The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-10-28
spicy correspondence.

spicy &OFTeSROuuehCes
The following correspondence, first
published in Washington last week, is
about as sharp and plain on both sides
as anything that has appeared during
the presidential campaign:
DAGGERs SPRINGS, Sept. II, 1880.
To Hon. John Sherman, Secretary of
the Treasury: SIR-SOme days ago 1
saw II report of your speech at the con-
ference held by the national republi-
can committee at Fifth Avenue Hotel,
New York, and you were quoted as
having used the following language:
"And now you are asked to surrender
all you have done into the hands of
Wade Hampton and the kuklux, and
the little segment in the north that is
called the democratic party" May
ask il you used these words, and if you
did so, did you mean to connect me di-
rectly or Indirectly with what was
known as the "KukluX Klan" Re-
questing an early reply addressed to
me, care of Augustus Schell, ESD, New
York. | am, very respectfully your
obedient servant.
Secretary Sherman replies as follows:
WASHINGTON, d. G., |
September q, 1850. !
To Hon. Wade Hampton, care Agus-
tus Schell, New York: SIR-Your
note of the 18th inst. received in which
you inquire, etc. In reply l have to
advise you that while | do not remem-
ber the precise language, | presume
| the reporter correctly stated in con-
densed way, his idea of what / said.
I no doubt spoke of you as leading
representative of the democratic party
in the south and referred to the Ku-
klux Klan as Il representative of the
barbarous agencies by which the DEM
ocrats have subverted the civil and pO-
litical rights of republicans of the south.
do not connect you personally with
the Kuklux Klan. Indeed know you
had in one or two important instances
resisted and defeated its worst impulse.
appreciate the sense of honor which
makes you shrink from being named
i'm connection with it. Still you and
your associates, the leading men in
| the south, now enjoy the benefits of
political power derived from the atroc-
| tiles of the KukluX Klan, in which
phrase l include all the numerous
aliases by which it has, from time to
time, been known in the south. Your
power in the southern states rests upon
the actual crimes ofevery grade in the
code of crimes from murder to the
meanest form of ballOt-bOX stuffing,
committed by the KukluX Klan and
its kindred associates, and as you
know, some of the worst of them COM
mitted since ~, when you and they
gave the most solemn assurances of
protection to freedmen of the south.
These crimes are all aimed at the civil
and political rights of republicans in
the south, and l believe but for these
agencies, the state that you represent,
as well as many other states in the
south, would be represented both in
the senate and the house by republi-
cans. But for these crimes the boast
attributed to you, that the 13S solid
southern votes would be cast for the
democratic ticket, would he but idle
vapOring. Now we feel it sober truth.
While | have no reason to believe you
or your northern associates personally
participated in the offences ! have
named, yet while you and they enjoy
the fruits of these crimes, you may in
logic and morals be classed rs classed
you, as joint co-partners with the
Kuklux Klan, in the policy which
thus far has been successful in seizing
political power in the south and which
1t is hoped by the aid of small seq
ment of the democratic party in the
north, may be extended to all depart
ments OF the government. In this
sense spoke of you, the Kuklux Klan
and the northern democratic party.
Permit me, in conclusion, while an
swering your questions, to say the
most fatal policy for the south would
be such agencies as have mentioned,
to secure again political ascendency
in this country, for l assure you the
manhood and independence of the
north will certainly continue to strug-
gle until every republican in the south
shall have the free and unrestricted
enjoyment OF equal civil and political
privileges. Very respectfully your
Obedient servant,
JOHN SHERMAN.
Hampton rejoined as follows:
CHARLoTTEsvILLE,O Oct. l.