The New York Herald Newspaper, November 15, 1871, Page 4

4 HE KU KLUX. Whe Alleged Outrages in South Carolina. ‘ABSURD STORIES DISPROVED. ‘Effect of the President’s Pro- clamation. A VISIT TO THE KU KLUX PRISONERS, The Ku Klux Not a Political but a Social Organization. TLLEGAL ARRESTS. ‘White and Black Radicals Assaming the Dis- guise of the Ku Klux. SPaRTaxsuea, 8. C., Nov, 1, 1871. ‘Travelling tu this part of South Carolina is any- Yning bat agreeable at tne present time, The rail- Foads are good enough, but they are few and far Detween, and que nas to take trips in carriages over Museradle roads for distances of from twenty to $nrrty and even fifty miles, damning the Ku Klux nd the President’s proclamation with severe im- partiality. And then the various caravansaries gre anything but models of excellence, @ltnough, so far as Spartanburg is con- cerned, they are fairly tolerabie. Stil it must be confessed that it grates harshly upon One's feelings to pay & maximum of price for a Minimum of accommodation. Beeisieaks, which ook asif the nigger cook had “‘chawed” them to’ pet them tender before putting them into the fry- ing pan, are by no means tempting to the eye, and then it israther rough upon a man to charge him $1 forthe privilege of deciding that he cannot eat them, I mentiom these trifing inconveniences in Ho captious spirit. Who knows but what the Ka Klux have frighiened the culinary art out of the Garkles? SPARTANBURG. However, after a while one gets used to anything, find even an Upper South Carolina hash may be found palatable i the natural favor ts thoroughly Gisguised with pepper sauce, So that by the time I reached Spartanburg I was resigned to almost Any bill of fare, and am only happy that the dinners gre very good. Spartauburg was once a busy, lively town, and when the present troubles vegan was prospering. In the vicinity are numerous springs of nasty mineral waters, which reatore life to the dead and perform various other miracles ppon mortal men, women and children, As B consequence the place was @ great sum- Mer resort im ante-bellum times. Large hotels were constructed, which still exist in a batiered and unsightly condition, and large nu bers congregated within their wails to flirt, make Jova, ance and play draw poker, This glory of Bpartanburg has departed. But few persons are at the hotels, and those have nearly all been brought here by the Ku Kiux troubles; At the “shebang” where I “hold forth’ are some officers’ wives, who pat on an enormous quantity of airs and talk a trife too much about “we republicans having to Come down here and make rebels behave them- Belves,” Ali this sort of stuff don’t help matters much, Much, however, must be allowed for the Yhongntlessness of women in general, aud gushing Joyaity im particular. PROGRESS OF THE “war.” Now, to say a tittle something about the war. This county apd York are the headquarters of United States soldiers, and here one sees any num- ber of ‘boys in blue,’ under the command of Major Beno, who is said to be an energetic, considerate Bnd mercifully disposed ofMfcer. In this county Arrests were made without the exercise of any Beverity. One case was reported where the soldiers Bte the breakfast and drank the whiskey of the Grand Oyclops, that formidabie fvnctionary of tne “luvisivie Empire” hav- ‘ng previously made himseif as invisible Bs che empire he has sworn allcgiance to. Even this case turned out to be untrue, and the urand Pyclops in nis exile can be comforted by the re- ‘Meotion that no Yankees foraged upon him. s for the miliary operations, I have to report that the poldiers have severe skirmishes with their rations every day, but beyond these there has not been any Dghting. Indeed, if it were not that this raid upon tne Ku Klux was playing the very deuce with the Indastrial interests of upper Svuth Carolina, tae Putire movement would b2a huge farce. Here we have a rebellion witnout-rebeis; an insurrection Without insurrectiomtsts, Federal oMcials, it 1s true, shake their heads and assure me that 1 ought bo Bave seen what Is:was last March; others hint. that ft was fearful two years ago, and I have nc Boubt that it was chaos at some time in the dim, remote past. SOME BEASTLY ATROCITIES, Before reporting what the better class of white Citizens say, I must state the charges against the Ku Klux. A great many outrages are said to have been committed—all of them of a minor character, Buch as whippings. Some of them are positively beastly and scarcely credible. Other outrages, equally Deastiy, are reported, but I shall not recapitulate them, Did they really occar? Perbups they did. But does any person imagine that intelligent, educated men perpetrated or even countenanced them? I ut- terly reject any such supposition, Mark you, tne Ku en were a political and treasouabie organization. ‘heir object was to control the vote of the State, gcd one of their means of accomplishing this politi. cal purpose was by beastly outrages upon negro men and women. 1] must express the opinion tuat ii any person of ordinary eaucation believes these Blories he ougut to be sent to a juvatic esyium at once, THE FOPULAR PANIC. Understand me. in the absence of any means of Qeciaring Use stories false | am uot prepared to Geny that the outrages were perpetrated, But it is frosty libellous to charge upon entire communities he Githy brutalities of a Landiul of illiterate, ae- raded scoundrels, hir. Lyle, the democratic mom- fer of the Legisiature of tuis county, is said to ave been the Grand Cyclops of the Kian, or “In- yisibie Empire,” in Spartanburg. He is represented to me as ap intelligent, refined and weil-educated ben pry Now, imagine, if you can, such @ man ngaged in tne bestialities | have binted at. Lyle heard tbat be was to be arrested, and prompuy Made himsel/ scarce. His fight, the radical auinori- ties declare, ts an evidence of bis guilt; but these Baine authoriues confess that numerous other men have leit the “insurrectionary” couuties against Whom there was not any charge whatever. No Booner had the President's proclamation appearea than @ panic seized tue people. Au extraordinarily Jarge portion of the male population le.t their homes Qnd wept co other States rather thin run the risk of Deing thragt tpg py mu, Some few have revarned Pince the excitement quieted down, vat whe @ajority are stall absent. THE KU KLUX, I have conversed with many of ihe prominent Citizens of Spartapburg since my arrival here, and they have spoken to ux a @ [rankness which has gmpressed me favorabl 0 person has ventured 0 deny the existence of the Ku Kiux organization, Tn fact, 118 existence is so unguestionabie that eny Genial would be an absurdity. And that its members, or men cl to be such, did perpetrate a Wanton outrages is somelu{ng siso undenlable. 