Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-03-01
THE KU.KLUx.
Majority Report of the Committee On
Outrnges In the Southern states,
WAsuINpToN. February Isl


WAsHrNaToN, February 49,
The Joint Select Committed viii to-mpr-
row report On the condition Of affairs in the |
late ineufrectionary States. The evidence |
taken In Washington and South Carolina Is |
submitted, as Is also the report OF the sub |
committee to dlgtst thb reports of the ex- |
echtlve officers of the States. The testimony |
taken in other States is yet unprepared, and |
Will be submitted In supplementary report. |
THE STATE OF SOCIETY,
The Committee say inquiry hos bern made |
INTO the commiasioh of outrAges, tho exetn |
tion OF the laws, bad legislation, official In
competency corruption, etc. There is a re-
markable concurrence OF testimony that the
courts and iuries administer Justice between
man and man in all ordinary cnses, civil end
criminal, but the evidence is equally decisive
that redress cannot be obtained against
those who commit crimes in disguise and at
night. The reasons assigned are that idcnti-
hcation Is difficult and almost impossible;
that when this is attempted the combina-
tiuhs and ooths of the Order come in and re-
lease the culpfit by perjury either upon the
witness stand or in the jury-box, ond that
the terror inspired by their acts, as well as
public sentiment in their favor in many
localities, paralyzo the arm Of the civil
power. Numerous complaints nfe made
Of incapacity of many Of the inferior mag
istrates, and in several States the
donng power, especially in ravoro Of negroes,
which will be considered subsequently
THE KHAN.
The Committee trace as far as they are
| able the origin, extent, purposes md ndde
of operation df tho KO-Khix Klan, the time
Of whds6 organization is fixed i'm 1866, and
the testimony in rcfereucc to which covers
l4O pages of the report of the Sub Commit
| tee of Elections IN the LouislaNa contested
| election cases in iSilS, The object of the
! h.KlNS Wac To oppose and reject the prin-
! tirles of the Radical party, MS shown by the
/ constitution, to he accomplished by each
member providing himstlf With pistol,
| Ku.KluN gowh and sigual instruments. If
! torrohoration were needed, 1t could be
found III the expressions made by these ban
| dts to their victims Whon lnnlrtipg their
scourgings upon men and their outragcs
/ upon wOneh. That testimony is Uniform,
| and " out of their own mouths we condemn
! them it must be on the aroutd of their hos
! tility TO the Government and to the enjoy
mcnt by the negro of the rights conferred
on him by the Amendment to the CUnstitu-
tion, and by the laws which they are organ
! lied to oppose. The refusal of large por-
| ton of the wealthy and educated men 10
! discharge their duties as citizens has brotght
upon them the cattle consequences which
are being suffered in Northern cities and
communities from the neglect of their
! business and educated men to par
! ticipate in all movements OF the pcu-
| pie which make up government The
citizen In either section who refuses or neg
lects, from any motive, to take his part in
self-government has learntd that he must
now suffer and help to repair the evils of bad
! government. The newly-made voters of the
South, at the close of the war, il is testified,
were kindly disposed toward their ftrmtr
masters The FEELING between them even
yet seems to be one of confidence in all other
than their political relations. The refusal of
their former masters to participate in politi-
cal reconstruction necessarily left the negrres
to be influenced by others; Many of them
were electcdt to Office and entered it with hon
est intentions TO do their duty, but were UNI
fitted for its discharge. Through their instru-
mentality many unworthy white men hay
ing obtained their confidence, also procured
public positions in Legislative bodies. This
mixture of ignorant but honest men with
better educated knaves, gave opportunity 30
! corruption, and this opportunity has deyel.
oped state of dembralzation on this sub
ject which may and does account for many
of the wrongs of which the people Justly
complain. 1t is apparent at the same time
that the Generalization is not confined to
race nativity or political creed, but presents
specimens alike in the negro, the
carpet-bagger, and white native citizens
of both parties. These remarks are
not applicable 50 all the reconstructed
States, but they are to several of them,
| Taking South Carolina as an illustration,
and it is certainly rs bad in these respects as
any OF the states, and there can be no doubt
that venality and corruption in the Legisla-
ture prevailed largely. There they are spoken
of as existing by men of all parties, and seem
to be conceded. Certainly this is almost uni
versally believed by the people of the State,
With such material as the Legislature, and
such views OF virtue outside as are shown to
have prevailed, corruption was inevitable
I We point TO the results of opinion in South
! Carolina in the fact that the negroes, in nine
counties of the State In which Ku-KluX vio-
/ lence prevailed to such an extent az to call
for suspension of the writ of hdbedS c0ypUS
| III them, are, according to the testimony Of
| Judge Carpenter, mitch more intelligent
! than in any other part of the State. The
! fact that they are so when placed alongside
of the list Of men murdered and maltreated
| In these counties, demonstrates that it re-
| qurcs the strong arm of the Government to
protect its citizens in the enjoyment of their
| rights, to keep the peace, and prevent this
| threatened, rather to stay this initiated, war
| of races until the experiment which it has
| inaugurated, and which many Southern men
pronounce now, and many more have sworn
shall be made, n failure, can he de
termined IN peace. The race so recently
Gmancipated, against which banishment
or scrfdom Is thus dccreed, but
which has been clothed by the Government
with the rights and responsibilities of citi
! zenship, ought not to be and we feel as
lection against the hostilities and sufferings
| il has endured in the past, as long rs the
| legal arm and constitutional powers of the
Government are adequate to afford it. Com
munities suffering such evils, and influenced
/ by such extreme feelings, may be slow to
/ learn that relief can come only from n ready
obedience to and support of the constituted
| authority,
THE MODES OF REDRESS.
Looking to the modes provided by law for
| the redress of all grievances, that Southern
communities do not seem to yield this ready
obedience at once should not deter the
| friends of good government in both sections
from hoping and working for that end
| Northern communities, eXasperated by de-
lay and characterization, may be reminded
that the clements OF the two societies arc
/ widely different, being composed of those
who, few years since, ruled the State and
exacted obedience to their will from their
slaves, and held absolute sway over the votes
of their white dependents, but who are now
reduced in influence and in wealth by the
events of the war and of the poor white,
| who has found himself, as he supposes, de-
graded by the elevation of the negro to
political equality with him-his vote be-
fore having been the chief badge of his
superiority over the negro-of not only
voting but ruling the State, in office with
or over his former master, or struggling with
the evils of poverty in beginning life for him
self after the best years of his life have been
spent in the service of others Ali these ele-
ments bcgct feeling, and result in disorders
to which Northern communities are stran'
gers, The strong feeling which led to the
rebellion and sustained brave men, however
mistaken, in resisting the Government which
demanded their submission to its authority,
the sincerity of whose belief was attested by
their enormous sacrifices of life and treasure
this feeling cannot be expected to subside
at once, nor in years, 1t required full forty
years TO develop disailection into sedltion,
and sedition into treason. Should we not be
patient if, in less than ten, we have fair
prospect of seeing so many who were armed
enemies become obedient citizens? Should
we not give all encouragement TO those who
manifest disposition now to become such,
especially when il is shown that in many sec
tions well-disposed men were deferred by
fear of the power of an armed and desperate
conspiracy from atfording aid to the authori-