New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-08-27
Alabama.

Tor numbering negroes, and intinidating Re.
puDlicans on the ground of that party aim.
ing to force social equality. The Republicans
of that State have gone long WHY to disarm
the white people of fear, raised by the most
foollsh cry OF social equality. Whatever
howlis raised against the colorea people can.
not be justified by the demagosue sophistry
OF negro hate. The rebels will strike at
the negro only because he stands in the way
OF rewvlng the Last Cause. The rumors
coming up every day from the South of prep.
artions for race conflicts show that sys-
tematized effort is being made in the South
to give rebels control in that section through
the murder of its colored population Ala.
bama Republicans are striving zealously to
save that State from the curse and wicked
ness OF treason. The struggle there is really
between the union sentiment and rebel love
for Southern Confederacy. The Union
men OF that State connot safely give counten-
ance and support to the conservative party
there. Treason is not simply lurking it
stalks forth in broad day in the State OF
Alabama. 1t is discoverable in its opposi-
ton to the Constitution c. the United
States as amended. 1t aims to nullify the
thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amend
ments. We trust that the good people of this
country will close their eyes and ears to what
is going on to day in tho South The at
tempt against the life of the nation was
made in the belief that the people of the
North, felt that the South bad Deul wronged
by the opposition to slay cry. The tone OF
not few Northern paper give encourage
ment to the rebels by maxi ag such impression
upon them. that the charges of corruption,
crime, and insolence, so cunniugy invented
against the negro are fully believed. An
evidence Of the spirit contr bling the South. is
the following extract froll private letter
stating the condition of affairs in Western
Alabama.
One hundred Republicans are said to have
been assassinated in single county since the
close Of the war, and an account is given of
the recent mysterious murder Of Walter p.
Billings, rising Republican politician.
The isolated position of Sumter County,
with its dense forests and swamps, the 10
norantand tyrannical condition of the slave
holder, and the abiect condition of the col
ored people, enabled the whites to organize
to perfection the oath.bOund gang of murder
ers known as the Ku-Klux Klan, all the
more dangerous from their we'll preserved
secrecy, the death penalty being the sure
punishment for the revelation of any of the
secrets OF the order, or even for the recognition
OF brother member in public. In Sumter,
as well as in the other counties, it was made
part of the obligation Of each member of
the klan to swear an alibi if any one of the
klan was arrested, or, if that failed to clear
the culprit, then to muster in sufficient force
and break open any Jail in the State where q
member was confined for obeying any order
Of the Khan, and set him at liberty. How
we'll these obligations have protected the
individuals Of the Khan may be Judged by the
fact that more than 100 assassinations of
both white and colored Republicans have
taken place in this one county since the
close of the war, and not single man has
been punished for it.
The ill feeling toward Mr.. Billings began
Immediately after the 4th of July Convention,
and was caused by the Union men placing
him at the head of the Republican delegation
to the State Convention, also in the Con-
gressional delegation, and afterward electng
him as Chairman of the Executive Committee
ofthe Republican party ofSumter. Immediate
| az
ecutve Committee, Mr.. Billings came to me
TO consult upon general plan of operation
which would result in bringing out the full
vote of the county, and also a plan whereby
free speech might be secured for all parties,
and to make an effort to have the public
schools reOpened so that the colored chill
dren might be taught.
Here | ought to inform you that the pro-
slavery party of Alabama, enormously called
| 0rn 70 o,
the negroes educated, and in many Instances
refuse to furnish provision to the negro while
is making his crop, he sends his children
to school. AS the farm hands only get paid
once year, this had the effect of starving
them into ignorance.
Outrages ofthis and similar description
were openly condemned by Mr.. Billings,
who had been brought up in New FORK State
and he promised the colored people that he
would do his best to help them, and make
known the true condition of their deplorable
situation to the people of the North. This
was the condition of affairs prior to the MUIR
der. Five days before he was killed, Mr..
Billings came to Selma to meet II. j. Greata
his law partner and myself, for the purpose
of attending the lVth District Congressional
| Convention at Uniontown. We left Selma
together, and met the other members of the
delegation on the Goth day of July, at Union
town; and one intelligent colored man told
MIR. Billings that the Democrats had said
that he would not be alive three weeks
longer. He laughed at the threat, and paid
but little attention to it, and left me, agree
ing to meet me two days prior to the State
Convention. On his return he was accom-.
panied by several gentlemen whom he left
at, Livingston, the county seat Of Sumter
County. On Saturday, Aug. %, the day of
the assassination, he left Livingston to at
tend a Republican meeting at plantation
called the Parkers' Place. After making a
speech he mounted his horse and rode to-
ward his home, entirely unarmed, and moth
ing more was heard of him until the follow
ing morning, when he was found lying dead
with 10 buekshot in him, on one side of the
road, and his horse completely riddled with
shot on the other side of the road, about a
quarter of a mile from his house. About
dark 6 p. n.y. on the previous evening, five
reports Of shot-guns were distinctly heard at
his house, fired in rapid succession, a wall
and a shot, but it was supposed that some
hunters had come upon some game and were
firing at it. The pro-slavery party advanced
the theory that the murder was committed for
the sake of robbery. but that is contradicted
by the fact that his pocket-book was left un-
touched, and it was known that he never
carried large sums with him only one thing
was missing, and that was his hat. will
here state that as it is the custom of the red
Indian to tab the scalp of his victim to dis
play, so it is tho Ku-Klux custom to take the
hat to show to the "Cyclops" that the deed
| is done.