Report of the Joint select committee appointed to inquire into the condition of affairs in the late insurrectionary states, so far as regards the execution of laws, and the safety of the lives and property of the citizens of the United States and Testimony taken.

ALABAMA-SUB-COMMITTEE. 1531
Question. Was there ever a time when there was an occasion for it?
Answuer. Yes, sir, I think so; I do not know; I will recall that. There are times
when these men here among us do harm; we call it improper, and, perhaps, unlawful. I can mention the case where these men have interfered with our business, and,
while we did not commend the act, we say we do not believe these people meant more
than to correct that evil. Gangs of negroes have asked me, " Do you believe the
Ku-Klux are men? " I have said, " 0, yes; they are men, as far as I know."
Question. These men, when they take the law into their own hands, are just as likely
to punish the innocent as the guilty, are they not?
Answer. I do not think they attempt a thing of this kind, as far as I have known,
without there being a good cause for their acts.
Question. You have never heard of tflir making a mistake?
Aniswer. I have never heard of their taking a man reputed innocent, that behaved
himself; I have never heard of a case-not one.
Question. You have heard, 1 suppose, of the different acts of violence which these
Ku-Klux have committed, and know what is the character of the crimes they commit,
do you not?
Answer. I have read in the papers of many of these things in different sections of
the country.
Question. You have heard of murders committed by them?
Answer. Yes, sir, by people called Ku-Klux.
Question. You have heard of whippings, have you not?
Answer. Yes, sir; I have read of these things in different sections-not about here.
I have never heard of but two cases within my knowledge, as hearsay.
Question. You say when this affair occurred in Greensborough, upon the night in question, that a meeting was held in a lawyer's office, and resolutions drawn?
Answer. No, ir; I did not say a meeting was held. We were in a lawyer's officeseveral of us-and a resolution was drawn, and the most discreet men remarked, "That
will do no good; on the contrary, it will array these people, whoever they are, against
us as citizens, without any possibility of doing them any good. They know we are
opposed to them; they know we condemn it; why should we attempt something we
cannot do? A thief knows we condemn him, and my simply proclaiming it does no
good."
Question. Do you not think the good, law-abiding men in your community are
greatly in the majority?
Answer. I do, decidedly; I know it.
Question. Do you not think, if they combined together in earnest effort, they could
easily bring these lawless men to justice?
Answer. We have tried it in a lawful way, to find it out through the grand jury. I
know the grand jdry before the last did; we sent for witnesses in every direction,
that we supposed knew anything at all; they came and they swore they could tell us
nothing. I do not know any body of men better calculated to ferret out evil than the
grand jury; and they are authorized to. I am satisfied we made a diligent search;
our foreman was an earnest man. The fact of the better order of the negroes, in their
simplicity, laughing about them, and saying they are not going to hurt anybody that
does right, has created in my mind a feeling that they will cease when people begin to
appreciate this.
Question. Is there, or has there been, a sentiment of fear in the community in attempting to grapple with this invisible body of men who make these visits?
Answer. They have not excited in our minds any special fear, because I think the
quiet, law-abiding people do not give them more than a passing notice. We have had
among us nothing but these two acts.
Question. I understood you to say Mr. Chapman made some remarks on the occasion
you referred to; you spoke of the circumstance that he had condemned the Ku-Klux
in pretty round terms, and they visited him for that cause and called him out?
Alnswer. He expressed a wish to know who they were, and that he would give something to know; he condemned them, of course, and they visited him-no violencebut visited him.
Question. What was the object of that visit?
Answer. I do not know; he did not know; I talked with him at length.
Question. What did they say?
Answer. They simply charged him with what they had heard he had said, and he
denied saying it.
Question. Did he understand it to be an intimation from them that he must hold his
tongue?
lAnswver. I suppose so; they say tha ththey meant nothing but right, and did not
wish any interference.
Question. Did they inspire him with terror?
Answver. He did not feel comfortable under it, I reckon-a body of men visiting his
house at night in that way; he did not express any great terror.