Most, if not all, of this information, except what I derived from the
Attorney-General, came to me orally, and was to the effect that said
counties were under the sway of powerful combinations, properly known as
"Kuklux Klans," the objects of which were by force and terror to prevent
all political action not in accord with the views of the members; to
deprive colored citizens of the right to bear arms and of the right to a
free ballot; to suppress schools in which colored children were taught,
and to reduce the colored people to a condition closely akin to that of
slavery; that these combinations were organized and armed, and had
rendered the local laws ineffectual to protect the classes whom they
desired to oppress; that they had perpetrated many murders and hundreds
of crimes of minor degree, all of which were unpunished; and that
witnesses could not safely testify against them unless the more active
members were placed under restraint.
U.S. GRANT.
WASHINGTON, _April 20, 1872_.
_To the House of Representatives:_
I transmit, for the information of the House of Representatives, a
report from the Secretary of State and the copy of the counter case of
the United States in the matter of the claims against Great Britain, as
presented to the board of arbitration at Geneva, which accompanies it.
Pages:
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335