Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-02-19
KU-KLUx.
Reports Of 'hs Congressional Con-
mittss-ksIOFIty asd AiaCrlty.

HHAtoo AotVttay Aaa @aa"NttAg'
Ths MsjarltY Admit tbs sieaIIRgs
agd Thsfts Of their Carpet
b1g Ce-lsbOFers,
The MinerItY Report a csmpIsie Ref
ulaiiuu OF ali Tho Assertions and
ImpstatIobs Of ihs RadI~
cal hsisTiiy.
WASHINGTON, February 1S.-The
Joint select committee will tomorrow
report on the condition of affairs in
the late insurrectiOnary States. The
evidence taken in Washington and
South Carolina Is submitted, as is also
the report of the sub committee to di-
gest the reports of executive officers of
States. The testimony taken in the
other States is yet unprepared, and is
TO be submitted in a supplementary
report. The committee say that in
Ouiry has been made into the commits
sion of outrages, the execution OF the
laws, bad legislation, official incompe-
tency, corruption, etc. There is a re-
markable concurrence Of testimony
that the courts and juries administer
Justice between man and man, in all
ordinary cases, civil and 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 identification is diffieuit-al-
most impossible-that when this is
oATHs;
OF the order come in and release
the culprit by perjury, either upon the
witness stand or In the jury box, and
that the terror inspired by their acts
as well as the public sentiment in
their favor in many localities, para
lyses the arm of justice. Numerous
complaints are made of the incapaci-
ty of many of the inferior magistrates,
and in several States the governors
are charged with the abuse of the
pardoning power especially in favor
Of the.negrOes, which will be consider
ed subsequently,. The committee trace,
as far as able, the
ORIGIN, EXTENT AND PURPOSES
and mode of operation of the kuklux
khan, the time Of whose organization
is fixed in 1866, and the testimony in
reference to which covers fourteen
hundred pages of the report of the
sub committee of elections in the
Louisiana contested election cases in
1868. The object of the kuklux was
to oppose and reject the principles OF
the Radical party, as shown by their
constitution, 10 be be accomplished by
each member pro iding himself with
a pistol, kukluX gown and signal in
struments. II cOrrOboratiOn be needed
it could be found iG the expressions
made by these bandits to their victims
when infiicting their scOurgtngs upon
men and their OutTages upon women.
That testimony is uniform, and out OF
their own mouths we cOrdemn them.
It must be on the ground Of
THEIR HOSTILITY TO THE GOVERN.
MENT,
to the enjoyment by the negro of rights
conferred on him b. the amendments
to the constitution, and by the laws
which they are organized to oppose.
The refusal Of q large portion OF the
wealthy and educated men to dis
charge their duties as citizens has
brought upon them some consequent
ces which are being suffered in North
ern cities and communities, from ne-
glect of their business. Educated
men should participate in all move
ments whiCh make up self-govern-
ment. The citizen in either section
who refuses or neglects from any mo-
tive to take his part in selfgovern
ment. has learned that he must now
suffer and help to repair
THE EVILS OF BAD GOVERNMENT.
The neWIy.made voters of the South
at the close Of the war, 1t is testified,
were kindly disposed toward their
former masters. The feeling between
them even yet seems TO be one Of con-
fdence, in all other than their pOliti
cal relations. The refusal Of their for
mer masters to participate in po
litical reconstruction necessarily left
the negroes to be Influenced by Othels.
Many OF them were elected to Office
and entered 1t with honest intentions
to do their duty, but were untitled
for its discharge. Through their in
strumentality many
UNWORTHY WHITE MEN,
having obtained their confidence, also
procured their public positions. In the
legislative bodies this mixture of ig-
liant but honest men with better
educated knaYes, gave the opportuni-
ty for corruption, and this OppOrtuni-
ty has developed state Of demorali-
cation on this subject, which may and
does account for many wrongs OF
which the people 80 justly complain.
IL Is apparent at the same time that
this decentralization Is not con-
fined TO race, nativity or political
creed, but presents specimens alike
in
THE NEGRO, THE CARPET-BAGGER
and white native citizens of both par
ties. These remarks are not applicable |
to elI reconstructed States. They are |
to several of them, taking South |
Carolina as an illustration, and it is /
certainly as bad Ia these respects as |
any OF the States. There can be no |
doubt that venallty and corruption in /
the legislature prevailed largely there. |
They are spoken of as existing by men |
of ali parties, and seem to be conceded. |
Certainly this instance is almost uni
versaIly believed by the people of the /
State, With such material as the leg
isIature Is composed OF, and such /
views OF virtue outside IS are shown /
TO have prevailed,
CORRUPTION
was inevitable. We point to the re-
suits Of the opinion in South Carolina,
In the fact that the negroes IN nine /
counties of the State, in which ku-
klux violence prevailed 70 such an ex
tent as to call for the suspension OF the
writ Of hsbeas corpus in them, are,
according to the testimony OF Judge /
Carpenter, much more intelligent
than in any part of the State. The
fact that they are 30, when placed
alongside OF the list of men murdered
and maltreated in these counties, de-
monstrates that it requires the strong |
arm of the government to protect its
citizens in the enjoy nent OF their
rights, to
KEEP THE PEACE,
and prevent this threatened,
rather than tOstay, this init
sted war Of races until the |
experiment which il has tnsugu-
rated, and which many Southern men |
pronounce now, and many more have |
sworn, shall be made failure. The |
race 50 recently emancipated, against
which Punishment or serfdoDa Is thus /
decreed, but which has been clothed |
BY the government with the rights |
and responsibilities of citizens6in.
ought not to be, and we feel as. |
sufed that they viii not be left here
after without protection against
HOsTILITIEs AND sUFFERINGs,