American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-01-27
The South Carolina Ku-Klux.

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The KuKlux trials at Columbia, Soutl
Carolina, have been abruptly concluded
after the sentence to Imprisonment ant
| fine of a batch of low, ignorant, bruta
wretches who had confessed their partici
patton in all the outrages charged against
them, and who are the only genuine Ku
Klux that Judge Bonds court has beer
able to convict 1t is possible that some
men of a higher social standing may have
been privy to portion of the outragcs
committed on negroes; but the prosecu
ton has failed to establish this by any
evidence which would satisfy Jury of or
binary intelligence in a Northern State,
Notwithstanding that the prime motive OF
the prosecution has been to prove that the
Ku-Klux is political organization di,
rected by men of great prominence in the
political world.
show that outrages of the most revolving
character have been perpetrated upon
colored people by bands of disguised ruff
fans; but it does not appear that the po-
litical opinions of the negroes were the
cause of their persecution. The country
where the disturbances took place had
had in many Instances been pillaged and
burnt out by the lowest class of negroes;
and as these all belonged to the LOYAL
League it was almost impossible to secure
their conviction in any of the courts
while, even if convicted of such otienses
the sentence of a member of the League
was pretty sure to be followed by a par
don from the Governor. This inhamed
t1,a, Of hi al
are called, who have natural antipathy
to the colored race, and led them into the
commission of outrages of the most cruel
and barbarous character This was not
because the negroes voted the Republican
ticket, but because of the bitter feeling
existing between the lowest classes of the
two races, aggravated by the impunity
with which the negroes were permitted
to plumber their white neighbors.
1t has always been the aim of the prose
cution in Ku.KluX cases to show that the
victims of outrages have been selected for
persecution entirely on account of their
political opinions. Witnesses have usual
ly been well tutored on this point, and
many worthless scamp who has suffered
from mob violence for oflenses which the
civil law should have punished, has testi-
fled that the reason for his ill-treatment
was to be found in his political opinions.
Occasionally such witnesses have failed
to comprehend their instructions, as in
the case of mean white in North Caro-
lina who on being asked the reason the
ku-KluX gave for whipping him, instead
of giving the expected stereotypcd reply,
Because | voted the Republican ticket, ="
innocently answered, "Cause they said
| ssld mean whisky and bought stolen
cotton from the niggers." In the recent
South Carolina trials money was lavishly
but vainly expended in the endeavor to
get up testimony which should implicate
respectable citizens in the abominable
acts of the Ku-Klux The Charleston
Ae1rS tells story of an old negro who had
walked all the way from Spartansburg
to Columbia, and presented himself
at the Court to get his pay
ment, ashe expressed it. On being asked
if he had any document to prove his
claim for money, he produced paper
which proved to be letter from another
colored man, who had got a profitable
job as "A Government witness, in which
the applicant was informed that there was
more money being paid out in Columbia
than ever he saw in all his life, and adj
vised his friend to make haste and get his
share before it was all used up. The old
fellow at once started for the capital, but
failed to get his share
The Columbia trials have demonstrated
the fact that the shameful acts of violence
in that State by the Ku-KluX
have mostly been the result of the ill-fecl-
ing existing between the worst classes of
the two races, and that they might have
been etfectually suppressed without any
resort to martial law. Indeed, there has
been no disturbances for a long time when
martial law was declared for political eff.
'ect at the instigation of the swindling
rulers of South Carolina.
They have also shown that the execution
Of the KuKluX law, with its illegal mil
tary arrests, have resulted in the seizure
md Imprisonment of many entirely nno-
,ent persons, against whom no evidence
could be found, bought or manufactured, !
sufficient to support prosecution; and
hat the effects of the law, when put in
Orce, are as injurious to the community
Is the law itself is anti-Amercan, uncon-
and unnecessary y. SIN. |