New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-19
THE KU-KLUX.
REPORT OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE OF
CONGRESS.
w III


Committee organized April 20, ana again met In
Washington tho 18th Of May last On the 10Th a sub
committee OF eight appointed 10 proceed at once
with the Investigation. with authority ~ take testimony
wherever they deemed ad visable w subcommittee OF
their own number to DO reported to meeting OF Ito
full Committee. subcommittee were anpon,e1 to visit
aud take testimony IN North and South Carolina Ceor-
gia Florida Tennessee, Alabama and Missssippi The
evidence taken IN Washington. and by "a subcommittee
in South Carolina, having boon reported to the Joint
Committee Is now submitted and rs an appendix to.
and part of the report IS also submitted tie report Of
the subcommittee appointed digest the report OF the
executive officers Of tho States The testimony taken In
Georgia. Florida, Alabama and Mississippi 10y the sub
committees visiting these States s yet prepared and
will be submitted with subsequent or supplementary
report.
ORIGIN OF TIE EU-KLUx.
The inquiry into the present condition Of the late
surrecuonary states necessarily involved the history OF
the successive steps which have led 10 that condition.
affected by the bands already referred 70; ard before
proceeding TO consider their present situation
miitee trace fer they are able to do from the
testimony and from oica reports the origin. extent,
purposes and mod" % operation OF this heretofore secret
ana mysterious organization, aud the causes assigned
ioi ltS existence aud earlier actions There expires.
OF eiS mat secret wer' formed IN HE IN
surrcc'iOurv ST les dfcr he clos, of the hos
M 10 and Intended 10 enbarras' the Government 81 the
United States HuI OF Tie States in tc proper
ton OF the aEa!ls ~ the country. Among these
EoconsirnctOn Commit e Ia February, 1866. auj by
Gcn Meade IN Dis official report ior 1875 commander
o. Tie DEPARTMENT. Of the south Neither the statements
br they cover ~" prrod during which II made H.
bsfring in mind these facts. ana tnIg ~ the evidence
0i Gen. y. Il. Forrest gisen before TINS Committee AS
he hXcs the earliest date for the existence % the Hu
KuI. several motives for their organization and
POSSESSED tncIr confidence 80 far to know tAor sss
them So. proceed - consider and comp're his
various statements. Toe orr.n"a,ion OF tho Ion -
jhus hXe in tGf ana ~ reference 10 proclamation 81
Cow iiownow. issued IA that year the report SHOWS
co6 eA''t I Wa 91r1$r "'G efl me-, oc
comp.isacd, through pemocUuc clubs. hu-h'uA
k.aHs and knish,s e. tAc WIG, Cauel iIhcreat names
purIose-inay Ice learned from the testimony, over 40
pages of which we taken 10y Tho an committee 81 me
ga - y, 'i'n ,-'' W 800, ~, -,co 81 ms co~,,l
ton in every one OF the lIto nsJifcctonafy Stdd dud
~ , 1 20, ,,-' . bi+tr to r,,l.ze tbgt even
the existence Of the Ku-klX O.dor Gas bcC 80 long
inoo@d question ~ tne pn1c mind eciay Is W., rs
renalkabo in Ns| G ire ,nGS ' Sds Io TO 10
have been produced hy ~. ThIt u was used -
4! means Of int.;nidaiug and numbering negro voters
during the PrcsideL. election o. 1853 tle testimony on
tue Louisiana ana otncr contested election cas"s already
referred 10. clearly establishes. The report treas vita
i.ucncss on the occurrences iu 5Ogtn Carolina and
Georgia. Mississippi auI A10 grouped together
for prrpo-c o., Glowing -Ae cAstcH,y %. --!-A I'D
ter practice.
covDIT1oS OF THE NEGROES.
The newy-rladc o the South 1t Tie cc'e Of the
war, is testified. kindly disposed toward Their
former MASTER. Tue fetin- between thom even vet
seems 70 he one OF couGeu N a other thal ;Aeir Io
ca relations The refusal OF their fcmcr master. ID
participate IN potcol reconstruction necessarily rft
the negroes to be influenced hy oilers MAiY oi theih
Wcre rr',a 10 " an e ynr t,1 Ir IT, G
charge. Through thcI iu>trUinen Aitt many uuTorhy
WHO h'cu lag ODt'tii,t t"t.. conn l.'''