1 glean from conversation these facts: Alter the ayy ry of South Oarolina it was not long be- State iment began a systematic prosti- sution of Huston, which aieates Grove the people to gpadness, Robberies by ni 8 Were Of almost daily bara were frequent, and for atrocities aa ed. in one their breed, a rs of meaner. nae he dis- the ye = cruninal was slaughtered hogs 1p tus @ negro jury, and convict ‘and overwhelming was the evidence of the Penitenitary, and tne felt that there was some ar eer ae the thie! was punisned. later, ulter onishmept, the ne- ‘ouavict reappeared upon streets of Spartan- ure. fall in tie Jace and la’ had becu pardoued, because the es great | ugbed con- | NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1871.—-TRIPLE SHEET, radical ns demanded it, And so it went on, until the Whives gave up all hope of recetving justice at the hands of the State administration. THE PEOPLE NOT PERMITTED TO GOVERN THSM- SELVES. This part of Sonth Carolina contains more whites than negroes, and is conseyuently democratic, The voters, however, are not permitted to govern them- selves. Ali goverament is mei into tne hands of tne Governor and Legiaiature, who appoint or elect nearly all the officers. By a vilianous system the feet Of juries ia made to devoive upon rait cals, and te! the central powers only hing that the — juitcal of such and such a crim r rr) Seeuabie @ jury is promptly drawn for the purpose such Mcyaiaale Somnerimes, when the crime 1s too palpable and correction is unavoidable, the farce of & trial ws gone through and sentence but the pardon is ready for the guilty wretch Devore he Teached | ye Kenitentiaty, Do you feel Bul at e Wit any rb! becoming bitter and revengeiul? Why, even after they elect the few officers they are permitted by Scott aud his negro Legisiature to elect, Scott fre- uently withnoids their commissions from them. H'Scott deems it advisable to elect a man he throws out the votes of the democratic procincts, and thus secures @ majority. Are not these damaable out- rages upon the rignty of American citizens? Are white men, thus brutally and wantonly trodden upon by iz of political scoundrels and adven- turers, backed by @ mob of ignorant negroes, like! to continue quiescent and submissive long? Ish write pretty sharply about the Ku Klux presently; therefore do not imagine that Iam about to deiend them, My purpose now is to show who are the worst Villains in this state. \STS. Let me take personal characters of the meu, who are the radical leaders in this county. have before my mind one man, who has for past been writing to a Columbia paper the most outrageous stories concerning the Ka Kiux. He ‘was once @ minister of the Church of South, The caaracter he bears ley | beastly. He ts charged with the commission of offences 50 abominably filthy that 1 cannot even name them. Deserted oy his congregation because of bis bad character, suspended by tis Church because 0! his wrongdoing, the miserable wretch turned upon the people who had befriended and cared for him before 18 Vileness forced them to cast hum off, and tried to stav then. He sought admusston into the Northern Methodist Church, and was received—surely those who received him were not cognizant of his past career—and to-day he preaches to an writes letters to the radical papers radicat party. Spoken of only in terms of diszast by every respectable and virtuous waite citizen, his name unmentioned even by pure-minded women, the testimony of this creature 4s heralded before the World as damming proof against the people of South Carolina, and we are asked to believe it. This man is cne of the leaders of the republicans of South Carolina; be 1s regarded as being one of the principal instruments io making the President's proclamation. Vhere are, I understand, but eight white radical leaders in Spartanburg county. I have descrived one. The remaining seven are not quite so bad, but every one of them bears @ bad character personally. Speak to them, and they will tell you that they are in constant dread of ination, And yet they bave lived for four years, the greater part of the time without any military protection whatever, and nobody has molested them. Their political maneu- vres, their stirring up of strife between blacks and whites, their taunts and threats have, it 1s true, ex. cited bitter and perbaps inextinguishabdle animosi- tes; but the fact that they are living to-day, when it was such ao easy matter to have murdered them, 1s evidence that nobody sought their lives, WHEN THE KU KLUX APPEARED, 1 come now to the Ku Klux. Here is what a well Known and influential citizen said to me:—“Ine masses of the people submitted to the gross prosti- tution of jastice by the State authorities until their patience ‘became exhausted, As they stood, and suill stand, the laws were partisan and bad enough, but had they been fairly enforced, and had Scott not sent his negro militia among the people to brow- beat and overawe them, all might have been well, lnstead of this there Was @ mockery oF justice, Meu were robbed and their barns, stabies and houses burned, and there was no redress to be had. We either couid not convict the criminals, or when we did convict them they were par- goned, Then it was, when tne re had passed the limits of forbearance, that Ku Kiux or- ganizations were formed. They were nothing more than a vigilance committee at first, Finally, as 1s always the case, bad men entered info it and com- mitted outrages in its mame. Every respectabie citizen of this county deplored and condemned these outrages; but what could be done? Fre quently, I believe, outrages were committed by begroes and white radicals, in disguise, aud the biame was laid upon the Ku Kiux. But lam of the Opinion that in @ ma ority of cases the men pun- ished were criminais, and the punishment they received was on account of their crimes, ‘he or- fanization of the Ku Klux at all was an error, but it Was just such an error as other communities simi- larly situated have fallen into.” A FEDERAL OFFICIALS IDEA. That, you will say, is the “revel” side of the story. Weil, hear the “loyal side. The Ku Klax, a federal oficial told me, was the mout periectly organized conspiracy evcr known in the country. 1t was com- posed of humerous bands called *‘dens,”” headed by chiefs who formed the Grand Kan of each county. This Grand Kian was headed by the Grand Cyclops, Who was chicf of the “Invisible Empire” in his county. An oath, which was exhibited to me, was taken by every member, and I must confess that I cannot Ond anything treasonable in 1. it requires the members ‘%o support the constitution o1 the United States in its original purity,” biuds each to protect and defend the wives, widows and children of each other; to obey the orders of the chiela, and to work for the overthrow of the radical arty. As@ finale each member swears never reveal the secret signs, grips, &c., of the orzani- zation, under penalty of death at the hands of the brothers, There ts not 02 ciause in the entire oath more objectionable than 18 to be found in the oath of the Union League of this State, Notice parucularly that it does not contain one word inimical to the Unisn, Ia it treasonable to swear to support the constitation “in its original purity?” 