Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-28

tions concerning the Work OF the society
and have practically denied that there was
any such thing, so far as the general South
was concerned.
A Product Of Tennessee Soil.
This Southern leader, who was at one
time so prominent as an official in the Ku.
Klux Klan. said that if his name were not
given he would tell the inner history of the
organization and why the society was
founded. The Ku-Klux Klan was founded
IN Pulaski, Tenn. It was organized as a
vigilance committee for the purpose of pre-
serving law and order. 1t was made up OF
ex-Confederates. The organization begun
in Pulaski extended throughout the South.
It was formed first in the spring of 1867.
The organization continued only until after
the inauguration of General Grant, in 1869,
when it was disbanded and ceased to exist
as society. There may have been sporadic
demonstrations from time to time in the
name of the Ku-Klux, but this has been
done without authority. All through the
South now whenever there is a raid made
by masked men it is said to be the work of
Ku-Klu1ers, but the fact remains that the
organization only existed the short period
above named.
1Hls Rcutlcmdu sdlu, lTOu pOlut OI
view, there was the most justifable reasons
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 to-day are the most loyal and afec-
tionate people in the world. After the war
succeeded very unhappy period. The
worst blow that ever befel the South was
the assassination of Lincoln. The admins
tration of johnson stirred up all Of the un-
Ahappy elements in the South.
LawIessness Became A most Universal.
AThere came into the South party of ad-
vehturers who sought to use the negroes to
further dishonest and unworthy ends The
earoes were taught to believe that the en-
tireA South was to be theirs and that their
former masters were to be driven out The
STATED were put under territorial forms of
government, soldiers were placed at the
polls during elections, while the test oath
excluded from the right OF suffrage and
from the. power to hold Office every one OF
the leading men of the South. The local
courts weke abolished. Nothing but the
Federal conrts remained. Such a complete
disorganization of society had great effect
upon the negroes. They saw the class that
they had always been taught to look up to
discredited and disqualified. Stimulated
by the passion of partisan leaders, they
were led to take an antagonistic position to
settling of the normal condition of affairs,
the abolishment of the regular courts, made
lawlessness almost universal
1t was most unhappy time. The cruel
outrage of mother and her daughter, of
one Of the best families of Northern Ala
bama, led to meeting Of the leading citi-
zens to take some steps to protect their
lives and property.
The sound Of Cooking Gun.
This was the first formation of the Ku-
Klux organization. The first meeting took
place across the border in Pulaski. There
was no name given to the organization. 1t
was simply the formation OF vigilance
committee. The society received its name
later from the negroes, who gave to it the
name Ku-Klux, as the nearest approach in
words to de>crib be the cooking of gun. The
word sKlan" was afterward added by some
alliterative writer OF newspaper.
The first meeting of the Klan took place
In q church, The pastor fully compre-
hended the object of the meeting and will
ingly lent thS church for this purpose. The
meeting wa9 held at night Guards were
posted on the road for half mile about to
avoid any Interference or spving. The first
speakers cslled attention to the fact that the
country was(in condition Of disorder A
Presidential election vas near at hand and
1t was Of the highest importance for the
whites to take such steps as to prevent the
negroes from asserting their superiority Of
numbers so Jas to gain control OF the South
ern States This control, it was said, meant
the destruction Of all Of the property rights
of the planting class, the possible murder
and outrage of their families, or, in anv
event, exile
It must be remembered that the
Southern States up to that time had rati-
fed the thirteenth and fourteenth amend
ments, but had never ratified the fifteenth,
giving right of suffrage to the negroes
This Is given In explanation of the attitude
Of many Of thk Southern politicians Of to-
day. They have always opposed negro
suffrage, and, through their local legisla-
ton, have practically disfranchised the
negro.
\ Membership Iof Twenty-Five Thousand.
The Klan, when first organised, COM
prised some 800 members It afterward
spread throughout the South so that there
we're upward Of &5,0 900 men enrolled In the
society, The leaders were very able politi-
,iana Their chiefeforts we're to be directed
drst to terroris!ng the negroes without in
uring them.
A very mysterious uniform was devised
All. Of the members Of the Klan were
The h|oofs Of their horses were
lone mp In half tanned leather. This
i I .