges, and making other provisions to
further the interests of agriculture and educa-
tiOn. President Grant to-day visited the con-
vention by invitation. Mr.. Loring welcomed
him in a brief speech, after which the Presi-
dent took seat on the platform.
ANOTHER REBEL SENATOR
1t is stated that the Senate Committee on
Privileges and Elections decided the contest for
the seat in the Senate from North Carolina in
favor of Gen. NJ. r. Ransom against Gen. Alb
bott, and will report a resolution that Ransom
be admitted as Senator
UNION OF THE POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH SER
VICE.
In the House to-day, Mr.. Palmer of Iowa,
advocated the union of the telegraph and postal
services, quoting the averages of private and
press messages in Europe and the United States,
and claiming that they were were much greater
in the former than in the latter. He quoted
Mr.. Beck as saying that the average amount of
social messages in the United States is less than
per cent. of the whole number. In Europe
social messages amount to 60 per cent. He ar
gued that the telegraph in this country is too
agent of commerce it ought to be under the
control of the general government.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-The joint select COM
mittee will tomorrow report on the condition
of affairs in the late insurrectionary States.
The evidence taken in Washington and South
Carolina is submitted, as is also the report of
the subcommittee, to digest the reports of the
executive officers of the States. The testimony
taken in other States is yet unprepared and will
be submitted in supplementary. report. The
committee say inquiry has been made into the
commission of outrages, execution of the laws,
bad legislation, official incempetency, corrup-
tion, &c. There is a remarkable concurrence
of testimony that the courts and juries admin
lister justice between man aid man in all Ordin-
ary cases. civil and criminal, but the evidence
is equally decisive that redress cannot be OBJ
tained against those who commit crimes in dis
guises and at night. The reasons assigned are
that indentification is difficult and almost i'm
possible. That when this is attempted, the
combinations and oaths of the order come in
and releases the culprit by perjury, either on
witness stand or in jnry and box, and that the
terror inspired by their acts as well as public
sentiment in their favor in many localities, par
alyzes the arm of civil power. Numerous COM
plants are made of the incapacity of many in
ferior magistrates, and in several States Gov
ernors are charged with abuse of their pardon
will be considered subsequently.
The committee trace, as far as able, the ORR
gin, extent, purposes and mode of operations
of the Ku-Klux-Klan, the time of whose or
ganization is fixed in 1868, and the testimony in
reference to which covers 1400 pages. The re-
port of the subcommittee of elections in Louis
lana and the contested election cases in 1865
shows that the object of the Ku-Klux was to
oppose and reject the principles of the radical
party as shown by the constitution. This was
to be accomplished by each providing himself
with pistol, Ku-Klux gown and signal instru-
ments. If confederation was needed it could
be found in expressions made by these bandits
to their victims when infiicting their scourges
upon men and Outrages upon women. That
testimony is uniform, and if ''out of their own
n10uths'' ooudamn fhap, II mn ha tba
ground of their hostility to the government and
to the enjoyment by negroes of the rights con-
ferred upon them by the amendments to the
Constitution and by the laws by which they are
organized to oppose. The refusal of large
portion of the wealthy and educated men to dis
charge their duties as citizens, has brought upon
them the same consequences which is being suf-
fered in northern cities and communities from
the neglect of their business and educated men
to participate in all the movements of the peo-
pie, which make up self government. The cit
izen in either section who refuses or neglects,
from any motive, to take his part in self-gov-
ernment has learned that he must now suffer and
help to repair the evils of bad government.
The newly made voters of the South at the
close of the war, it is testified, were kindly dis
posed towards their former masters and the
feeling between them even yet seems to be one
of confluence in all other than their political
relations The refusal of their masters to par
ticipate in political reconstruction necessarily
..
