Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-08-22

night at the Maxwell house ne was agaI
serenaded and spoke about half an hour. All
who hear him, whether friend or foe, are con
vinced that "there is life in the old man yet,
and good deal of it. He has not yet indica
ted whether he will take the stump; but if he
does there will be warm times in Tennessee
.... MEMO.
COL. WHITLEY'S KU.KLUX REPORT.
Col. Whitley, chief Of the government de-
tective force, has addressed the following let
ter to Attorney General Williams, under date
of New York, August 9th, 1872:
SIR have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of a communication from ytur depart
ment under date of the I'd instant, enclos.
ing copy of a letter from Gerrit Smith, ad'
dressed to the President in relation to those
convicts in the Albany penitentiary who were
convicted of violations of the enforcement acts,
and requesting me to 60 to Albany and make
thorough investigation into the condition OF
my views as to the expediency of exercising
executive clemency in regard to any of them.
In accordance with your request proceeded
to Albany on the 7th instant for the purpose
of fulfilling the duty assigned. AS means
of conducting my inquiries in way best adap.
ted to arrive at all the facts in the case, and
also to lead the eprisoners to express themselves
as freely as possible, I deemed it best to see
each of the parties separately, without any
knowledge upon their part as to my official
character, or the object of my visit In this
I received the fullest aid of Mr. Louis D.
Pillsbury, head-keeper Of the prison, who
brought each prisoner in separately, with the
simple remark to each that this gentleman
desires to talk with you. The prisoners were
mainly frank and communicative Some Of
them are very poor and unlearned, and have
left large families behind them, and while &C.
knowledging that they were members of the
various orders of the organization known un.
der the general head of the ku-klux klans, and
they had been Justly sentenced as such, plead
in extenuation that they had joined the order
without full knowledge of its aims and OBJ
iects, and had been melted to deeds of vio-
lence by their leaders, who had managed to
escape from the country, leaving them to bear
the responsibility and the punishment of their
misdeeds. A number of them stated that they
had been compelled to join the order to save
themselves and families from visitations of the
khan; others had entered into its ranks under
the supposition that it was society organized
for mutual protection, but learned subsequent
ly that its real designs were the determination
of the negro race and the driving out of such
of the whites as were in favor of the political
equality and social elevation of the blacks.
These severally expressed the heartiest con-
triton for their misdeeds; stated that the or
ganization was one inimical to the best inter,
ests of society, and that the government was
fully justified in breaking it up.
In further extenuation of having been mem.
bers of the order, they stated that the opera
tions of the ku-klux were widespread, embra'
cling within its folds men of superior intelli-
gence to whom they had been accustomed to
look for advice and counsel, and who they did
not suppose would lead them into any combi.
nations that contemplated personal violence
and even murder, if these were necessary, for
the accomplishment of its ends. They were
told thatit was good institution to put down
some meanness in the country, and they &C.
cepted the statement implicitly. Upward Of
forty examinations were made in the manner
above stated, neither prisoner knowing. that
any one but himself had been called out, and
none of them being aware, as before observed,
of my official position or the object of my
visit. There was a singular unanimity in
their statements, and general expression of
regret that they should have been drawn into
an order differing so entirely in the object
which they supposed it had in view when they
Joined it. In reply to the general question,
what was the objects of the order, the answer
was almost invariably, when we Joined the
order we supposed it to be a society established
for mutual protection, but after having been
fully initiated discovered it to be for politi-
cal purpose, which purpose was embodied in
an oath, in which we swore to oppose the
Radical party in all its forms, and prevent
the negroes from voting. 1t was this great
deception that misled us, and which has
brought US into our present condition. The
contrition manifested by many of these pris.
oners, the hearty penitence expressed by them
for the acts, into the commission Of which
they claim they were betrayed by unscrupu
lous and designing men of more enlightened
minds, their mutual want of intelligence, and
their extreme poverty, all appeal for mercy
My views as to the expediency of restoring
any of them to society, through the exercise
of Executive clemency, are clearly in favor
of such course with some portion of them
and I believe it may be done in some of the
cases not only with great safety, but fully in
the interest of the public good. Of those tc
which intend respectfully to call your atten
ton, the prisoners appear not only truly re
pentant, but absolutely ashamed of the course
which they seem to have unwillingly pursued
They express themselves as anxious to return
to the peaceful pursuits of industry whenever
the opportunity is afforded them, and to be
come law-abiding citizens in their respective
communities.
COL Whitley then names four persons safe
~ to be considered as proper bjects for thu
exercise of executive clemency. They art
old men, poor and unlearned, and were, un
doubtedly, led into the ku-klux order by mis-
representation. In regard to others, SHOULD
it be the intention of the government to maxi
an extended exercise of its clemency in tina
direction, he submitted the names of eighteel
persons whom he deems most worthy of it
consideration. As to the remainder of tn
prisoners, who entered the ku-klux order will
a full knowledge of its real object, Colone
Whitley says it would not be entirely expe
dient to exercise executive clemency.
The names reported upon favorably ar
those of Collins and seventeen others from
South Carolina imprisoned. Collins is one Q
the persons for whom Gerritt Smith had in
terceded, and is an illiterate, simple-minde
man. The seventeen other cases are anals