The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-02-29
Report OF the Congressional Ku Klux Com.
81 ltla;l.i 81 fnittee.

nfittee do not deny that there Is Oad govern
inent in the South, and attribute this In some
respects to the failure Of prominent white cltl-
sens to take part in politics. The testimony
alduced assert that the Ku Klux originated IN
1858, and was organized Cor political purposes.
Thaminority report deals with every question
that came under the confederation of the COM
nittee, and gives a terrible picture of the ex-
listing condition of affairs in the South. We
have only sufficient space to reproduce their
estimate of the situation in our own state,
which our readers will recognize as true and
accurate statement: ~.
.,s,s-.;7s- SOUTH CAROLINA.
BY vote of the general committee, assem-
B1ed ct the Capitol, In washington e. may
last q subcommittee, consisting of Senator
Scnit and Representatives Stevenson and Van
Tfnmp. was sent to the State of South Carolina
TO take testimony in what YVES alleged to be the
disturbed portions of that State. The sub
COMMITTEES was occupied in that business. from
the Sd to the 9th Of July, inclusive, and oyer
one hundred witnesses were examined at 20,
luInbia. SparAanburg, Union Court House and
YorkyiIle. OF the witnesses who were exam
med by and in behalf of the majority OF the
c1lnmittee, fifty three were colored persons Oh
the very lowest grade of intelligence belonging
TO human beings. They were just the kind oi
material to be molded 81 the Will and commano
Of any uasclupulous white man who had
Common purpose with them In establishing any
eiyen state of facts. From the very nature OF
fSe case. there were and there could be no
means Of eontradicting them, except so far as
they might be made to contradict themselves
an their cross s-examinatiou. Usually, however,
there was such paucity of facts in their mar
ratiye. outside of the alleged action OF the dis
ruised men, and there was slch sameness IN
Iheir mode of stating them, that even cross
exan,inat;or would fail to eliciS the truth, II
aier evidence was false or feigned. But when
ever one of them ventured out Of the beaten
track of their examination, he would be very
likely 10 be at cross -purposes with the truth
We pass, then, the negro testimony for what
ever it Is worth. But, while we do this, we do
not deny that in that portion of South Carolina.
commonly known as The Piedmont region, en-
bracing the counties of Spartanourg, Laurens,
Chester and York, broken and somewhat
mountainous region of country, Largely Popala-
ted by an Ignorant, uneducated, and, when eS-
cited by wrong, lawless class of white people,
there have been within che last eighteen months
or two wears numerous instances of lawless out
faee upoa the black population by disguised
men, Known BY the name of ku Klu1; put
that this state of things, to any considerable
extent, grows out of politics, in the ordinary
partisan sense of the term, We do most emphat-
fealiy DENY. So far from this condition OF
things in South Carolina resulting from party
politics, and especially in relation to any ques-
fion of Federal politics, we are satisfied 1t ls,
III most cases, simply question OF labor ana
social caste between that class OF the white
population and the negro in that portion OF the
State: and the testimony wholly fails to show
any like condition of things in any other parts
g. Ill ~lxy.S ~ ocf
people of South Carolina do not feel hostile to
the Federal government, that even the quarter
ING of Federal troops among them, to stand
az sentinels upon their conduct, does not excite
any snimosity among them. On the contrary,
they have hailed their advent among them, es-
yyecially after that most infamous act OF their
carpet-bag Governor in organizing and arming
Che negro militia during political canvass IN
which he was candidate for reelection. There
ID not Federal military officer among them
with whom they do not maintain the most cor
iijal personal relations, with but one single ex-
ception, perhaps, in the case of Major Merrill,
etationed at Yorkville. There is nothing which
marIks the object of the Ku Klux bill passed
by Congress, and the appointment OF this JOINT
committee Of investigation, more clearly ana
distinctly than the course pursued by some OF
fhe Federal civil officers in South Carolina
ment of the committee. Every effort was
msIe. no stone was left unturned, to make 1t
es,Tear that the Ku Kiux Klan was strictly
nofitical organization. In the examination De-
FIRE the several subcommittee, in discussion
everywhere, public and private, in Congress
and ont of ii, this seemed to be the cardinal
oh;ect.. But, 90 far as the investigation Is con-
ceyned in relation to South Carolina, they have
,,tter;y and entirely failed except in the parrot
like recitals of some of the negro witnesses as
to what was said by the Ku Klux themselves
The first prominent cause of public disturb
ance. of which the caIpet-bag patriots were the
authors, was q most thorough and secret or,
ganization of the negroes, in all the counties OF
fhe State, into Loyal Leagues, IN many IN
stances armed and adopting all the formula Oh
SIGNS. passwords and grips Of an oath-bound
organization. Who does not Enow, VINO has
that in an organisation like this, headed by
dishonest and unscrupulous white men, that
the negro would be q mere blind ard dumb
machine in their handsf That has been Its
oneration in South Carolina. At SpartanDurg
one of the members of the subcommittee in
0nired of a negro witness on the stand how 1t
,Too that there was no difference OF opinion
aiming the negroes upon political questions
IKE among the whites, and why 1t was that
thew all voted the Republican ticket. bis re-
ply was, HWhy Lor' bress your soul, massa, we
swo'; to do dat in de LeagueP That simple
answer by this newly created sutiraglst, TINS
mere ,es automatom Of the ballot, is full expla-
io nation @ of the political solidity of the negro
whose back he vaingloriously rides to the polls,
might just as we'll vote as his rider uIdsr such
circumstances, for there would be scarcely any
less volition in the act of the mule than there
would be on the part of the negro, at least snch
as we find him in South Carolina. With such
an element to work upon, ignorant and de-
graded to the last degree, the carpet-baggers
rushed down to the South, fierce and rapaclous
as hungry wolves isshdsa dssnne of hs Ss a1gpVsi ToV
Teagnes marching them up to the ballot-box
like herds of senseless cattle, and inaugurated