Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-11-01
SECRETARY SHERMAN CALLS
HAMPTON A COPARTNER
OF THE KU KLUX.

To Hon. John Sherman:
Sir,-Some days ago saw report Of |
your speech at conference held by the |
national Republican committee in 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 Ku Klux and little
segment of the North that is called the
Democratic party.
May ask if you used these words and
if you did so, did you mean to connect
me directly or indirectly with what was
known as the Ku Klux Khan.
Yours respectfully,
WADE HAMPTON
WASHINGTON, Sept. 81.
To Hon. Wade Hampton:
Dear Sir,-In reply 1 have to advise
you that while I do not remember the
precise language, presume the reporter
correctly stated in condensed way his
idea of what said. no doubt spoke of
you as leading representative of the
Democratic party in the South and re-
ferred to the Ku Klux Khan as a repre-
sentative of the barbarous agencies by
which the Democrats subverted the civil
and political rights of the Republicans of
the South. l did not connect you per-
sonally with the Ku Klux Khan. Indeed,
/ know that you had in one or two impor-
tant instances resisted and defeated its
of honor which makes you shrink from
being named in connection with it. Still,
you and your associates, leading men in
the South, now enjoy the benefits of po-
litical power derived from the atrocities
of the Ku Klux Khan 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
grade in the code of crimes, from murder
to the meanest form of ballot-box stuff
Ing, committed by the Ku Klux Khan and
its kindred associations, and, as you
know, some of the worst of them were
committed since 1877, when you and they
gave most solemn assurances of protec
ton to the freedmen of the South.
These crimes are all aimed at the civi
and political rights of Republicans in tn,
South, and as 1 believe, but for thes'
agencies the very State you represent al
, well as many other States in the Soutl
7 would be represented both in the Senat
and House by Republicans. But fol
= these crimes the boast attributed to vol
that the 1873 solid Southern votes woul,
be cast for the Democratic ticket woul
be but idle vaporing. But now we fee
; that it is sober truth.
e While have no reason to believe tina
g you or your Northern associates person
q ally participated in the offence l hav
n named, yet while you and they enjoy tn
fruits of these crimes you may in logi
and morals be classed, and classed 20
10 are, as joint co-partners with the X
7, Klux Khan in policy which has thus ia
l. been successful in Selling political powe
IF in the South, and which, it is hoped, b
A. the aid of the small segments of the Den
., ocratic party in the North, may be e,
tended to all departments of the govern
&c ment. 1t is in this sense that I spoke
II you, the Ku Klux Khan and the Northel
Democratic party. Permit me, in CO..
k clusion, while frankly answering yol
&c statement, to say that the most fatal DC
icy for the South would be by such age
cies as l have mentioned to secure aga
Vi political ascendency of this country, Fl
rd l assure you that the manhood and ind
he pendence of the North will constant
or continue the struggle until every Repu
J. lican in the South shall have free and u
restricted enjoyment of equal civil al
Q political privileges, including fair vol
fail count, free speech and free pres
1t, and agitation made necessary to secu
ad such result may greatly affect injurious
in the interests of the people of the Soutl
roo Very respectfully,
JOHN SHERMAN.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va, Oct. l.
Sir,-Your letter has been received a
'A' as you do not disclaim the language
lth which / called your attention have OF