Many of them were elected to office, and enter
ed it with honest intentions to do their duty,
but they were untitled for its discharge
Through their insJrumentality many unworthy
white men, having obtained their confidence,
also procured public positions in legislative
bodies This mixture of ignorent but honest
men with better educated knaves, gave an op-
portunity for corruption, and this Opportunity
has developed state of decentralization ON this
subject which may and does account for MANY
Of the w of which the in ct1
plain 1t is apparent, at the same time that
the decentralization is not confined to race nation
ality or political creed, but presents specimens
alike i'll negro, carpet-bagger and white native
citizens of both parties. These remarks are
not applicable to all reconstructed states, but
they are to several of them, and taking Sonth
Carolina as an illustration, and it is certainly
as bad in these respects as any of these States,
and there can be no doubt that venality and
corruption in the legislature prevail largely
They are spoken of as existing by men of all
parties and seem to be conceded. Certainly
their existence is almost universally believed by
the people of the State. With such material
for legislature and such views of virtue out
side, ASH shown to have prevailed, corruption
was inevitable, q sszss
We point to the results of the opinion in
South Carolina in the fact that the negroes in
the nine counties in that State in which Ku-
Klux violence prevailed to such an extent as to
call for a suspension of the writ of habeas cor
Judge Carpenter, much more intelligent than
in any other part of the State The fact that
they are so, when placed alongside the list of
men murdered and maltreated in these counties,
demonstrates it requires the strong arm of the
government to protect its citizens in the enjoy
ment of their rights to keep the peace and pre-
vent this threatened or rather to stay this ini-
tiated war of races, until the experiment which
it has inaugurated and which many Southern
men prnounce now and many more have sworn
Inon hn do foil IA I44
peace.
The destruction of the race so recently eman-
cipated, Punishment or serfdom is thus decreed;
but having been clothed by the government
with the rights and responsibilities of citizen
ship it ought not to be, and we feel assured it
will not be left, hereafter, without protection
against the hostilities and sufferings it has en-
dured as long as the legal and constitutional
powers of the government are adequate to af-
ford it.
Communities suffering such evils and infu-
enced by such extreme feelings may be slow to
learn that relief can come only from ready
obedience and support of constituted authority
looking to modes provided by law for redress
for all grievances. That Southern commune
ties do not seem to yield this ready obedience at
once, should not deter the friends of good gov
ernments in both sections in hoping and work
ing for that end. Northern communities exas-
perated by delay and insubordination, may be
reminded that the element of the two sections
are widely different. Composed of those who
few years since ruled the State aud exacted
obedience to their will from their slaves and
held absolute sway over voters of their white
dependents, but who are now reduced in inf1u-
ence and in wealth by events of war and of the
poor white who has found himself as he SUD-
poses degraded by the elevation of the negro
to political equality with him, his vote before
having been the chief badge of his superiority.
If the negro not only voting but ruling the
State in office with or over their former masters
or struggling with the evils of poverty in be-
ginning life for himself after the best years of
his life have been spent in the service of
others. All these elements beget feelings and
result in disorders to which northern commun-
ties are strangers. The strong feeling which
led to rebellion and sustained brave men, how
ever mistaken, in resisting the government
which demanded their submission to its author
ity, the sincerity of whose belief was attes4ed
by their enormous sacrifice of life and treasure.
This feeling cannot be expected to subside at
once, nor in years. 1t required full forty years
to develop disaffection into sedition and sedi-
into treason, should we not be patient if in
less than ten years, we have a fair prospect of
seeing so many who were armed enemies be-
coming obedient citizens? Shonld we not give
all encouragement to those who manifest dis
position to become such, especially when it is
shown that in many sections well disposed men
were deferred by fear of the power of an armed
and desperate conspiracy, from affording aid to
the authorities in enforcing laws r.s
But while we invoke this forbearance and
Cancellation, we fully recognize that they form
far the largest part of the Southern people, re-
luctant obedience is all that is to be hop
ed for Let it be understood that less than
obedience to the government we cannot expect.
Obedient citizens, they cannot be considered
who themselves complaining of bad laws excuse
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