The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-12
RITUAL OF THE XII KLUX KHAN
A Strange Manual Found in Coinm-
bia University Library.

NEW YORK. March u.-Since the in
| staIlation of DR.. Garfield as librarian of
Columbia University, a year and half
ago. many interesting volumes whose ex-
| istence was previously unknown gener-
ally have been unearthed in the course
of literary 'house-cleaning. but prob
ably a discovery of last week Is the most
singular thus far made. 1t is a yellow
covered pamphlet of twenty-four pages,
four by six inches in size. and is beyond
reasonable doubt the only extant ritual
OF the organization known as the Ku
KIux Khan
The authenticity of the handbook Is
attested by letter pasted in the back of
the book and written by u woman in
Nashville, Tenn, some ten years ago
She writes that it is "a prescript of the
Ku Klux Khan which escaped destruction
when the 'ghouls disbanded and was
given me by ex-member'' The
ghous," she goes on to state, were un-
der positive orders to burn every possible
trace of their secret organization; IL was
only by the sheerest good chance that the
manual in question was preserved.
Nowhere in the twenty-four pages is
the name of the order mentioned; where
it should be printed there is either blank
space or an insertion of three asterisks.
revised and amended prescript of the
order Of the" below is added the
motto: Damnant quod non Intelligent.
The cloud of mystery thickens on page
?, where it provides that this organiza-
ton shall be styled and denominated the
order of the -
All the way through the book the great
est respects is ostensibIy shown for the
Constitution and for an organized central
government, but it requires little more
than superficial reading to perceive the
unwfllinSness of the order to recognize
any Federal legislation or administrator
in opposition to its views. This is the
creed
I'VE. the order of the rever-
emily acknowledge the majesty and SUI
premacy of the Divine Being, and recOg
nize the goodness and providence of the
same. And we recognize our relation to
the United States Government. the SUI
premacy of the Constitution. the constitu-
tional laws thereof, and the Union CT
States Hereunder
The purposes of the fraternity are next
enumerated in the following eloquent Ian
guage: This is institution of chival-
~, humanity. mercy, and patriotism. en-
bodying in its genius and principles all
that is chiValric in conduct. noble in SEN
timent. generous in manhood, and pa
triotic In purpose; its peculiar objects be-
Ing to protect the weak. the innocent, and
the defenseless from the indignities,
wrongs, and outrafes of the lawless, the
violent, and the brutal; To relieve the in
suffering, the unfortunate, and especially
the widows and the orphans of Confed-
crate soldiers; and to protect and defend
the Constitution of the United States and
all laws passed in conformity thereto;
and to protect the States and people
thereof from all inyasions from any
source whatsoever; and to aid in the ex-
ecution of all constitutional laws and to
protect the people from unlawful seizure
and from trial except by their peers in
conformity to the laws of the land.
nnras.-G
ally, the menacing attitude of the Khan
toward the constitutionality of the intro
duction of martial law into the Southern
States during the turbulent period of re-
nit Southerners to suffer trial in the mill
tary courts. Above all the mysterious
dgnitaries was the Grand Wizard of the
Empire, with his ten Geni Then followed
in order of jurisdictional Importance the
Grand Dragon of the Realm and Hydra:
the Grand Titan of the Dominion and six
Furies; the Grand Giant of the Province
with four COLLINS: the Grand Cyclops of
the Den. and two Nighthawks; Grand
Magi, a Grand Monk, Grand Scribe a
Grand Exchequer. a Grand Turk. and a
Grand Sentinel. The body polite was com
posed of "Ghouls"
Nothing serves better to illustrate the
real ground for the Klan's existence than
the series of questions which the candi-
date for admission was obliged to answer
satisfactorily. The prospective member
who had to be at least eighteen years of
age, and who was considered eligible to
try only after the closest investigation
of his antecedents, on taking the most
solemn of oaths was made to show that
he never belonged to the Radical Re-
publican party, the Loyal League" and
the Grand Army of the Republic; that he
was emphatically opposed to the princi-
Piles of these organizations; that he did
not belong to the Federal army in the
civil war: that he was opposed to the
social and political equality of the negro;
that he favored white mans govern
ment in this country; that he believed
in constitution liberty and a govern
ment of equitable laws. instead of a gov
eminent Of violence and oppression; that
he was in favor of maintaining the con-
stitutional rights of the South. of re-
enfranchising and emancipating the white
men of the South. and restoring the
Southern people to all their political
rights alike; and. lastly. that he believed
in the fnalienable right of seIf-preserva-
ton of the people against the exercise of
an arbitrary and unlicensed power. If
the candidate failed in any detail he was
summarily dismissed with the significant
admonit1on never to reveal what he had
seen heard.