Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-20
WASHINGTON.
Spelling for a Fight with. Spain.
Grants Report of Ku-Klux Campaign.



WASHINGTON, April 19.-lt is stated by
Republican members OF Congress that the
President is very anxious to adopt an ag-
gressive policy towards Spain; that he is
only held back from precipitating critical re-
lations with that country by the more care
full members of the cabinet.
Ku-Klux.
The President transmitted the following
message TO the House to-day:
In answer to the resolution of the House
of REPRESENTATIVES of Jan. 25, / have the
honor to submit the following, accompa-
MED by the report of the Attorney-G General
to whom the resolution was referred.
Representations having been made to me
that in certain portions of South Carolina
condition of lawlessness and terror existed,
| requested the then Attorney General,
Akerman, TO visit the State, and
after a personal examination, to re-
port to me the facts in relation to
the subject. On the 10th of October last
he addressed communication from South
Carolina. in which he stated that in the
counties of Spartanburg, York, Chester,
Union, Lawrenc,, Newburg, Fairfield,
Lancaster and Chesterfield there were com
binations for the purpose of preventing the
free political action of citizens who were
friendly to the Constitution and the Gov
ernment of the United States, and Of de-
priving the emancipated class of the equal
protection of the laws. These COM
binations embrace at least two-thirds
of the active white men of those counties,
and have the sympathies and countenance
of a majority of the other third. They are
connected with other similar combinations
in counties and States and are no doubt a
Grand system of criminal associations per-
yading most of the Southern States. The
members are bound to obedience and
secrecy by oaths which they are taught to
regard as of higher obligation than the law
full oaths taken before the civh magistrates.
They are organized and armed. They
effect their object by personal violence, often
extending to murder. They terrify the
witnesses. They control juries in the State
courts and sometimes in the courts OF the
| United States. Systematic spying is one OF
the means by which the prosecution OF
the members is defeated. From information
given by the officers of the States and OF
! the United States, and by credible private
sources, am justified in affirming that tn e
! instances of criminal violence perpetrated
| by these combinations within the last thlr-
teen months in the above named counties
could be reckoned by thousands. re-
ceived information Of similar i'm
! port from various sources, among which were
| three Joint committees of Congress on South
outrages, the officers of the State, the mill
tarv officers of the United States on duty
in South Carolina, the United States Attor-
ney and Marshals and other officers of the
! Government, repentant and abjuring mem
bers Of those unlawful organizations, per-
sons especially employed by the Department
! of Justice to detect crimes against the Unit
ed States and from other credible sources.
Most, if not all, of this information
except that l derived from the Attorney
General. come to me orally and was to the
effect that the said counties were under the
swav Of powerful combinations, popularly
known as the Ku- -Klux Kan, the objects OF
which were by force and terror to prevent all
political action not in accordance Win the
! views of the members to deprive colored
| citizens Of the right to bear arms, and OF the
right of free ballot, suppress the
! schools in which colored chlldren
were bought and to reduce the colored
Seople to a condition closely akin to that ol
slavery; that these combinations were or
ganized and armed and had rendered the
local law Intellectual to protect the classes
! they desired to oppress; that they had per
petrated many murders and crimes OF minor
| degree, all of which were unpunisEed, and
| that witnesses could not safely testify IN
! the courts there until the most active mem
| bers were placed under restraint,
u. S. GRANT,
Executive Mansion, April 10, lS12'
French Arms.
The Senate Arms Committee examined
| Gen. Franklin and NJ. NJ. Gowar but
elected nothing new. Public examina-
tions are now concluded. The committee
adjourned subject to a call of its chairman
RObesOn and CaIteI.
The Naval Investigation Committee me-
tonight. Chief Engineer Sherwood testi'
fed that he thought the contract with Roacf
for the Tennessee's machinery improper
and Thought the boilers that Roach was u
| take out were good enough for any large
vessel, Witness explained his visit to Sar
oeant's house as social, and he did not sup
pose the conversation was to be repeated
Sarpeanty come to him Sherwood
and accused his superior officer of stealth:
S5O0,000.
Jno. NJ. Butler testified that he was pres
ent in S. ?. Browns office when paymen
was made on account Of the steamer GOV
ernor, and that ex-senator Cattel came Il
before the money was divided, and he lCat
teID paid Browns son 81 800 to $2,5OO.
Secretary Robson said he wanted to cal
the Paymaster to explain the discrepanc
between the voucher and checker in pay
meut of the loss of the government, an
also to question Cattell. The Commit
tee adiournedtill Monday night when it
understood there will be close inyestiga
ton.