The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-06

the "Grand Council Of the Independent Order
United Brethren, OF the State of South Carolina;
and that the said corporation shall, by its corpo
ed in the courts OF this State, and shall b, ena
bled AMI empowered In law to purchase, nave
| hold, enjoy and possess cha!tels, lands, tene
ments, or re Il estate OF what Kind and natur
soever, and the same or any part thereol TO seil
| aien or convey. at their will and pleasure Pro
| vide6 That the property 80 held snail not eaceeG
| the annual value Of 1fty thousand dcllars. Ane
the said corporation shall have power 10 ma make
common seal, with power TO change ana after INT
same as often as they deem necessary. 49,
OF the incorporators named ABOVE. the
names of those who are members OF the HOUSE
are printed in small capitals, and 1t will be
| seen that there are but two out of the four
teen who do not enjoy that proud distinction
| This bill was passed through the lower house
under the lash OF the brotherhood, which pos
sesses seventy. six votes In that body. It has
not yet passed the Senate, and 1t Is likely
that 1t will not, but lis passage after all Is
matter OF no great importance to the brother
hood, except as giving it a quasi-leglslatlve
endorsement.
The ritual and constitution Of this new Ku'
Klux has been completed and adopted. 1t is
an adaptation of the formula OF the old
''Know-Nothing" organization, or the United
Order of Sam, and Includes solemn oath, q
terrible initiation, and the penalty Of death for
any betrayal of the secrets of the order. The
State Is divided first Into two departments,
over each of which there is division com.
mander, and then into districts composed Of
the various counties. The utmost secrecy Is
preserved as to the names of the officers ofthe
grand council and the parties who are de-
pended on to organize the various counties:
am told that the Governor holds no actual
office In the order, but, with tue aid OF 1. j..
Mackey, stands behind the scenes to Work the
wires; that one of the grand divisions Is COM
mauded by colored member of the United
States Congress; that prominent officer Of
the House has been commissioned grand pre-
ceptor and instructor, and an attache Of the
same body, named in the bill, is the grand
Scribe, and that various members OF tne House
are depended on to organize the various conn.
Ties, and are, of course. to be rewarded with
important offices. In some of the counties for
obvious and prudential reasons no organiza-
tions will be attempted, but all friends OF cor
ruption and misgovernment will be Invited to
rally to the general standard In Columbia.
The regular meetings OF the central klan
are held In the Columbia Lodge room on Mon-
day, Wednesday and Friday nights, but the
rooms are brilliantly illuminated every even
ing, and the work OF organization and corrup-
tion ls going bravely on. Constant accessions
TO the brotherhood are being made, aud chart
ers for subordinate Klans are being printed by
the rean. The actual operations OF the band
In recent legislation are most plainly TO be
seen In the defeat OIL Cne pCop0SeQ Tepeai VI
the resolution authorizing the Governor to
purchase two thousand stands of arms, the
killing of the impeachment resolutions and the
election of Judge Mackey. The last named
Jobs were part Of the original slipulations, and
the first was demanded by the Governor and
approved by the brethren, on the ground that
It night be useful to have few hundred Win
chester rifles for their own use during the
next campaign.
In the light of these revelations lumber of
other transactions, which in themselves seem
trivial, acquire new significance. The cal
endars OF both houses are crowded with acts
of incorporation for countless leagues, socie-
ties and clubs, nine-tenths, OF which may
safely be assumed to be dependencies OF
Scott's Ku-Klux; the State militia Is being re-
constructed, and such determined advocates
of reform as General Whipper, Colonel 70.
cum, &C., summarily discharged; united
effort Is making to saddle the City OF Charles
ton with q metropolitan police commission;
sheriff Mackey has been commissioned colonel
of another regiment to be raised in Charles
ton, of which the 'sMlshaw Zouaves," "Saxton
RIaemen," 'Carolina Light infantry" "St.
Andrews Rifle Corps" "Edlsto Light Guard, ,
and other gangs with similar high sounding
names, who are besleging the Assembly ior
acts of Incorporation, are doubtless to oe the
component companies, and If all these prrpa.
rations do not presage bloody and literal
fight, then am no prophet or PICKET.