The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-09-21
THE RAIDS OF THE KUKLUX.
Some OF the Grotesque Demonstrations OF
the KAan.
From the Ne,c York Herald.

gagged in business in Wall street. he is
an Albanian, tall, muscular blonde,
with an exceedingly emotional tempera-
ment and a fiery energy Of character.
He gave me yesterday some Of the inside
pictures of the original formation of this
once powerful organization. I have sat
through number Of Congressional in-
vestigations during the reconstruction
period and have witnessed the numerous
official attempts made to establish abso-
lutely by evidence the true history of the
organization. All of these official
attempts have failed. No member Of
the society has ever betrayed its secrets.
The only evidence that could be obtained
concerning it was through witnesses who
gave testimony concerning it's acts.
These stories were often colored by parti-
sanship and exaggerated from the in.
huence of terror. Yet enough was
brought out to show that there WAS such
an organization, although Southern
leaders for many years have pooh.poohed
all of the allegations concerning the
work of the society and have practically
denied that there was any such thing, so
far as the general South WAS concerned.
This Southern leader, who was at one
time 30 prominent as an official in the
Kuklux Klsn, said that If his name were
not given he would tell the inner history
of the organization and Why the society
was founded. The Kuklux Klan was
founded in Pulaski, Tenn. 1t was OF.
ganized as vigilance committee for the
purpose of preserving Law and order. 1t
was made up of Ex-Confederates. The
organization begun in Pulaski extended
throughout the South. 1t was formed
first in the spring of 1867. The organi'
cation continued only until after the
inauguration of Gen. Grant, in 1859,
when it was disbahded aud ceased to
exist as society. There may have been
sporadic demonstrations from time to
time in the name of the Kuklux, but
this has been done without authority.
All through the South nov whenever
there is a raid made by masked men it is
said to be the worst of Kukluxers, but
the fact remains that the organization
only existed through the short period
above named.
GOOD REASONS.
This gentleman said, from his point of
view, there was the most justi6able rea.
sons for the formation of the society.
During the war the negroes were very
faithful to their old masters, in fact, he
said, the old negroes today are the most
loyal and affectionate people in the
world. Nothing shows better this 10y
ally and affection than the fact that
during the long years of the war, when
the Southern women were absolutely at
their mercy, there was not single case
of oulrsgo reported. The worat blow
that ever befell the South waa the assas;
sinatiou of Lincoln.
There MAS plenty Of money in Alabama
at this time, The cotton crop following
the war was good and the prices obtained
were high. The prices of the second
year we're also high, so that the old plan
ters found themselves reasonably pros
porous. This prosperity, however, was
threatened.by the presence Of thieves and
outlaws who combined to take their
property away from them and drive
them out of the country. Midnight rob-
berries and murders soon became COM
mon. Some of the younger negroes
became dissipated, and, therefore, easy
tools in the hands of the camp followers
who swarmed in the State just after the
war closed.
THE FORMATION.
1t was most unhappy time. The
cruel outrage of a mother and her daugh'
ter, of one of the best families Of North.
ern Alabama. led to q meeting of the
leading citizens to take some steps to
protect their lives and property.
This was the first formation ofthe Ku-
kIux organization. The first meeting
took place across the border in Pulaski
There was no name given to the organi-
cation. 1t was simply the formation OF q
vigilance committee. The society re.
ceived its names later from the negroes,
who gave to it the name Kuklux, as the
nearest approach in words to describe the
cooking Of a gun. The word "Klan"
was aftorward added by some alliterative
writer of q newspaper.
The frat meeting of the Klan took
place in a church. The pastor fully
comprehended the object of the meeting
and willingly lent the church for this
purpose. The meeting was held at
night. Guards we're posted on the road
for half mile about to avoid any
interference or spying The first speak
ers called attention to the fact that the
country was in condition of disorder.
A Presidential election was near at hand
and it was Of the highest importance for
the whites to take such steps as to pre-
vent the negroes from asserting their
superiority of numbers 90 as to gain con-
trcl Of the Southern States. This con-
troll, it Was said, meant the destruction OF
al of the property rights of the planting
class, the possible murder and outrage OF
their families, or in any event, exile.
There is no reason to suppose but what
the men who met in the church believed
in these statements.
1t must be remembered that the South.
ern States up to that time had ratified
the 18th and 14,h amendments, but had
never ratified the 18th, giving the right
of suffrage to the negroes. This is given