1s it disloyal to seek the overthrow Ol the radical party? I put these questions to the federal oilicial, and he me to the lawyers at first evaded them by ape | for an answer, Finally he admitted that ‘they might not Spreat end ‘hat, then, was the object of the Ku Klux? lt he declared, to intimiaate the pod voters, make the vote of these nine coun- ties solidly democratic, and thus ‘defeat the will of the people.” As soon as} lett him J engaged in an arithmetical calcniatiun. The total registered vote Of the nine counties does not exceed 26,000, of which Rot more than, 12,000 are republican. ‘The black majority in the State is 34,000. Let tne Ku Klux tn- Umidate every black voter in these nine counties and the radicals still have a majority of 24,000 in st eos Clearly the reason assigned cannot be CC white I 6 SAME BRUTAL SCOUNDRiLS, The Ka Kiux organization (I mean the Simon Pure one) was political oniy insomuch as tiiat none but democrats were permitted to enter it. But it knew well enough that it had not the power to carry the State. In the nine counties mentioned the democracy had a majority; there was then no excuse for intimidation. I must insist, therefore, that the outrages were of a social and not of a po- htcal character in ninety-nine cases out of one buudred. Of course the Ku Klux organization was bad. Some of its members were brutal, hardened scoundrels, who perpetrated diabolical outrages. Some negroes were whipped who had not commit- ted any offences, but merely because their ersecutors had a personal spite against them. jorant, degraded, beastly-minded men committed ‘Darbarities for which they deserved hanging. Un- questionably some of the Ku Klux were horrible wretches, but I don’t believe that they were “the mere tools of intelligent men.” They were natu- rally vicious, and they gratified their propensity for vice. AS @ proof of this I have seen “special orders,” purporting to nave been issued by the Grand Klan, which denounce the perpetrators of these outrages and threaten them with puhishment if they were repeated. One ¢rder declares that “ceriaiy individuals have dared to assume the dis- goisé and name of the Invisinie Empire and to perpeirate outr upon ceable persons, thereby bring! ng, public odium and disgrace upon the brotherhood, which ais are notivied thatif they are caught in the act they will be summarily dealt with. Another order informs the members of the Ku Klux organization that they will not be permitted to engage in any potions except by authority of their chiefs, an sharply feproves some of them for daring to ope- Present movement of the government is that the arrests now making are not for offences of recent commission, but for acts rmed months and ‘eara ago, Last spring, when the tonal u Kiux Committee was here, Senator Scott, of Pennsyivatia, threaréned the outrages were not stopped. No sooner had the commitcee departed than ex-Lieutenant Governor Cannon began stainping the county agatust the Ku Klux organization. He made numerous speeches, warning the people that they were bringing trouble upon themselves by not energetically suppressing the organization, and urged them to submit to any- thing rather than give the government an excuse for utting them tr mar Wal law, Senator Foster ai made ches of & like character, The result was that uu Kiuxism gn entirely ceased. For four months past there has hot been an outrage com- mutted in the county, and the tederal officials here admit this statement to be true, They add, how- ever, that the present crusade 1s necessary, because “the government must prove its power.” I beg me bear this particularly in miud: since June jast Spartanburg county has been porfoctiy quiet and orderly. The miliary and other ral ofucers here have admitted this me, and if attempt is made todeny what! have written I ive the names of those who have made the aam ssion. At the very moment when society was resuming its normal condition; at the very hour when a better feeiing was manifestin; the President’s proclamation }. arrests began and the fast dy hatreds and bitterness of the past years were died into a biaze. NO RESISTANOF. In this county, ain all the others I have visited, Loannot tind any case of resistance to the State or United States authories. Two years ago a couple of revenue oilicers were iA resisted by some men who Were en; id in iliteltly disttiling whis- key. No one pretends, however, thas ihey were the men who me, “because I alwi on said a federal oficiat to aye ma errest them.’ send an overwhel force to * Ver} resistance been offered?” “No.” “Have you ever to Make arrests without an overwhelm force *” “No; we used an ounce of prevention.” ‘Now, Major, are you not aware that the Sheriff of this county—@ one-armed man—has gone to remote Pe! of the county unattended. arrested men and rought them to Spartanburg withous meeting with Opposition?” ‘So I have heard; but I did not risk finding the same submission.” I put it to your readers whether it 1s fairto assume that ® people will resist until they have resisted? Iam assured by sume of the most eminent citizens that there has not been a day during the past two years when a feacral deputy marshal could not have arrested any citizen in the county unaided by the military. A STRANGE EXPLANATION, But let me give you a further tact. Many of the arrests in this county were made before the Presi- dent's proclamation appeared. “Why, then, Major,” lasked, ‘Was 1t necessary to susoend the writ of haveas corpus?” “It was not suspended because we could not make arrests,” was the reply, “but for the purpose of preventing any attempt on the part of the Slate courts to get the prisoners away rom us.” This 13 ccrtauly a wretchedly poor ex- Planation. In the first place the State courts have no Jurisdiction Whatever, and in the next place the State courts are in the hands of the radicals, But if the 1eason here given were the real one why ts it ‘that one-half the prisoners have been sent to Colum- bia, where the writ of habeas corpus has not been suspended ? CONCLUSIONS, This letter is becoming almost too long, hence I Must postpone some other things tor another day. My investigations into the condition of aifairs here mare Tesuited in my discovermyg the iolilowing CLS — First—That tor four months past no Ka Klux outrages have been committed in Spartanburg couuty, which the federal oilicials admit. Second—lnat the Ku Klux organization was originally tormed itor the self-protection of its Members and not ior. any special political pur- poses. dhird—That men of infamous character eniered the Ku Klux organization and perpetrated a series of gross outrages apon in Jividual:, Four‘h—That 1 many mstances white and black radicals borrowed the disguises of the Ku Klux and outraged their neighbors, knowing tat the blame Would not be laid upon them, Fijin—That i the state government of South Caro- lina had not been, as it still 1s, in the hands of cor- rupt and infamous political adventurers, and had the laws of the State-veen airly and impartially ad- Dinistered, public sentiment would have crushed the Ka Klux organization 1n its incypiency. Sizth—Tnat there was hot any necessity for sy pension of tne writoft habeas corpus, because Was not at apy time any disposition on the part of the citizens to resist the warrants of arrest, Every ‘white man in Spartanburg connty could