New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-03
from the New York Times.
The Imprisoned Ku-ktUX.
Alexander II. stephens Appeal TO the PTes'-
deut-Rsply Of Attorney Gem
eral Williams,

Alexander II. stephens Appeal TO the PFes'-
deut-Rsply Of Attorney Gem
eral Williams.
The letter. of Alexander III. Stephens to
the President, asking for the exercise OF Ex-
ecutiye ctenency on behalf Of the ku-Kluy
prisoners, and the reply of the Attorney
General, are as follows:
MIR. STEPHENS APPEAL.
LIBERTY HALL,
CRAwFoRDSvILLE. GA, Aug. Il, 1872.
10 HIS Ercede,scy 4. s. Grant, President Of
the United States, Washington, u. c.:
My DEAR SIR Ofmy own accord make
an appeal TO your EXcellency for clemency
and mercy in behalf of all those prisoners
now suffering in peniten -iaries under sem
tence ofcourts in several States Of the Union
for violation of the act of Congress gen.
orally known as the ku-Klux act, or Tor yio-
iation Of the Enforcement acts of Congress,
under prosecutions founded upon the last
named act. Not Il single one Of these par
ties is known to me, nor am | acquainted in
the slightest degree with the nature OF char
acter OF the charges brought against them,
nor with the facts upon which the conviction
OF single one of them was founded. Ny
appeal is simply for clemency and mercy. 1t
is founded upon these considerations:
FIRST. My impre ssicn from what / have
seen in the newspapers is that all these con-
victlons rest upon prosecutions for ofienses
committed before the lassage of the Ku-klux
act. II is, believe. well known that l was
utterly opposed to all those combinations
known as ku-klux organizations. have
all my life been for law and order. Without.
therefore, saying anything about outrages of
this sort, either i'll eXtcnuation or cOndemna-
zion, before the passage of the act OF 1871 for
their suppression by the Federal authorities,
l repeat that my impression is that no one
in whose behalf make this application COM
mitted an otfense for which he is now suffer
ing after the passage Of this act. This view
Of the case, it seems to me, should have
weight with your EXcellency.
Second. The great purpose Of the Govern
ment, it seems TO me, has been accomplished.
1 believe that 10 one now has any serious APP
prehensions of any further disturbances of
this sort. Indeed, as | said before none, as
l believe, have occurred since the passage of
the act for their suppression by Federal au-
thority.
Third. When the object Of punishment
upon the individual and upon society is ac
complished, lenity should be the rule with
all Governments.
Fourth. Many Of these parties, l under
stand, are infirm, few of them old, several
of them have families dependent upon them,
all of them have suffered severely. For
these reasons l ask you, by the authority
vested in you, TO grant them, one and all, a
general pardon. | will present YOU with no
view founded upon the constitutionality of
the act under which they are suffering, or
even of its doubtful constitutionali,y but APP
peal to you to do as Mr.. Jefferson did with
those who were imprisoned under the Alien
act of 1898, give them a release under the
pardoning power wisely lodged in such cases
in the hands of the Executive.
II, my dear sir, the petition cannot be grant
ed, trust it will not be deemed obtrusive.
Let it be attributed solely to my deep SYM
pathy for all who are in prison. This APP
peal shall put in the hands of others, who,
l hope, may, after giving it their Endorsement,
forward it to you.
Most respectfully,
ALEXANDER II. STEPHENS.
THE ATTORNEY GENERALS REPLY.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 1872.
Alexander H. Stephens, Esq, Charlottesville,
Georgia:
SIR: have received your letter Of the 9Th
ultimo addressed to the President, and by
him referred to me, in whic! you ask that
pardon may be granted to all of those pris-
Oners now suffering in peniientiaries under
sentence Of courts in several States Of the
Union for violation Of the act of Congress
generally known as the Ku-Klux act or for
violation of the Enforcement acts of Con-
gress under prosecution founded upon the
last-named act. You represent that you are
not acquainted in the slightest degree with
the nature or character of the charges brought
against them, nor with the facts upon which
the conviction OF single one of them was
founded. Your application seems to he based
chiefly upon an impression that all the con-
vlctions rest upon prosecutions for oficnses
committed before the passage of the Ku-Klux
act, to which you subjoin as additional con-
siderations that some Of the parties are old
and infirm and have suffering families, to-
gether with an opinion that the purposes of
the Government have been accomplished,
and that no one has any serious apprehen-
sions OF any furthur disturbances. ! have
not examined the cases with particular refer
ence to the time when the offcnses were COM
mittcd; but as most, if not all. the convic-
tons were for conspiracies, which are con-
tinuing crimes, take it for granted that the
parties convicted were found guilty either Of
entering into conspiracies after the passage
Of the act, or participation after that time in
conspiracies previously formed. l am duly
sensible of the sufferings produced by the
imprisonment of the persons upon whose be-
half you appeal for clemency, and sympathize
with thsir families and friends, but the guilt
of some of the parties is so great and so clear
that cannot, with due regard for the adj
ministration Of the law, recommend them as
yon desire for an indiscriminate pardon.
Contrary to your opinion, well-informed per-
sons in those localities where the Ku-Klux
organizations are said to exist, inform me
that they have grave apprehcnsions that other
disturbances will occur, especially if there is
less yigor than heretofore shown by the
Government in the punishment Of lawlcss-
ness and crime.
Some time since the attention Of the Presi-
dent was called to those prisoners from the
Southern States confined in the Albany pen
itentiary, and a reliable officer was forthwith
dispatched to examine their case and his
report thereon was, in some respects, favor
able; but, as soon as the fact was known,
certain journals circulating among those
most likely to be affected by such represent
ations, declared that the sole object of the
Presidents action was to influence votes in
the approaching election, and more than in
timated that Ku-Iklux outrages hereafter
would so unwhippcd Of justice. can assure
you that the acts of Congress in question inn.
pose upon the President an unpleasant duty.
and one which he would, if consistent with