The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-04-26
Presidant,a Message.

To the House of Representatives.:
In answer to the resolution of the House of
Representatives, of January %, have the
honor to submit the following accompanied
by report of the Attorney General, to whom
the resolution was referred.)
Representations having been made to me,
that in certain portions of South Carolina a
condition of lawlessness and terror existed,
requested tie then Attorney General (Aker-
man), to visit the State, and after d personal
examination to report TO me the facts in rela-
ton to the subject. On the 10th of October
last he addressed q communication from South
Carolina, In which he stated that in the coun-
ties of Spartanburg, York, Chester, Union,
Lawrance, NeWbury, Fairfield, Lancaster and
Chesterfield there were combinations for the
purpose of preventing the free political actions
Of the citizens who were friendly to the Con-
stitution and the government of the United
States, and of depriving the emancipated class
of the equal protection of the laws. These
combinations embrace at least two-thirds Of
the active white men of those counties, and
have the sympathy and countenance of the
majority Of the other third They are eonnec-
ted with similar combinations in other coun-
ties and states, and no doubt are part Of a
grand system of criminal associations prevail
ing most of the Southern States. The mem
bers are bound to obedience and secTesy, By
oaths which they are taught to regard us Of
higher obligation, than lawful oaths taken be-
fore civil magistrates. They are organized
and armed, they effect their objects by person
al violence, often extending to murder; they
terrify witnesses, 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 inf nafiOu rrivar, bTT offiaorr oe 4ba
State and.of the United States, and by credible
private citizens, l was justified in affirming
that the instances Of criminal violence perpe-
trated by these combinations, within the last
twelve months, III the above named counties,
could be reckoned by thousands. have re-
ceived information of similar import from
various sources, among which were the Joint
committees of Congress on Southern outrages,
the officers of the State, the military officers
Of the United States on duty in South Caro-
lima, the United States attorney and marshals.
and other officers of the government. Repent
ant and adjuring members of these unlawful
organizations, are the persons specially en-
ployed by the department of Justice, to detect
crimes against the United States, and from
other credible sources.
Most, If not all Of this information, except
that I derived from the Attorney General,
came to me orally, and was to the effect that
said counties were under the sway of the pow
erful combination, popularly known as the
Ku-KlUx Klan, the objects Of which were, by
force and terror, to prevent all political action,
not in accord with the views of the members;
to deprive colored citizens Of the right to bear
arms, and of the right to free ballot; to sup
press schools in which colored children were
taught, and to reduce the colored people to a
condition closely akin to that of slavery. That
these combinations were organized and armed,
and had rendered the local law Intellectual to
protect the classes whom they desired to op-
press; that they had perpetrated many mur-
ders and hundreds Of crimes of lesser degree,
all of which are unpunished; aud that witness
ses could not safely testify in the courts there,
under restraint. Signed. U. S. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, April I9, 1872.