have beea w@rrested by a deputy marsnal’s posse, Seventh—That the Ku Klux, while formidable in numbers, perbaps, never entertained the idea of re- Sisting the United States government. If its designs Were treasonabie i} could, in @ single night, have overpowered and annihilated the entire military force in this county. Eighth—That the effect of the present movement is dangerous to the juture ol the Union. Ii has re- vived old animosites, reawakened slumbering sen- timents and embittered the whites, pot only in the nine counties, but throughout South Carolina and the South generally. PUBLIC FEELING, And now, before I close, let me write a few piain, candid words. So far as the federal authoriiies here are concerned 1 have heard no complaints against them. Major Jonnson, the United States Marsnal (@ son of Keverdy), is a thorough gentie- man in his maauer and behavior, and all parties agree in percents, him as yertoraing, his official daties as ily ana leniently as possible, Major Reno, the military commandant, is spoken of by all the white citizens a3 a courteous, high-ioned gen- tleman. But, notwithstandimg the courtesy and consideration exbibited by these officials, the e fect of the President's proclamation is still the same, Ido not hesitate to declare that if President Grant desirod to invent an excuse for recommending to Co} 88 an increase of the regular army he could not have found a better one than io this movement. ‘Thus tar the submission of the people has been al- most abject, but it does not require unusual pene- tration to perceive that the humiliation is keenly felt, and that what is an ignoble war with a de- fenceless people to-day may become a fearful strug+ gle with insurrection to-morrow. Ido not say it ‘will become one, but 1 do say that it will be best for the peace of the country if President Grant put a Tate on their own Hs amy Now, while these things do not render the Ka Kiux an amtabie, law- ful organizauon, they prove, first, outrazes Were committed by men who were not members at all, aud, next, that some of the outrages perpe- trated were unauthorized vy their leaders, , RADICAL KU KLUX, Of the existence of 8 bogus Ku Kiux there is not @ shadow of doubt. There lies in jail here a man who had voted the radical ticket with matked regu- larity. When the present troubles began he was foremost in pointing ous the Simon Pure Ku Klux and in having them arrested. The zeal he displayed against them was remarkable. One day, to te dur. Was tinsel pated nt rise of everybody, he asa Ka ux, tate i iiurder various other crinéa. The évidence against this man is said to be overwhelming. At the head of a goog of negro scoundrels he perpeirated some of the worst out- rages committed in the county. Wreaking his ven- geance apon his personal enemies, nearly all of whom were radicals, he did not even hesitate at murder, for he well knew that lus atrocities would be laid upon the democrats, The belief is geueral that this scoundrel wiil not be pumished, because he belongs to the republican party. A VisiT TO THR PRISONERS. This evening, by permission of United S:ates Marshal Jobnson, who seems disposed (0 carry-out his orders in as kindly a spirit as possible, I visited Duliding opposite my hotel. All of them belonged 0. mn to the lower classes, ynen of limited education rt average In’ nes They are small farmers, who sith ey Ee Sl mest tee ing ‘con. Spirators” oy any means. These men had volunts- qv Mf surrendered tnemselves, meg, that the! belonged to the Ku Klux. ney, me that im consequence of the robberies and trouble in the county they had formed an or cm eens for mutual protection, but that, as they not been disturbed, they had never done auy- thing. Iasked them i any prominent citizens of the county had made them join the Ku Kiux, and the —y tea Whon they heard of advice of their chief, and ga pitied these of them wil) bome. Thero are several other prisoners in the jal, and these I shall endeavor to see Lefore my departure from Spartanourg. PEACE AND ORDER FOR FOUR MONTHS PAST. One of the most peculiar facta connected with the stop to tnis miserable business before submission becomes reckless desperation. The Ke Klux ia Union County—Their Operations Mainly Against Crimiuals—The Marder of a Mormonic Negro Preacher— Killing Negro Miliciamen for the Murder of a Whke Man—The Most Dangerous Ku Klux Organization Headed by Governor scott— Racical Outreges. UNIONVILLE, 8. C., Nov. 3, 1871. ‘Those of your readers who may have thought that my previous letters leaned too much on the side of the white people of Soutn Carolina kad best under- stand my position now. ~ When I enter a county I seek out all classes of citizens, Suppose a radical ofice-holaer or politician makes statements to me damaging to the people—I promptly inquire into his character, forthe purpose of ascertaining if I can place reliance in him. Now, suppose I learn that pe was suspended by a Methodist Conference tor defrauding a college, that he bad broken up a female seminary because of his committing certain specified beastly acts, or that he had robbed the government when he was a revenue collector, would you have me believe the statements of such a Man in preference to the statements of citizens against whose characters not one word cap be at- tered? Ithink not. When the correspondent of a radical newspaper comes here he never seeks the citizens of Knowm respectability; he goes to these Carpet-baggers and scalawags, hears what they have to say, believes them and forthwith abuses the entire people. Thus it bas been that while the Northern press haa been fillea with accounts of “rebel” and Ku Klux outrages nobody ever heard What these rebela and Ka Kiux had to say, KU KLUX OUTRAGES. Take this county of Union, for instance, I came here impressed with the opinion that wh Je the people had doubtless received great provocation, they nad certainly been guilty of gross outrages. What are the facts? Here, as elsewhere, there nave been men murdered and negroes whipped. Here also there has been a Ku Klux organization, numbering among ite members, as in Spartansburg, some bru- tal men. I have no doubt that in some cases of whipping the victims were innocent of any offence, In other cases itis likely that the men punished were the victims of private revenge; bnt 1am quite Satisfied that ina majority of cases the operations of the Ku Klux were directed against men ‘who were charged with the commission of crime, I shall not repeat what I have written from other counties concerning the mal-admintstration of af- fairs by the State government. The same com- plaints are made here. While the Ku Klux com- mittee were in Unionville the citizens testified to the utter prostitution of justice by the Governor and his Satellites, “1tis a wonder to me,” sail Congress- man Van Trump, of Ohio, who was with the com mittee, “that you have submitted to all of this as long as you have.”’ Robberies were numeronr,so were barn and house burning. Four times the negroes attempted to burn the town of Unionville, Well, perhaps for every twenty crimes committed there wasone negro convicted, anu this one Governor Scott pardoned, KILLING OF A MORMONIC PREACHER, Two murders were committed charged to the Ku Kiux. One of them was that of a negro preacher, and the radical press raised a great how! over it. I in- Qu:red from whites and blacks about this case, and interference if | of the colored clergyman were lazy and somewhat mormonic, tf I may coin the word. He veileved that preachers ought not to laber; wuich was cer tainly not @ very criminal belief. But he further believed that every male member of his congrega- tion shou)4 regard it. as an honor if his pastor took certain nameless iberties with the females of the flock, “Dat man, boss,” said a sable patriarch to me, “were continerly gwine after de coman of de Church,” In plainer English, the rela- tions of the reverend gentlemen with some of the wives and daughters of his male sheep were crimi- nally inumate from an ordinary Christian and ' human nature point of view. As a consequence | some of the sable brethren who could not see the honor conferred upon them were in a chronic state of wrath with thelr shepherd, Two days before | the murder was committed a couple of nogroes in- quired of @ white gentleman of this county if he thought that a man would die who was mutilated in warm weather (it wassummer) The gentleman langhingly replied that he couldn’t say if he would die, and the negroes left him. Two days later (or nights rather) the colored preacher was murdered. Now, Ido not say thas the Ku Klux did not kill nim, but shall I charge the white citizens, in the face of what I have stated in the foregoing, with wilfully endeavoring to screen the Ku Kiux when they ex- press the belicf that the man was murdered by members of his own congregation, with whose wives and danghters he had carried ous his peculiar theological notions, MURDER OF ‘A NOTORIOUS “FENCE.” Tne other murder can more justly be charged upon the Ku.Klux. It was thatof a white man named Owens, of whose personal character | did not neara single kind word, He had become no- torious in the county as @ recotver of stolen goods, and was the recognized “fence” of all the white and negro thieves in the community. Of course, the fact of nls being a bad man did not justify any person murdering him; but it is strong presumptive evidence that something else than politics was the cause of his murder. State Senator Duncan, of this county, is @ republican, and 1s politically obnoxious to the majority of the whites, and yet nobody has ever tried to kill him, and he declares that he has not the slignvest fear for hisiife. Lam assured that Mr. Williams, | the radical County Auditor, an appotntee of Scott's, is politically the worst hated man in Unton, and yet he is not afraid of assassination, Owens was not @ prominent politician. Why, then, chargo his mur- der to political intolerance? If the Ku Klux mur- dered him some robbery in which he was concerned was the impelling motive; and it is not improbabie that he was murdered by some of his companions in crime, A MURDEB AND A TERRIBLE REVENGE. But the worst offence committed by the Ku Klux of Union county, and, in my opmion, the most ex- cusabic one, Was the Killing of several negro militia- men for the murder of @ white man. ‘The aggrava- tion was certainly immense. It seems that just revious to the last election in South Carolina Jovernor Scott determined to organize and arm a militia force and send it to these Counties, ostenst- bly for the purpose of preserving the peace, but really to coercé the voters. He began by arming negroes, Many of whom he pardoned from the Penitentiary for the purpose of parang. guns into their bands. They were oilicered by meu of their own color, aud a company of them sept to Union- ville. The whites of this town became ‘They sent @ deputation to Governor Scot 0 ten: dered him the services of a company of white militia, which would guarantee the penne of the country during the campaign, Socott deciiued to accept any white militia at all; none but nezroes would serve his purpose, Well, the negroes were sent to Union, and there, a8 at Laurens and elsewhere, they ‘‘car- ricd things with a high hand’? person ventured to leave his Dightiall. these armed convie! thin an inch of a@ Jitté girl’s head on one occasion. Musket firing became a common occur- rence every aight, aod overbearing imsolence marked the conduct of the militia by day. Proba- bly the people of Massachusetts would have become as augry aud excited as tne whites of Union county became. They were intensely exasperated, and it only the occurrence of an event of more than ordinary atrocity for them 40 lose control of ‘their tempers entirely. It wasnot long betore that event happened. One evening, after sundown, a one-armed white man- named Matt stev Was retarning to his farm im bis wagon. A short distance from the village he was surrounded bya mob negro militiamen, who demandea that he should give them a barrel of whiskey which he had in his wagon. Stevens remonstrated with them, and finally refused to comply with their re- juest. Tue fiends seized him and brutaliy mur- ered the unfortunate man. In two hours more the entire county Was in an uproar of excitement. Sev- eral of the murderers were arrested by the Sheriff, alded by @ posse of citizens, and lodged in the jail. Tien came the counter excitement The négro militiamen swore that they would rescue their com- Trades. Governor Scott sent down & writ of habeas corpus for the delivery of the murderers to bis messengers and for their removal to Columbia, Anotuer uproar of excitement among the whites followed tuis singular proceeaing. “Scott wants to shield them,” was the cry throughout the county, One hundred and filty armed negroes were on the road outside the town threateniag to move on the Jali and release the prisoners. It was race avainst Tace and a bloody struggle in prospective when the Ku Klux entered the town. Two hundred horse- men, dis; |, rode to jail, “Not a remon- strance, Mr, Jailer |’’ they said, sternly. “Surrender php keys.”” Two hundred determined men took a sTful revenge for the cold-blooded murder of poor Matt Stevens. They snot or hanged every oue of the murderers, struck terror into the negro militia and then retired. Union county breathed freer. “Jf, said @ gentleman to me to-day, “the Ka Kiux hadn’t come in when they did, there would have been a [rightful slaughter next day. Uur people had been worked Op into suchastate of desperation that, instead of killing the murderers alone, they would have killed every militiaman io the county.” settee eee OF THE REYERGE, ‘ le revenge this, you may say, ing eight or ten men for the murder of one, Ho it was. A Most unjustifiable revenge, too; and did not the citizens of the town hold @ meeting and denounce the act of the Ku Klux? Did they not send ®@ committee to the Governor expressing re- ed thatthe outrage had occurrred, and asking has a company of United States soldiers be sent there to provect them and preserve the peace ? I do not believe they were ‘sorry that the murderers had becn punished, They would not have been human if they had been sorry, They regretted the outra; eiepelly because they knew that when it was told the world, the tmmense provucation they had re- ceived would not be mentioned, and tnus they wouid be condemned as cold-btooded ‘deliberate assassins, Condemn them if = please, but before you consign them to the tender mercies of military law just think whether similar outrages, arising from similar Provocations, have not been perpetrated by “loyal men” in loyal States. And decide, im addition, whether this territc outburst of Popalar. indignation can be justly charged to political intolerance, THE BIGGEST KU KLUX ORGANIZATION. Be pleased to let me repeat thatlam not defend. ing the Ku Klux; lam only explaining the causes that produced them. As a civilized, humane man, I look with horror upon the record of men whipped and otherwise ill-treated. But I bear in mind also that years of systematic oppression and des- potism, of systematic prostitution of justice and of systematic piunder of the people, wiil end in violence where no means of peace- ful remedy exist. 