The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-01-09
A Klu.Klux Confession.

There is a curious and interesting
SEQUEL to the recent ku hluX triaiS
in Georgia. 1t will be remembered
that these trials resulted in the con-
yiction of seven Democrats who had
beaten, shot, and otherwise maitTeat,
ed negroes who voted Tor Emory
Speer an Independent Democratic
candidate for Congress in 1857. The
southern papers, Liberal as well as
Bourbon. were full of rage at the
convictions. portrayed the men as
martyrs-victims Of a political per-
eecution-and divided their bitter
denunciations between the national
administration, which directed the
PROSECUTIONS, and Mr.. Speer, who,
having become District Attorney In
the interval. carried them on. The
nrisoners were called up the other
day for sentence, and received an
admonition from United States DIS
trict Judge Mccoy, which deserves
10 90 on record with bis charge to
the Jury at the beginning OF the trial,
that attracted so rauch attention IN
the North. The Judge said:
"The offence of which you have
been convicted is one of the very
grayest character. The freedom OF
elections is a necessity for the good
of this State, and of the greatest I'M
nortance to the whole people. OF
what avail is the form OF a Republic,
the machinery and parade of ballots
and elections, if the voter may not
cast his vote without fear? What Is
the right ofsuifrage worth If 1t is to
be exercised under the fear that un-
less it be exercised so as to suit the
notions of the mob the voter will be
walked up at night by a lawless
band. and be shamefully and cruelty
beaten. The acts Of which you have
been found guilty are not therefore
mere acts of violence they are at
tacks upon the very vltals OF the
Republic, and if permitted to con-
tinue would make the right to vote a
sham and a snare. The circumstan-
ces render this case a particularly
aggravated one. The violence was
in the dead of night, in the presence
of the wives and infant children oi
those maltreated, and the beating
was most cruel and bloody. Indeed,
one could hardly suppose it possible
that without some special personal
malice the heart of man could have
been capable Of such deliberate, bit
ter and heartless cruelty as the evl-
dence in this case exhibits. That
the victims were negroes-formerly
slaves-poor, helpless and ignorant,
as il seems to me. aggravates the o.
fence. Their condition of life, their
property, their ignorance, ought to
excite the sympathy of the good cit
izen instead Of awakening the lower
and more degrading purposes OF
their nature. In view OF all these
clrCutQstallctS. Dul especially III
view of the effect which the preva'
lence of such acts if permitted would
have upon the freedom of elections,
and that those who do them may
know that they are running the risk
of no light penalty. / have not felt
myself at liberty to treat this offence
as a mere assault and battery, but
to consider it an offence against lib
erty itself and to punish 1t accord
ingly."
This il a sermon upon bulldozlng
which ought to be re-read from the
pulpit of every southern church un-
til the best citizens everywhere are
ashamed of such acts. The sentence
was TO two years imprisonment. II
was followed by an unexpected dis
closure. Five out of the seven pris'
oners confessed their guilt, doing so,
as they said, TO clear the other two
who had not really been parties tC
the conspiracy. Sentence was sus
pended as to these, that the new evi-
dence might be considered. The
southern newspapers would hardly
like to reprint those heated editorials
now.-N y. Tribune