New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TIE INVISIBLE EMPIRE.

The famous political story of life in the recon
stucted South is reprinted in this thck Voi'n'o'
with an additional chapter introduced into inc mar
ratiye and a Second Part presenting the PLAN MS
torlca facts which run parallel with the incl0eh'S
of the novel. The authors name, long an open Sc
cret is now announced on the title-page' III
Fools Errand y is what the publishers call II,
"romance OF American history" II must ne ad-
mitted that the romance embodes great deal oil
sad and sober truth. judge Tourgee has set forth
In his annie appendix of citations from official rec
ords the justification of all that he has said IN the
6ction not that he mas repeated the precise cases
which were more less disguised In the earlier
book; but he has exhibited here an authenticated
record of real events contempOraneous with the ac-
ton of ~ FOOLS Esrand," and from this review OF
the state of Southern society at the epoch uhoer
consideration the reader will the essential truth
fitness and Justice of the novel. There is great
reservoir of undigested facts in the thirteen closely
printed volumes of the REPORT of the JOINT Con-
gressional Committee on the Ku-Klux Conspiracy"
huge mass of testimony which has never been
ndeanately analyzed because its bulk has dlscour-
aged the most painstaking investigator. Judge
Tourgee has not attempted summary OF those
5000 pages, but he has selected some characteristic
bits of evidence chiefly relating TO Georgia and Ala
bama and when it Is remembered that these states
have usually been counted among the most peaceful,
the horrors he has brought 10 llght VIII prOoaoly
excite no little establishment.
1.-THE Invisible Empire" was the name of one of
the political secret societies included in the generic
term Ku.KIux. 1T would seem," says the author,
from all that has become known. that The lnvis-
ible Empire was higher grade more important
and thoroughly guarded degree than the others
a ruling controlling and select circle, within and
above the more numerous aud popular grades OF Inc
order" Some OF the witnesses admitted that iheV
were members of it, and members of the other ku-
Kux societies believed il to be the directing central
authority for them all but beyond the fact that II
existed all the South little was ever disclosed
about its organization. The number and enormlty
of the outrages committed by these murder0us
gangs are of much less importance than the purpose
of their operations and their connection with the
ruling principle of Southern society, and this
branch of the subject has never been treated with
SO much clearness and force as by Judge Tourgee
in the present Volume. 1t has been urged in paha-
ton of the crimes of tho Ku-KiuX that the white
people Of the South driven to this violent
remedy by the disorders of negro and carpet
bag rule undeT the reconstruction laws. 1t is
shown however by Judge Toureee that
tho Ku-Klux Klans were organized be-
fore any of the cOcalled carpet-bag gov
ernments went into operation. The negroes
first voted in November 1867. The first Tec0nstIuc-
lshed about July, 1865. But the Ku-Klux, accord
ing t. the testimony of General n. 3. Forrest,
pesred in Tennessee as early 1866 aud by the
beginning of 1868 they were notorious all over Tie
South Forrest credit to the report that there
were 10000 IN Tennessee and still stronger Organi-
cations IL other States before the experiment of
negro ami irpet-bag government" had been tired
anywhere "The general belief that there
were not less than 100000 IN the entire South
This belief is fully sustained by General Forests
estimate. which there is no doubt he stood In a
position to make very accurate" Forrest-the hero
of the Fort Pillow massaore-was regarded as the
supreme head of the whole conspiracy. A rebel
eeueral-perhaps Forrest himself-is quoted by a
witness as declaring that the Ku-KluX had ample
funds and more complete organization than that
Of the Confederate army ever was and IN reply to
aqueston whether they did not fear the General
Government, this officer said, Not at ALL they con-
troled jures, aud had members already in the
United States Congress well as III the State Log
islature.
If the Ku-Klux conspiracy was not the result of
"carpet-bag misgovcrnnent." what was its inspir-
ing causeS That is not difficult to determine. The
Kans first made their appearance Immediately
after the passing of the Civil Rights bill over Presi
dent JOhuson's Veto AID while the Thirteenth
Amendment forever abOshing slavery, was before
the States for ratification; and they greatly in
creased the next year when the Fourteenth Amend
ment was brought forward giving the freedmen
the right to vote. The confessions of some of the
members, the testimony of SOutherners OF intclli-
geuce and responsibility who did not belong TO the
Klars the nature of the outrages. the language OF
tie warnings addressed 10 the victims, made it per-
fectly clear that the purpose OF the organization
was TO nullify the Amendments and espec-
tally TO suppress negro suffrage aud political
euuality II think said Chief-JuStice Rice,
OF Alabama member of the bar Of that State since
1883. THAT one of their main objects is to annul
practically that feature of the reconstruction policy
which gives TO the cOiored the free exercise OF
tho right of suffrage. You may group the whole
matter, think, by saying that the object Is to de-
,rve the Republican party, not only OF political
rule but of any force or responsibility in the State.
The anonymous Confederate Ge; eyal already cited
assured the witness DR.. Blackford. surgeon in the
Confederate army. that the object of the organ
cation was TO put down negro suffrage" The Rev
A. s. Lakn, a Methodist clergyman who went &c
Alabama important mission from his church
IN 1867. testified In my travels | put up witt
some OF the leading of the State. and learned
from them this iact-that they never would submit
that they never would yield; they had lost
Their property their rcputatiOn and, last aDc
worst of all, their slaves were made their equals
OF were likely 10 be- and perhaps then
superors, TO rule them. They
said there was an organization, already
very extensive ard that would spread over the
Southern States. that would rid hem of this hOrr
BILE calamity" Judge Scheuck, of North Carolina
an original Secessonist and a member Of the Khan
The is sill on the benchl testified that Its object
was TO Oppose and reject the principles of the Rad
cal party" Other witnesses spoke of the purpose Of
the Klan to control the negro vote" ito control
the negro vote and negro labor" ito control the
~ 4 81 Co.. -. fH.~gl inn
recently declared 1.-The North does not know wha
1t asks of u.s. No laws or regulations can overcome
instinct allied to public opinion. God never made
the two races TO unite on dRJ ground Of equality