1"Ies tl,s ~ ix.,,,c Of i,ao-art but honest men
with better cdrca cl Enavcs cave opportunity fIr
tFrIHrI ID %
dos account for nv Of Tie WRONGS Of wch the p,o-
tnar the ,em0ia2 pu g. not confined 10 race nativity,
or po nc, erect Gat present" a Pc &,io "if yo t
H. all the reconstruct otatos Iocy are TO soVerh OF
them Taking South Carolina as aI lustrH IOn-1 ri ~
ana there be doubt that venality and corruption
in the Legislature prevailed largelJ-ther lhey arr
seem TO be CONCEDED Certainly ton e-.s'eH,e
OF the State With such material ~ this
LEGISLATURE, views OF V.r.Ic outside rs are
shown 10 nave prevailed. corruption vas inevitable.
ga tie tat iln .fuc ia the hut count les OF ttI
STATE IN when FuKlHx Violence prevailed 10 surn
extent a., o CA. Tor ,hc suppression OF TIC wit Of
a corpus ga thci, are, according tp inc e,muhy
OF Judge Carpenter, much more Intelligent than III any
ri Of H., state Iur rae. mat tl'y 80. wncn
placed alongside the list ~ men murdered and NAL
r.t,l ma t,,sc couuurs demons Jcs tDat requires
citizens the enjoyment Oi their rights. ana to
ol '',I irr ted AMI vlch many aoutictu iacn
pronounce flare now, aud many more nave sworn
small be iiuIt, ON Jc Gcs ;i!I III W 400 lug
OF serilon d. but winch his been o-hcd
by tIc Gny "ruincut "lti tf u@ns' ANA tc-pp'
oil czcnsuip OuPht not 10 be- and We feel "s re4 N
nos 10 icl1 hceiioor %.to"t pro O., ION %s-- tle h
cs ami sir IS u has ci uI 10 iic past ~ ''~
as legal ana constitution powers "i ''e "''iH.
mont aGo 1do4u. " 10 aEO.l IT,. Coz 4.nsc. 'Ii iAS
such evils ANA Influenced hy such cNtrrhr lreheo NAV
bc slow 10 learn t.at RELIEF TAN come On5 from fr"uJ
Obedience 81 aid 7uppor. % CONSTITUTION ah'H""!'
now TO KEEP TIE >lGRoCs - III. ECrCDHcAN rAnTr.
We wonld also appeal TO the good sense OF southern
men. If they SINCERELY desire to accomplish political re-
forms through change 10 TIC negro vote. il ter
theory l. tue tu..t hc ..y 10" Win the h'puD
ln p1rty and j. kept tl.- - his Ignorance ana ~
dcccpton all that IS ncccs,afJ 70 keep him thcre 20
k"ep up b. then OunteDanre the AhiuA ofIizd'Ion
I!a,.u-. tAc nights CtlL "a SaI fo' - HNi'A'1 %
these ri,its can he ahr0glted by whipping Inn !.
Is political opinions are erroneous ne WIZ c no.
tinuo t. use upon himself, anu Outrage LIS
"a. II, and c1or. Il he /, ignorant u VIII not be eau
LV huug his :, hO0l-.0V!cs and cXilipg his teach
er, Il hc wicscd he VIII not be H"ue petteI ny oIn
500, - desired NV rs 10 r. neither will IL be secured by
persecution winch Gcpopates io"nsls ana pfe'cn'S
the Introduction ot new Labor ANA o. capital
ONLY rAETGAL sUCcEgs II SURPRISING THE KU-KLUX
The law OF 1871 has effective In spprcssing for the
present to great extcr the operations OF masked ana
disguised men in North aud south CAROLINA Ellis have
also been found by Grand JurIes IN Georgia, Alabama,
and Mississippi but comparatively few, II any oil the
defendants in the lsst-nancd States have yet been
tried. apparent ces ation OF operations should
vnt lead 10 conclusion that thc com
,",,ritv would he safe II protective measures were
droun THESE should be continued until there remains
no dount the actual suppression ana disarming
OF the widespread and dangerous conspiracy Ihe re
Sr,, ~ euspudng the writ OF habeas corpus In South
Carolina show that wht the membership ysierics and
mower of the organization have been kept conceaed TINS
thc most and pera the only effective remedy for us
soprcssIon and IN view OF It's cessation anu resumption
OF ostiliies different times OF us eAte Ild power
al tat in several If the states wIcIc 1t exists. the
coTts nave not yet held terms Mt when the cases can
no lied we recommend that power conferred
r. f104 ftflFf n
,ndo uu the end OF the next session OF Congress- IN
80 ala OF tho largo number OF indictments
fo1~d In the severai courts under this act.