New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-24
THAT SAME SUBJECT.

The minority report Of the Ku-hiuA
committee demands passing notice since
We have commented upon the report
made by the majority. 1t is Demo-
cratic document, as the first is hepuD-
lican statement, and herein is the reason
why there were two reports with different
conclusions. The minority admit clearly
and unequivocally what it could not
truthfully gainsay, that the Ku-Klux Or
carnations do exist in the South, and
that they shave committed deeds of vio-
lence which can neither be excused nor
defended" This is tolerably strong Ian
guage, besides being a confession that ell
tirely disposes of the denunciations which
the Times and Picaylne lavished upon
that this evil had an existence in,
and was both a political and ma
terial curse to, the South. The mi
nority trace this evil, as the majority
did, to the disordered condition of the
Southern States Immediately after the war,
overrun, as they We're, by men freshly re-
turned from the army who had no settled
business, who had acquired distaste for
the pursuits Of civil life, who were morti-
fed at their own failure and revengefnl
against all who had contributed to their
defeat, and who sought to better them
selves by actions whose consequences they
neither comprehended nor cared for. In
willing TO wait upon the slow recovery that
must follow wars exhaustion, bodies of
men organized themselves to control
labor. and secure their own COM
fort by imposing upon the great
mass Of laborers il their midst. Some
Soush, 10 drive the negroes out, because
they hoped in that way 10 make their own
services moro the valuable; others sought
- monoocllSs the labor Of others. that thus
they .sht live without work themselves.
Being ioiled in these attempts, the discon-
tented and indolent resorted to measures
Of violence against those whom they could
not abuse, and, the conservative classes
not interfering, as they should have done
in their own interest the evil became Of
such an alarming character that it re-
suited in deeds that even those who first
denied their existence now refuse to de-
fend or excuse.
The minority insist, however, first, that
Congress is the responsible party for hav-
ing fastened the reconstruction laws upon
the South; and, secondly, that the States
are guilty in that they allowed themselves
to be plundered by such governments as
we're forced upon them. The people, too.
are blamed, that they took so little interest
in their own affairs as to allow strangers to
be elected in their own midst, and that
they did not arrest the Ku-Klux who
brought such discredit upon them.
We have no particular quarrel to make
with this report in these particulars at
present, since we have time and time again
defended the action Of Congress as the
only action that it could have taken in the
premises: since we ourselves have outlined
the fact of the existence of ku-Klux and
the reason for their existence, and since
we have ever and oft declared to the white
people of the South that they were them
selves to be blamed for the evils of their
own State governments. If they had
done more justice they would have had a
better measure melted ont to them. If
they had listened to reason they would not
now be such. complainants about the re-
suits of their own unreasonable prejudice
and obstinacy.