Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-01-13
Gives An Account Of Origin Of Ku Klux
klan.
tBy ]. J. laughinehouse, in the Balti
more News and Observer).

Seeing and realizing thar nearly all
OF the members OF that great and once
glorious organization composed Of the
best and brayeSt type of ex-Conied-
crate soldiers and commonly known
as the "ku klux Khan" or Invisible
Empire" nave passed hence into the
Great Beyond, feel that the time has
come when the true story of the origin
OF the "ku KluX Kan" and the reasons
which neceSSitated its coming into
existence should be made known in a
truthful and unbiased way. The
writer of this article had the honor OF
belonging to the Khan and doing his
OF IN the great work OF re-organiza-
ton which was accomplished in North
Carolina, and particularly in the coun-
ties OF Pitt and Beaufort where condi.
tons were as bad, or worse, than in
any other section Of the State, and is
now tho only surviving member OF the
Khan in Pitt and Beaufort counties.
Much has been written in regard to
the Ku Klux Khan by the northern
press. 1t has been held up TO the stu.
dent OF history as q band OF outlaws
and cut-throsts whose sole aim and de.
sign was to spread terror and dis.
organize society generally during the
hve years next succeeding the close
OF the Civil War. This, Of course, is
untrue. The "Ku Klux Khan" was or.
gained for the purpose of forcing that
most INSCRIPTIONS band OF thieves
composed Of carpet-baggers from the
North and scalawags, the native pro-
duct, to release their grip upon the
threats of helpless and innocent peo-
pie worn out by four years of constan;
warfare against odds of five to one.
Shortly after the termination of tn
Civil War, what is known as the l4th
Amendment to the Cons 'itution of the
United States was proposed by Con
GreSs, and it was required as a con Il
ton of the re-entry of the Southern
States into the Union, tina, these rauf.
the amendment. Everyone is, of course
familiar with the purposes of the 18th
amendment The President of the
United States, realizing the bitter re-
sentiment of the Southern States con
corning this amendment. favored the
admission into the Union without COM
pelllng them against the wishes Of
their best people 10 ratify this amend
ment, but the Congress OF the United
States, which was largely republican,
and especially those members of Con.
gress who were most bitter in their
unrishteous denunciation OF the South.
failed to favor the Presidents views
and insisted that he Southern States
ratlfy. Upon the refusal OF the
Southern States to ratify, the States OF
North Carolina, South Carolina, Mis-
sissippi, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana,
Florida, Texas and Arkansas were d.
vidsd into Ave great military districts
and ever each district was placed an
army officer with armed forces to en-
force any arbitrary rule he might see
hit to make. 1t was after this had been
done that there poured into this striok-
en- area great hordes Of carpet baggers
who posed as friends Of negroes, and
these men, now that the negroes were
enfranchised, had little trouble in Sc
curing Offices under the State and ma
tional government. II might be well
to state in this connection that the
negroes were not to be blamed. They
were organized by these carpet-bag-
gers and local scalawags into "unicn
Leagues" and were led to believe that
all the lands Of their former masters
were 10 be divided into forty acre
tracts and that each man, woman and
child negroes, of course) would re-
ceive forty acres Of land and a mule
without cost
To further carry out their plans.
these carpet-baggers formed an alliance
with the deserters and traitors to the
South, commonly known as SCALA
wags." who were then leaders OF the re-
publican party in North Carolina, and
upon this alliance being formed, be-
gar 10 divide the political Offices, ap-
portIoning out such as they did not es-
pecisily care for among the negroes
and scalawags, reserving for them
selves, in most instances, the best pay
ing Offices.
The greatest act Of infamy enacted
in the great tragedy Immediately fol-
owing the close Of the war, was the
complete overthrow Of the organic law
Of the Southern States, uccessitating
constitutional conventions for the pur-