1 tell you that the most formidable and dangerous Ka Klux organiza. ton in this State is the one headed by Governor Scott. The most hardened and reckless scoundrels im South Varolina are the ointees of this man Scott and the elect of bis Legisiature; for it is they who, by their plunder of the taxpayers, by their subserviency to the negroes and by their shielding negro criminals from punishment, have ore the disorders for which the white men of uth Carolina—the intelligent, respectable classes— are now made to saver, you Imagine thatif the Intellectuai classes of the State had been able to repose confidence in the State government—if tie tate authorities had by honesty and economy in. pit d them with confidence—that they, the m: and supporters Of sdclely, Would have Wlerai nization in thelr miaet? Ku kiga It race ee aed Gk ae that ve C8 trouvies have existed in ta not denied that the Ku Klux, or themselves as such, have Tages. But will you not be these troubles ended seven m: 8 Wanton display of po ‘were committing bg alco Boboay uy") arrested, after ve retired fener "ae and society has Toaunied its normal ‘ARY BLACKGUARDISM, I t to report that the conduct of some of the feerat omioials this county has been unnecessa- rily harsh and despotic, A lieutenant of cavalry, named McDocgal, seems to have behaved most dis- rracefully, treating the white citizens in an insolent, ratal manner. 4 Mr. Corry, one of the teachers of the igh acl remonstrated with him upon the havior of his troops, whereupon the Neutenant turned to him and declared that if he said- another damned — word he would have him damned well whipped. It is sworn evidence that this man McDougal expt & desire to burn this town. Indeed, his conduct throughout was a disgrace to his uniform, and was tn stu contrast With the behavior of Licutenant ‘with this regult:—The theological ideas and principles | | the citizens, pam Hague, Captain Thompson an courtesy and constderation are bighly lunderstand been preierred be Court-martiahed, AN OUTRAGE BY PRUNKEN DEPUTY MARSHALS. Cases of wanton breaking open of houses and their sacking nave been reported to me. One case, the affidavits of which are now before me, 18 most iszracefut to the government authorities, It ap- eS that on the afternoon of the zd epuly Marshals, named Thompson and Cai, boasted that there would be “the damnedest r: on the t.wn that night.” ‘The same night four men entered @ house on the main street and asked for @ negro named Macbeth, whom thoy -began question: ing concerning the Ku Klux. ‘tne ‘qarky replied that he kuew nothing about them, whereupon they arrested and too! to 01 gen — street. were ‘un Uireaiéned hi lacbeth enuoavored to os- cape them, when one of the deputy marshals drew his revolver and fired a shot athim. The noise made by the pistol attracied a number of Wiite men-io the spot, and one of them (the fown Marshal) notified the. drunken official ihat it was inst the ordinances to fire weapons in the streets The aMdavits of all the parties, including the radl- cal State Senator, prove thas no violence whatever A oifered oy the citizens, Members of the Town uncli came up and remonstrated wita the deputy marsuals and the two federal soldiers with them, doclaring that if they persisted in creaving a dis- turvance they would be locked up and fined next day for disorderly conduct. To make tue matter Clearer to you [ will give the evidence of the ‘sworn :—Am a colored man; live six miles 1B town day before yesterday (Monday); three white men ‘came up, two of them o or LJ argeated ; te jOHN x haiti a The upshot was that the dranken men, who were acting withoat @ shadow of authority, nurried to the camp and presently returned with more deputy Marshals and more soldiers, ali beas:y drunk, and proceadea to arrest every white man they could lay hands upon. After arresting Dr. Rawls, one of the Town Counoll, aud taking hit to the camp, they fo Tansi room; stole his daughter’s watch and Chain and behaved in a inost brutal man- Der generally, Just as they were leaving the house the Doctor, who had been dis missed boy the captain in command on his own recognizance, returned. They demanded liquor irom bim, aud, as he had none, made him give them a bottie of bitters, windinz up by deciar- ing that it was all adrunken spree. ‘Ihe enure ir was a gross oalrags. ‘The mea arrested were most roughly treated by the imtoxicated mob of marshals and soldiers, One of the prisoners was 1e State Senator, who was struck on the shoulder with the butt ot agun. He was promptly reieased, however, I am-giad to state that as soon as Marshal Johnson received the atHdavits in this case he promptly suspended his deputies, and he assures me that if upon Lovestization the charges Prove true he will have them puaisaed. BLACKMAILING, I have time to report only one more outrage. Warrants were issued for the arrest of seveiai men charged with murdering a negro and concealing nis bouy in @ well. A careiul searca of the well faued to discover the body; but even if it had been there the government had no jurisdiction, as the crime ‘was alleged to have been comuiitted six years a: One of tue accused, aman named Whitmore, was arrested by Deputy Marsnal Casey, who is sald to have released him on the paymeut of $200 “‘la the dark.” The same viackmailng operation 13 said to have beea attempted on another of the prisoners, but he reiused to the money. When the mca were arraigned before the United States jommussioners they Were promptiy discnarged. Now, just imagiae what the condition of afairs Must be here, v SPARTANBURG, 8, C., Nov. 4, 1871. It I have heretofore said but little concerning the arrests made in this county it has been pecause thore has been little to say. Warrants are placed in the hands of the deputy marshals for the arrests of ten, twenty or thirty persons at atime. A force of cavalry accompantes each deputy marshal, and in & day or two it returns with a squad of prisoners. THE PRISONERS AND THEIR OFYENCES. To @ person just from New York or any of the Other States im which the civil law is paramount these military arrests are not pleasaut to witness. It is true that as arule tne prisoners are treated kindly, but it grates harshly upon one’s ideas of civil Uberty to see old men and young men, fathers of families, many of them, taken from their homes and confined in prison, most of them upon charges Which do not amount to more than a simple assault and battery. 