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. 1829
perpetrators of crime brought to justice-your solicitor, your grand and petty jurors,
and your sheriff?
A1nswer. Yes, sir.
Question. Then, if there was an earnest determination on the part of the good men of
the community to put down these violations of law, these outrages of which you have
spoken, where would be the difficulty in putting a stop to them?
Answer. Well, I will tell you. This is the room where the grand jury deliberates,
and it has never been known how many Ku-Klux are on it. If they have eight or ten
Ku-Klux on the grand jury, your deliberations here get to them very soon.
Question. I see just where the trouble is now. I will ask your opinion on another
topic. Would it not bring down the vengeance -of the Ku-Klux organization if any
man were to make himself prominent as prosecutor, or grand juror, or county solicitor,
in endeavoring to bring the members of this Ku-Klux organization to justice?
Answer. Well, I told you that I thought they had paralyzed the officers with fear.
They are afraid really to do their duty.
By Mr. RICE:
QuEestion. I wish to ask one question. The colored voters most generally voted with
the republicans prior to the last election?
Answer. Yes, sir. There has been a republican majority in this county —a large
one.
Qtcestion. At the last election it went democratic, did it?
AnswCr. Yes, sir.
VQuestion. How do you account for the change?
-Anrswecr. I have my opinion about it only.
Question. What is it?
Answ'er. I think they have been deterred from going to the polls to vote as freely as
if they were let alone.
By Mr. BLAIR:,Question. But they came, and the vote was nearly as large as in the presidential
election?
Answecr. I think not. I never compared them; but I have always been under the
impression that the vote was much smaller. At this town, or precinct, there was a
republican majority. The result was obtained by an absolute change of vote.
By Mr. RICE:
Question. Some of them voted the democratic ticket-many of them. Do yen
account for that in the same way?
Answer. Not altogether that way. The wealth of the county here is in the hands of
the party called the democrats. They own the soil, and that fact has a legitimate
influence over a great many blacks; and yet I think if the blacks had been let alone,
and left to vote freely of their own accord, they would have voted the republican
ticket.
iQestion. In the township of York are there a good many colored voters?
An:iswer. Yes, sir; there is the place where I told you they were all deterred.
Question. There were no republican votes cast there at the last election?
4Answcer. None at all.
Qutestion. How do you account for it?
lAnszwer. I told you a while ago.
Question. They were deterred?
lAnswer. Yes, sir; they were deterred.
Question. Warsaw-were there many republican votes there?
lAswIer. Yes, sir.
Question. Were any cast?
A-nswer. No, sir; not at the last election.
Question. For the same cause?
Answer. I think so; the same cause operated there.
Question. Cuba is the same way?
lAnswer. That is a smaller precinct; but the same influences, I think, were brought
to bear.
Qtlestion. Intercourse is in the same situation?
A.nswer. Yes, sir; I heard of all these things. I heard the boast made, at the time
the returns came in, that there was no republican voters left in these precincts. I
heard that statement made.
Question. Made by democrats?
Answer. Yes, sir.
By Mr. BUCKLEY:
Question. At Payneville too?