The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-23
A PRESIDENTIAL BID.
GRANTS KU-KLUx MESSAGE.
Putting South Carolina Under Military
Rule on n Representations OF At
torney.General Akerman.

The President transmitted the following
message to the House of Representatives on
Friday last:
To the House OF Representatives:
In answer to the resolution of the House Of
Representatives OF January 25, I have the
honor to submit the following, accompanied
by the report OF the attoruey:general, to whom
the resolution was referred:
Representations having been made to me
that In certain portions Of South Carolina q
condition of lawlessness and terror existed,
I requested the then encouragement (Aker-
man) to visit the State, and after personal
examination to report to me the facts In rela-
tlon to the subject. On the 10th of October
Carolina. In which he stated that in the Coun-
ties OF Spartanburg, York, Chester, Union,
Laurens, Newberry, Fairfield, Lancaster and
Chesterfield, there were combinations for the
purpose of preventing the free political &C
lions of citizens who were friendly to the
Constitution and the Government of the
United States; and Of depriving the enamel.
pated class Of the equal protection ofthe
lawe.
thirds of the active white men of those coun-
ties, and have the sympathy and countenance
of the majority of the other third. They are
connected with similar combinations 10 other
counties and States, and nc doubt are part OF
q grand system Of criminal associations per-
vadlug 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 lawful oaths
taken before civil magistrates; they are or
ganized aud armed; they effect their objects
by p%eraonal violence, often extending 10 muir
der; they terrIiy witnesses; they control juries
In the State courts and sometimes In the
courts of the United States; systematic spy.
ing Is one of the means by which prosecution
of The members is defeated.
From Information given by officers of the
State aud OF the United States, and by credible
private citizens, I am justified In affirming
that the instances Of criminal violence per.
petrated by these combinations within the
last twelve months In the above-named coun-
ties could be reckoned by thousands.
received information of q siuli!ar import
from various sources, among which were the
Joint committee Of Congress upon Southern
ontrages, tho officers Of the Slate, the military
officers of the United States on duty in South
Carolina, the United States attorney and mar.
shall and other officers Of the government, re.
pentant and abjuring members of those IN
lawful organizations, persons specially en-
ployed by the department Of Justice to detect
crimes against the United States, end from
other credible sources.
Most, II not all OF Inc 1nformauon, eXcept
that I derived from the attorney-ceneral,
came to me orally, and was to the effect tina,
said counties were under the sway Of the
powerful combinations popularity known aa
the Ku .Klux Khan, the objects of which were,
by force and terror, to prevent all political
action not In accordance with the Views OF the
members, to deprive colored citizens OF The
right to bear arms and of the right to q free
ballot, 10 suppress schools in which coloret
children were taught, and to reduce tie color
ed people to q condition closely akin to tina
Of slavery; that these combinations were or
ganized and armed, aud had rendered UNI
local law Intellectual TO protect the classes
whom they desired to Cypress; that they hat
pepetrated many murders, and hundreds o
crimes of minor degree, all of which were un
| punished; and that witnesses could not safel.
| testify In courts there unless the more activ'
members were placed under restraint:
(SIgnedl q. 3. GRANT.
Executive Maslon, April 10, 1872.