Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-10-19
IIar,Dsou and sherman.

Hampton and sherman.
Sec etsry Sherman fl.l:shcs icr publication
the following corre poadercs which has passed
between himself snd se1st3r Hampton, o. South
Carolina.
DAoGERs sPaISGs, September II, 1880.
Hon. John Sherman. Secretary Of the Treasury:
sir-Sone days ego aaw report Ct your
speech st the conference held by the National
Ker u 5lic,n Committee at the Fifth Avenue
Eo,el, New York, and you were quoted az hsV-
ing used the following language: and now
you are asked TO surrender all you have done
into the hands cf Wade Hampton and tbs Ru'
Klu1 and the little segment in the North that is
called the democratic party" Nay ssz II you
ussd these works, and if you did so, did you
mean to connect me directly or lndreetly With
wha! WIS known IS the Ku-Klux Khan. ].
request al esrly reply, addressed to me- care Of
Augustus schell, esq, New York. am, very
respectfully. 1
WIsH1s oroN. z. G. September 81, 1880.
Hon. Wade Hampton. Cure Of Augustus SehsH'
Ne,o York.:
sir-Your lote of the 17lh instant, is received,
in which you inquire whether, ct the confer
e1ce held by the National Republican Commit.
tee st the Fifth Avenue Hotel New York, I
used the Language attributed to me IS follows:
And you are asked to surrender all you
aud the Ku.Klpx and the little segment in the
North that is called the democratic party"
In reply, have to advise you that while DO
not remember the precise language, -l.prssume
tie reporter correctly stated, IN condensed way
his idea of what said. no doubt spoke ct
crsctic party in the South, and referred to the
KukluI as representative of tho barbarcu5
agencies By which the democrats have subvert.
ed the civil and political rights of the Repuoli'
CABS of The South. did not connoc: you per
sonally with the Kuklu1 Rlar. Indeed. l
knew that you had in ono or two important IL.
stances resisted and defeated its worst impulses
/ appreciate the sense of honor which makes
you shrink from being named ia connection
with it. Still, you and your associates, the leading
men in the South, enjoy the benefits of political
power derived from the atrocities Of the KuKlu1
Khan, in which phrare include sll the numer-
o1s aliases By which it has from time time been
known in the South. Your power in the South
ern States rests upon actual crimes, from muir
der to the meAnest form Of ballot box stuthng
committed by the Kuhluz Klan and its kindred
associates, and, as you know, some of the worst
of them committed since 1877. whom you and
they gave the most solemn ASSURANCES OF pro-
teciion to tho freedmen Of tho South Theso
crimes are all aimed at the civil and political
rights of republicans in the Scu:h, and, as De-
Lave but for these agencies tho very State tnat
you Represent, % we'll as many ether STATES !
The South, would be represented both II Inc
Senate AID House by republican But for these
crimes, the Toast attributed to you, that the one
hundred and thirty-eight solid Southern votes
would bs cast for the democratic ticket. would
be but idle vsporing tu. now We feel that it is
a sober truth. While have no reason to bo.
lieye that you or your Northern associates per-
sonally participated in tho offences hsve nam .
CO; vet, while you and they enjoy The fruits Of
these crimes you may, in logic and morals be
classed as 1 classed you-ss joint copartncrs
with the kuklux Khan in policy which thus
far has bsea successful ia seZlng political poS-
or in the South, and which it is hoped, by the
aid os ,ha small segment of the democratic party
in the North, .m-y be extended 10 sl de-
pa,tments Of the government. l. is inthls eanse
that spoke Of you. the Kuklux Klsn aud the
Northern democratic party. Perlni: ma. in con.
clu.ion, while frankly answering your QUESTION
TO say that the most fatal policy Tor tho
South would be by such agencies IS have mon
toned to secure ngain political sscendelcy in
this country for assure you that the manhood
and independence OF the North will certainly
contirus the struggle until every republican in
the South shsll have freq and unrestricted on.
joyment of equ,l, civil and political privileges,
incluii tai. vote. fair count free speech
and free pres., and the sgits.ion mada neees
eary 10 secare such results may gront!y affect
ipiariously the interests OF the leople OF the
South. Very respectfully yonr obt. servant,
JOHN SHERMAN.