Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1921-01-28
ODD INCIDENTS IN, AMERICAN
HISTORY
THE KU-KLUX-KLAN.

The most remarkable as well as I'M |
usual secret society ever organized in
tn this country was the Ku-Klux-Klan, |
which existed IN many of this south
ern states during the period roughly
speaking from 1865 to 1872. It is said
to have originated In Giles county,
Tenn, during the administration of
Governor BroWnlow, and was started by
some young men of that state as joke
1t finally became serious political forge
to be reckoned with.
Ku-Klux work Was done by societies
| under the name of the knights of
the White Cauelia," the Pale Faces"
and the Invisible Empire Of the
South,p but all of them have, in records
Of legislation and in history been merged
into the name of the original society so
| that itFWih be convenient and sufficiently
| exact to refer to all their operators as
/ work of the Ku-Khlx-Klan.
The order attracted no attention unS
/ til negro suffrage was imposed on the
! south when ''dens" began rapidly to
| be organized SO that in 1868 it was
supposed to have membership of
F. $50, geo. Its members claimed that the
| order was formed to check the ma
cllinstioHs of the Union or Loyal Leaug-
ers, secret societies, which were COM
| posed of negroes under the leadership
| Of carpet-baSgers and scalawags.
The Decentralization and turbulence of,
| the colored people at the close of the
| war necessitated It was said, some
means of restraint which the government
did not then af1erd. In its beginning it
| was not greatly different from the old
slave patrol and was intended simply
, to scare the superstitious blacks into
good behavior and obedience, and its
membership composed some of the best
citizens Of the south.
It's original purpose, as set forth IN
the prescrtpt or constitution of the Khan,
were the protection Of the weak and
innocent from the outrages of law
leas and brutal persons, the relief of
the injured and oppressed. and the as
stStance to the government In the execu
tion Of all constitutional law.
The sphere OF operation was styled
the Invisible Empire" the chief func-
tioaary was the Grand Wizard, each
state was Realm, ruled over by a
Grand Dragon each congressional dis
trict was q Dominion at the head of
which was the Grand Tftian each coun-
try was a Province, under the rule of 1.
Grand Giant, and country sfhdivided into
camps, or dens, each governed by a Grand
Cycleps. The members Of the dens
we're called Ghouls.
: The members Of the Khan were dis
guised in long, white robes, their faces
were masked. and they wore huge
cardboard hat or cap with ears and horns
attached. The horses which they rode
Were quite as effectively disguised.
Threats against those whom the Khan
had marked were adorned with "a pic
ture of crossed swords, coffin, skull and
crossbones. OWL bloody moon, and train
Of cars each labeled tx. K. K" and the
language used was mysterious and san
culinary.
Obnoxious men were taken at night
from their houses by masked horse
men and whipped. and if they would
not agree to desist from their work or
leave the country, they were more Sc
; Verely punished. EHto an order OF this
Character, naturally many desperate
men affiliated themselves, unbekncws to
respectable element. Horse thieves put on
the livery Of the Ku-Klux as Q screen fol
their depredations as did Illicit distiliers
when detected in their evasion of the ex-
'cise, Political eutrages," says Rhodes
! in his History Of the United States,
were common enough. Heaven knows
t but BY no means were all the murder.
of negroes and white men political, ant
: the south incurred on this account mucl
: obloquy which was not her due"
In order to understand and appreci
ate conditions It Is necessary to care
n fully study the political situation in tn
E south following the Civil war. The ir
y responsible element that crept into tn
klan finally threatened the general sc
% curfty In the south and the best elias
n Of people in both sections, with the re
establishment Of permanent government
5 IN the southern states decided that i
It vas time to break up the disorder.
Il President Grant, on March 20, 1871
d urged congress to enact appropriate leg
g, islation to meet the situationJ Con
gress on April 30, 1871, passed the En-
Il forcement Act, the important provision q
t. which was the extension of the juris
l. dictien Of the United States Courts I
ie all Ku-Klux caseo and authorizing til
g president to suppress the disorders.
y Although convictions were not numel
v Gus, the lay seems to have caused
great falling off in the number of on
Of RACES, and the Khan. as an active organ
I'd izatien, gradually died out. After 1877
to the outrases of tho Kr-Klux-Klan prope
La for the most part, ceased.
m cfomorrow-When Patrick Henry PIT
9, claimed Independently
ed
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