1 have seen one of the confessions ofa member of the Ku Klux, the sime being sworn to. The penitent soldier of the “invist- bie Empire’ evidently belongs to the lowest. class, as he cannot either read or write. Of six men punished by his “den” four ‘were charged with crime by the Kian (stealing, stabbing & State constable and beating & white man “almost to death”); one, & negro, was whipped for boast- ing that the Yankees would soon come, and then ne would go to “‘guiltings,”’ sit beside white girls and have a white wife; while the other was charged With shoving a white man at tne last election and witn giving information to® revenue officer. The case last named is the only one which looks like Political intolerance, and I am rather foclined to belleva that illicit distilling had more to do with it than politics, Ithink tt fair to assert that you may form a clear idea trom this confeaston as to the poll- tical character of the Ku Kiux organization. lam endeavoring to persuade the authorities to let me examine all the confessions, but they seem reluc- tant to acquiesce in my request to that end. Whence arises this reluctance I cannot say; but it looks suspicions and is unworthy of the govern- ment. There is entirely too much of the Star Cham- ber business in the movement against the Ka Klux. Of course my opinion in this regard may be changed on Monday, and if my request (which is a perfectly fair and proper one) be granted I shall take pleasure in correcting my present impression. MATERIAL INTERESTS RUINED. Since my arrival here several batches of prisoners have arrived in Spartanburg. Not one of them, as far as Ihave seen, velongs to the intellectual, edu- cated classes. They are elther small farmers of average intelligence or white men of no education whatever. As their names would not be of any interest whatever I have not taken the trouble to procure them. It must not be supposed, however, that the better classes have escaped untouched. I aim assured that quite a namber of them have been arrested, Others, against whom warrants were issued, got information of their impending arrest and left the county, While the precise number which have fled cannot be ascertained 1t 18 said to be very large, and unless tho absentees return the industrial interests of the county will suffer terribly. Already merchants here are writing to thetr credt- tors, offering to return the goods tney had parchased for the winter trade, because all kinds of business have been completely prostrated by the present semi-military operations, I am told that as matters now look Union county will not produce 2,500 bales of cotton next year, against an average production of 25,000 bales yearly. What is worse than anything else is the widespread terror and uncertainty of what the morrow may bring forth, Men go to bed at night pelt sxpoonnd % be roused from their sta inberg ‘by the ¢ f horses? noots surrounding Their houses, prapatatory to demanding their sur- render, Not all of these aifosis Aié thade in the night, but very Many are so made—far more than are creditable to the government. Naturally society here 1s almost chaotic. Much suffering will, I fear, be experienced by many of the families of the men arrested. In some cases the cotton was on the tielas Unpicked when every male on the farm, from fifteen Years upwards, was arrested, and unless they are Teleased the entire crop will be lost. rivation of their male protectors have White Women and children com. epee ise Ee: atthe mercy of the negroes, and, although ‘oul or depredations have yet been re) Bergulrage oe is generally ‘dreaded. ge: the mountains, line which se aroina. On this possessed of his lit! | ho y negroes, is a tard of raded white of 8 jn the illicit distillation of A ng it, as it is humorously ey» cou venient carry their corn to market arate Pia in the io A large proport ton rs belong to these classes, ai jumerical strength to the organization... first two classes are concerned [ am satisfied their object in joining the Kian was for seli-pro- NT a ea ee nee ee ee RO EE ERS aes NE SORRENTO EES Eee RL DE ee ee ten tection. The barning of the barn of one of theso smait farmers would be temporary ruin to him, and Kaowledge that the criminal would not be punish by the State would naturally enougn incilue him to teen he oy dieu te) hands. The ee of baa, "From te nmemotinr ese ed have bose | a lawless, “low down” ‘less, wn’ sot, It is not denied by the authorities here that rocit credited to the Ku Kiux Were committed Or ‘tomy and [should not be surprised if their “dens” were ered {or the BRrOORS OF | wreaking private ven- Ettempts to ‘arrest iilielt disciites and gestroy the ullers and the stills, But 1 feel satished that the arrest isbment of these men could . 2 meet’ easily without suspending the writ of haveas cor stigmatizing entire communities as lawless and int Counties invo exile Ont patalyaing’ Tee inSuataese coun! @ the Stave, is Industry of WHAT TUR CONFESSIONS AMOUNT TO, It is worthy of remark that a large number of the two ciasses first mentioned have voiuntarily sur. Tendered themselves, confessing that they Delouged to the Ku Klax, t their Comfessions eviaence against the radical party, which has Fares the existing State government of ‘Sout, arotinga and which still rtait. What do their confessions amount to? We whipped John Smith negro) pecause he stole a hog; we whipped Tom jones (negro) because he set fire toa barn; we whipped Jinm Robiuson (negro) because he tried to Kila white man, Ask thein why they did thisand they will A opted mie we didn’t punish them they Would not be puntshed at all. We whipped them to make them behave tnemseives.” In response to this you wiil hear the jedera! officials glibiy say, “Two wrongs never makearight. You had no right to take the law into your own hands,” So say 1; ,but it enters dint at have no an that 1 barns, hence it is know bow a man feeia when bis ho; his oara burned, and he knows thoritics wiil nos punish tae rogues, to my, ‘8up- Powe county there lived a vicious, thieving ciass which always voted the democratic ticket, and which peraistentiy stole Mr, Grecley’s hogs and burned Mr, Greeiey’s barn. And suppose that woen Mr. Greeley had tne scoundrets. arrested, a packed democratic jury acquitted by or, M by chance they were convicted, Govern Hoffman turned them loose, would Mr. Greoley, like a law abiding citizen, quietly saomit to be rovbed anda to be burocd.out, or would he feel like doug a lide Ku Kiuxiag? . 