Year: 1871

Text Of the Bill asit Passed both Houses Of Con-
gress.


The following is the Ku-Klux bill as it be-
came law:


An act to enforce the provisions of the fourteenth
amendment to the Constitution of the United
States, and for other purposes.


Be it enacted By the Senate and House of
Representatives Of the United States of Amer
lea in Congress assembled, That any person
who, under color OF any law, statute, ordinance,
regulation, custom, or usage of any State shall
subject or cause to be subjected, any person
within the jurisdiction Of the United States to
the deprivation OF any rights, privileges, or
immunities secured by the Constitution of the
United States, shall, any such law, statute or
dinance regulation, custom, or usage of the
State to the contrary Notwithstanding, be La
BILE to the party injured in any action at law,
suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for
redress; such proceeding to be prosecuted in
the several district or circuit courts of the Uni
ted States, with ard subject to the same rights
of appeal, review upon error and other rene
dies provided in like cases in such courts under
the provisions of the act Of the ninth Of April


eighteen hundred and sixt9-six, entitled "An
act to protect all persons in the United States


in their civil rights, and to furnish the means
Of their vindication, and the other remedial
laws of the United States which are in their
nature applicable IL such cases.


Sec. 2 That if two or more persons within
any State or Territory Of the United States
shall conspire together to overthrow, or to put
down, or to destroy by force the Government
of the United States or to levy war against
the United States, or to oppose by force the
authority of the Government of the United
States, or by force, intimidation or thl eat to
prevent, hinder or delay he execution of the
law of the United States, or by force to seize,
take, or possess ally property OF the United
States contrary to the authority thereof, or by
force, intimidation, CT threat to prevent any
person from accepting or holding any Office of
trust or place of confidence under the United
States, or from discharging the duties thereof,
or by force, intimidation or threat to induce
any officer of the United States to leave any
State, district or place where his duties as such
officer might lawfully be performed, or to in
jure him IN his person or property on account
of his lawful discharge Of the duties of his of
fee, or to ipjure his property SO as to molest,
interrupt, hinder, or impede him iu the dis
charge of his official duty, or by force, intimi-
dation, or threat to deter any party or witness
in any court of the United States from attend
ing such court, or from testifying in any mat
ter pending in such court fully, freely, and
truthfully, or to lnjure any such party or wit
ness in his person or property on account of
his having so attended or testified, or by force,
intimidation, or threat to influence the verdict,
preseutment or Indictment Of any juror or
grand juror in any court of the United States,
or to injure such juror in bis person or proper
ty on account of ally verdict, presentment or
indictment lawfully assented to by him, or on
account of his being or having been such Juror,
or shall conspire together, or go in disguise up
on the public highway or upon the premises OF
another, for the purpose, either directly or in
directly, of deprivlng any person Or class of
persons of the equal protection of the laws, or
of equal privileges OF immunities under the
laws, or for the pur pose Of preventing or him
dering the constituted authorities Of any State
from giving or securing to all persons within
such State the equal protection of the laws, or
shall conspire together for the purpose of in
any manner impeding, hindering, obstructing,
or defeating the due course of justice in any
State or Territory, with intent to deny to any
citizen Of the United States the due and equal


protection of the laws, or to iniure any one in
his person or his property for lawfully enforcing
the right Of any person or class of persons to
the equal protection of the laws, or by force,
intimidation, or threat TO prevent any citizen
of the United States lawfully entitled to vote
from giving his support, or advocacy in law
| ful manner, toward or In favor of the election
of any lawfully qualified person as an elector oil
President or Vice President of the United
| States, or as member OF the Congress of the
| United States, or 10 lnjure any such citizen In
| his person Or property on account OF such sup
| port or advocacy, each and every person so Of
| Tending sb all be deemed guilty OF high crime
and, upon conviction thereof in any district OF
circuit court of the United States, or district
or supreme court of any Territory Of the Uni
| ted States having Jurisdiction OF similar often
| ces. shall be punished by fine OF not less thar
| five hundred nor more than five thousand dol
| lars, or by imprisonment with or without hard


labor. as the court may determine, for a period
of not less than six months nor more than siz


years, as the court may determine or by both


such fine and Imprisonment as the court shall
determine. And ii any one or more persons
engaged in any such conspiracy, shall do, OF


cause to be done, any act III furtherance Of the
object of such conspiracy, whereby any person
| shall be injured In his person and property, OF


deprived of having and exercising any righ


or privilege of citizen Of the United States
| the person so injured or deprived of such rights


and privileges may have aud maintain an ac
| tion for the recovery Of damages occasioned by


such injury or deprivation OF rights and privi
leges against any one Or more OF the persons


engaged In such conspiracy, such action to bt


prosecuted in the proper district or circuit cour


of the United States, with and subject to th,


same rights of appeal, review upon error, anc


other remedies provided in like cases in such


courts under the provisions Of the act of Apri
| 9th, 1866, entitled An act to protect all per


sons in the United States III their civil rights


and to furnish the means OF their vindica
| tion.'


Sec. 3. That in all cases where insurrection


domestic violence, unlawful combinations, O


conspiracios in any State shall SO obstruct o


hinder the execution of the laws thereof, an,


of the United States, as to deprive any portion