The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-03-02
gablie attairs.
THE KU.KLUx REPORT.

most interesting and instructive histories OF
the course Of political affairs ia the Soath
ern States since the close Of the war that
has been published. The report covers
about 800 printed pages and is signed by
Senators Bayard and Blair and Represen.
tatives Cox, Beck, Van Trump, weddell,
Robinson and Hanks. The revelations
cantained in the following abstract will
richly repay the reader for his time and at.
tention:
UNFAIR ACTION OF THg MAJORITY.
In the first place attention is called to
the fact that the majority of the Committee
on Alleged 0utrages in the Southern States
have made their report before the testimony
taken by the sab committees sent to those
States has been printed, and that, therefore,
the minority are compelled to believe that
the majority have arrived at their conclu
sious upon partial, imperfect and preudic
ed statements furnished by witnesses exam
ined in Washington, who were refutcd and,
in many instances, shown to be utterly un.
worthy Of belief by the testimony of their
neighbors who subsequently testified before
the sub committees. 1t is, therefore, neces.
sary to expose these men. so that no one
can be deceived who desires to know the
truth, and to show also the character of
this proceeding by which whole communal
ties are sought to be illuminated and de.
famed for political object. The atrocious
measures by which millions Of white people
have been put at the mercy Of the semi bar.
barous negroes of the South, and the vilest
of the white people, both from the North
and South, who have been constituted the
leaders of this black horde. are now sought,
to be justified and defended by deiamiug
the people upon whom this unspeakable
outrage had been committed.
The unwieldhness Of the voluminous re.
ports OF testimony taken in the matter rem.
ders anything like connected view Of i'm.
possible in arepOrt of reasonable length,
while, at the same time, it gives the MAORI.
!y an opportunity TO select such fragments
Of testimony as shall suit their purposes,
knowing that few persons, even in Con.
gress, can possibly afford the time necessa.
ry TO examine all the matter laid before
them. The history of the action of the
committee, therefore, seems to the minority
OF unqualified admission on the part Of the
majority thai there are really no disorders
or outrages on the part of the people,
whatever there may have been on the part
Of the Radical rulers in Virginia, tennessee.
Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana; and
qualified admission to the same effect as to
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida,
as well AS TO portions Of the two Carolinas.
Up to the 18th Of June last nothing had
appeared which made it necessary, even ia
the opinion of majority, for sub.com.
mittee TO be sent South to take testimony
in or visit any Southern States. except the
''troubled regions Of North and South
Carolina. Republican members of the CON
mittee had thus decided.
THE REPoRTED EU.KLux.
The minority does not intend to deny that
bodies Of DIS uised men have, in several
States Of the south, been guilty OF the most
tagrnnt crimes, crimes which they neither
seek TO palliate nor excuse, for the commits.
sion OF which the wrong doers should, when
ascertaned and duly convicted, suffer spec.
dy and condisn punishment they deny
that these men have any general organize.
ton or any political significance, or that
their conduct is endorsed by any respecta
BILE number of the white people in any
State; on the contrary, the men and the
bands by which such outrages are perpe
trated are almost universally regarded by
the Intelligent people OF the several States
as the worst enemies of the south, as they
furnish the men now in power at Washing
ton the only excuse left to maintain war
upon them, and to continue the system of
robbery aud oppression which they have
inaugurated--a system which is destructive
not only Of their peace and prosperity, but
Is INTENDED to blacken and malign their
character as men before the country and
the world.
They also will show, by testimony incon
trovertble, that IN no one of the six States
OF North aud South Carolina, Georgia.
Alabama, 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 AZ.
gregate, p pulation, OF i,g73, i3S, aud
the Total number of their counties exceeds
40. We do not fear (says the reportl suc
cessful contradiction when we say that there
never was u disguised band in one. tenth
part OF them, or in over 40 OF these APO
counties; simply in county here and
there, or at most in one or two counties
together in several of these States, have
such bands committed depredations and
we will show TO all men not blinded by nre.
judice or passion that the ku klux bill and
the conduct of the majority Of this commit.
tee as inaugurated, continued and reported.
is the groSsest outrage, the foulest calumny.
ever perpetrated or circulated upon or
against helpless people by their rulers
who ought, for that reason, it for no other.
be their friends instead OF being their re.
lentless enemies and calJmniators.
THE SITUATION AT THE CLOSE OF THE WAR.
The state Of society at the closeoft the war
ani the overrunuing OF the country by an
army OF adyenturers, is thus drawn: When
the war ended, the people of the south, re.
lying on the promises made by the Federal
generals while their commands were in the
held, on the negotiations preceding the
surrender, on the proclamation Of the Pres.
ident, and the utterances of both the press
and the public men of the north, as well as
upon the terms actually agreed upon between
Gems. Grant and Sherman and Gems. Lee
and Johnson .atthetime ofthe capitulation OF
the armies of the latter, were induced to be.
lleve, that when resistance to Federal au-
thority ceased, and the supremacy of the
constitution Of the United States was re.
cognized in the seeded States, and especi.
ally after the ordinances OF secession we're
repealed and pn amendment to the consti.
tuition abolishing slavery everywhere was
ratified by their Legislatures, that full
and complete restoration of the southern
States, and the people thereof, to their
former position Of coequal States in the
Union would at once take place, and after
the exhaustion of such terrible war, they
hailed the return of peace Upon such terms
not only with satisfaction, but with delight.
They acknowledged defeat, accepted the
situation, went to work earnestly to build
up their waste places, retrieve their lost for.
tunes, and were determined honestly and
earnestly to support, defend, and maintain
the Union and the Constitution.
Large numbers of the southern people in
the seeded States had never felt any hostility
to the general government, and had only
followed the fortunes of their States aud
people during the war, when they were i'm.