8OMB KU KLUX SCOUNDRELS, Striving earnestly to ba truthful and impartial, 2 shall now consider what are genuine atrocities. I Williagly allow that tiey were committed by mem bers of the Ku Kiux organization; but even.the led- eral oiliciais here agree with me tn the opinion that they were not ordered by the “Ciiets,” “Grand Turks,” “Grand Cyclops” aad other Grand Mi of the Biuo Bottle of the Invisible Empire, ie beastiy-minided wretches who could mduize in sucl enormities as have been hinted at in previous levers deserve severe punishment, and it is to be he that they will svead some years ta the Penitentiary. Mt would not be a diiicult matter, perhaps, to find a jury of the beter class of Tnvisibie Impertais who ‘Would convict these scoundrels. I must do the wretcies justice by saving that they would not have conned their operations to the nogroes had not the negrocs been tess belligerent material to operate upon than their waite neigapors. But these ruillans Were shrewd evough ba perceive that the etter classes were groaning under the mal administration of the party in power, aud would be indiffereat, thougn not sympathetic, Wf they oue Taged those who supporied the radical party. Heuce it was that they directcd their operauous against the a and white scalawaz. Not always, however; for I know of one white mau—a demo- crat—who was most brutally beaten by them. These desperadoes are a vindictive, revengetul set of brutes, Hating the negro, even when he was a slave, though not daring then to harm him, his politics have had very little vo do with tneix animosity. Jhe mere assumption of equality angers them, a declaration Of superiority Maddens them, and then follows @ brutai whipping. So loag ag tne negroes looked to their old masters for prosection they were safe from ill-treatment, but when, led away by ad- venturers, they assumed & position of hostility to their old masters they were leit to protect them selves, Some of thom have been brotally whipped, others have been worse ireated, and one or two Baye even been murdered, Why were the criminals not punisned? Simply because it was not possible to discover the Rigid rites. If they had been caught the whole machinery of the state govern- meat would haye beea toward ther hited tree a P ee eee of juries, and, I am e to convies @ wilite man if he is a democrat It is Precious hard, though, to convict a republican, Why, thereis a radical im jail here ed with murder, aua the evidence 1s said to be overwhelin- ing. ‘He was tried at the. Jast term of the Court, and tue jury disagreed. He 1s a prominent radical, and the drawing of juries was, 08 it still is, 1n the hands ghee (OTHER, SUFFERING UNIONIST. AN . it letter ave rece! Tormation. ater ined the radicals he went security on the bond of tne radical tax pore perform the duttes of the ofice himself tne “rem erend” gentieman did the work. His mode of pro- cedare was novel, aud I call tne attention of the Tammany Ring to It. pee ae (catering the ofice)X—What are my xes REVEREND—Une hundred and twenty dollars. Taxpayer hands him $i20 and geis a recelj Reverend enters the amount im pencil on the book. Taxpayer retires. Reverend individual coolly rubs out the in pencil and enters $6) in ink, Re uit:—The county gets $60, reverend gentieman pockets $60. Don’t get uneasy and mutter “Come, come, this 1s getting slanderous.” By no me: my dear reader. Reverend gentleman was caug! and made to disgorge some of the plunder obtained in this way.” Read some of the letters written by the reverend rogue to the Colambia radical paper. Poor, down’ iden, persecuted republican! Un happy martyr for opinion’s sake? He never enters the street but he expects to be carried home @ corpse! Send on your soldiers, 0 Grant and keep this man and bis party in power | SPARTANBURG, 8. O., Nov. 6, 1871. I perceive that the Ku Klux organization, trom having been @ league to deprive the negroes of all Political power, has grown into a conspiracy to re new the secession movement. In spite of their troubles, the people have to laugh when they are told that they are organizing to renew the war This evening o federal oficial asked me seriously whether I would not be surprised to Jearn that the conspirators contributed money wW the cause, and that a stoking fund had been established, Of course such information would surprise anybody; bus where’s the proof. The story about the purchase of arms in large quantities 1s all moonsnine te ere stoien or vue State aa Thave no doubt that a comparatively large number, Of improved sporting rifies been sold since 1865; but to make war breech-loaders without bayo~ nets are not suMficient, Where are the artillery, the ammunition, the commissary and quartermaster stores Necessary for a hostile campaign? The fools are not all dead yet, I admit, but f question if a ma- jority of the Southern people are fools enough to at- tempt another revolution within the next fifteen years aniess driven to it by unkind traatment. But at any rate, if the Ku Klux organization 1s treason- able, why are not the prisoners arrested tried for treason, instead of simply for violating the rights, &¢., of American citizens ? ““NTMNIDATING” VOTERS, To-morrow I return to Unionville and thence cross the country vo Chester Court House. While in Unionville I will obtain the oficial igures—promised me on Friday Jast—which will put an end to che charges of intimidation of voters, From the incom Plete figures already in my possession the exhibit Will prove decidedly spicy and interesting. I shall also take occasion to describe how the political ma- chinery of this State is worked, and if you do not admit that for downright swindling and rascality the radical government of South Carolina throws Tammany completely in the suade I give up im de apair. ¢ For the past three days prisoners have been ar- Hiving here in “a5safy” nimboras On Yeatercade, (Sunday) a batch of twenty-one were brought In,~ escorted by asquad of cavalry, Several old and” middle-aged men were among them, and at cast half a dozen were pointed out to me as being among the most respectabie men of the county, and they did, indeed, appeat to belong to @ much superior class than the majority of the unfortunaves, Aa I have stated in previous letters, the prisoners are kindly treated by tne authorities. Their food is good and plentiful, ana the accommodations providea them are comfortable enough under the circum stances, Thus much Isay in justive to Major John- Gon, the United States Marshal, whose courtesy and Kindness are highly spoken of by the citizens, and even by the prisoners themselves. ARRESTING THE WRONG MEN. Bat no matter how kindly the authorities. perform their duties, cases of hardsbip will occar, Ono mag who was confined in the jail for twenty days whea Drought before the United States Commissioner was promptly dismissed, it being then ascertained that he bad not committed any offence. Another man, named Phillips, who has been a cripple, compelled to use cratohes, for three or four years, was arrested 93 & member of the Ku Klux and keps in prison for several days, when he was discharged with the consoling information that the Deputy ve ogg in nabbing hin, had arrested the wrong man, Not many cases and Lhave Overy reason, tor hentantas ates Sui vane 1s erry regreted by Hyon John: fae despots cn aro reported ts an evidence ‘them possible. So iaras United btates Commumnoner Wilkes 1s concornea he promptly reotifies the evil as f00n aa its existence comes to nis knowledge, and L