the sequel of appomattox-第39章

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led　at　the　cabin　of　a　radical　Negro　in　Attakapas　County；　Louisiana。　After　drinking　three　buckets　of　water　to　the　great　astonishment　of　the　darky；　the　traveler　thanked　him　and　told　him　that　he　had　traveled　nearly　a　thousand　miles　within　twenty…four　hours；　and　that　that　was　the　best　water　he　had　tasted　since　he　was　killed　at　the　battle　of　Shiloh。　The　Negro　dropped　the　bucket；　overturned　chairs　and　table　in　making　his　escape　through　the　window；　and　was　never　again　seen　or　heard　of　by　residents　of　that　community。　Another　incident　is　told　of　a　parade　in　Pulaski；　Tennessee：　〃While　the　procession　was　passing　a　corner　on　which　a　Negro　man　was　standing；　a　tall　horseman　in　hideous　garb　turned　aside　from　the　line；　dismounted　and　stretched　out　his　bridle　rein　toward　the　Negro；　as　if　he　desired　him　to　hold　his　horse。　Not　daring　to　refuse；　the　frightened　African　extended　his　hand　to　grasp　the　rein。　As　he　did　so；　the　Ku　Klux　took　his　own　head　from　his　shoulders　and　offered　to　place　that　also　in　the　outstretched　hand。　The　Negro　stood　not　upon　the　order　of　his　going；　but　departed　with　a　yell　of　terror。　To　this　day　he　will　tell　you：　'He　done　it；　suah；　boss。　I　seed　him　do　it。'〃

It　was　seldom　necessary　at　this　early　stage　to　use　violence；　for　the　black　population　was　in　an　ecstasy　of　fear。　A　silent　host　of　white…sheeted　horsemen　parading　the　country　roads　at　night　was　sufficient　to　reduce　the　blacks　to　good　behavior　for　weeks　or　months。　One　silent　Ghoul　posted　near　a　meeting　place　of　the　League　would　be　the　cause　of　the　immediate　dissolution　of　that　club。　Cow　bones　in　a　sack　were　rattled　within　earshot　of　the　terrified　Negroes。　A　horrible　being；　fifteen　feet　tall；　walking　through　the　night　toward　a　place　of　congregation；　was　very　likely　to　find　that　every　one　had　vacated　the　place　before　he　arrived。　A　few　figures　wrapped　in　sheets　and　sitting　on　tombstones　in　a　graveyard　near　which　Negroes　were　accustomed　to　pass　would　serve　to　keep　the　immediate　community　quiet　for　weeks　and　give　the　locality　a　reputation　for　〃hants〃　which　lasted　long。

To　prevent　detection　on　parade；　members　of　the　Klan　often　stayed　out　of　the　parade　in　their　own　town　and　were　to　be　seen　freely　and　conspicuously　mingling　with　the　spectators。　A　man　who　believed　that　he　knew　every　horse　in　the　vicinity　and　was　sure　that　he　would　be　able　to　identify　the　riders　by　their　horses　was　greatly　surprised　upon　lifting　the　disguise　of　the　horse　nearest　him　to　find　the　animal　upon　which　he　himself　had　ridden　into　town　a　short　while　before。　The　parades　were　always　silent　and　so　arranged　as　to　give　the　impression　of　very　large　numbers。　In　the　regular　drills　which　were　held　in　town　and　country；　the　men　showed　that　they　had　not　forgotten　their　training　in　the　Confederate　army。　There　were　no　commands　save　in　a　very　low　tone　or　in　a　mysterious　language；　and　usually　only　signs　or　whistle　signals　were　used。

Such　pacific　methods　were　successful　to　a　considerable　degree　until　the　carpetbaggers　and　scalawags　were　placed　in　office　under　the　Reconstruction　Acts。　Then　more　violent　methods　were　necessary。　The　Mans　patrolled　disturbed　communities；　visited；　warned；　and　frightened　obnoxious　individuals；　whipped　some；　and　even　hanged　others。　Until　forbidden　by　law　or　military　order；　the　newspapers　were　accustomed　to　print　the　mysterious　proclamations　of　the　Ku　Klux。　The　following；　which　was　circulated　in　Montgomery；　Alabama；　in　April　1868；　is　a　typical　specimen：

K。　K。　K。　Clan　of　Vega。　HDQRS　K。K。K。　HOSPITALLERS。

Vega　Clan；　New　Moon；　3rd　Month；　Anno　K。　K。　K。　1。

ORDER　No。　K。　K。

ClansmenMeet　at　the　Trysting　Spot　when　Orion　Kisses　the　Zenith。　The　doom　of　treason　is　Death。　Dies　Irae。　The　wolf　is　on　his　walkthe　serpent　coils　to　strike。　Action！　Action！！　Action！！！　By　midnight　and　the　Tomb；　by　Sword　and　Torch　and　the　Sacred　Oath　at　Forrester's　Altar；　I　bid　you　come！　The　clansmen　of　Glen　Iran　and　Alpine　will　greet　you　at　the　new…made　grave。

Remember　the　Ides　of　April。

By　command　of　the　Grand　D。　I。　H。

Cheg。　V。

The　work　of　the　secret　orders　was　successful。　As　bodies　of　vigilantes；　the　Mans　and　the　Councils　regulated　the　conduct　of　bad　Negroes；　punished　criminals　who　were　not　punished　by　the　state；　looked　after　the　activities　and　teachings　of　Northern　preachers　and　teachers；　dispersed　hostile　gatherings　of　Negroes；　and　ran　out　of　the　community　the　worst　of　the　reconstructionist　officials。　They　kept　the　Negroes　quiet　and　freed　them　to　some　extent　from　the　influence　of　evil　leaders。　The　burning　of　houses；　gins；　mills；　and　stores　ceased；　property　became　more　secure；　people　slept　safely　at　night；　women　and　children　walked　abroad　in　security；　the　incendiary　agents　who　had　worked　among　the　Negroes　left　the　country；　agitators；　political；　educational；　and　religious；　became　more　moderate；　〃bad　niggers〃　ceased　to　be　bad；　labor　became　less　disorganized；　the　carpetbaggers　and　scalawags　ceased　to　batten　on　the　Southern　communities。　It　was　not　so　much　a　revolution　as　the　defeat　of　a　revolution。　Society　was　replaced　in　the　old　historic　grooves　from　which　war　and　reconstruction　had　jarred　it。

Successful　as　was　the　Ku　Klux　movement　in　these　respects；　it　had　at　the　same　time　many　harmful　results。　Too　often　local　orders　fell　under　the　control　of　reckless　or　lawless　men　and　the　Klan　was　then　used　as　a　cloak　to　cover　violence　and　thievery；　family　and　personal　feuds　were　carried　into　the　orders　and　fought　out；　and　anti…Negro　feeling　in　many　places　found　expression　in　activities　designed　to　drive　the　blacks　from　the　country。　It　was　easy　for　any　outlaw　to　hide　himself　behind　the　protection　of　a　secret　order。　So　numerous　did　these　men　become　that　after　1868　there　was　a　general　exodus　of　the　leading　reputable　members；　and　in　1869　the　formal　disbanding　of　the　Klan　was　proclaimed　by　General　Forrest；　the　Grand　Wizard。　The　White　Camelia　and　other　orders　also　gradually　went　out　of　existence。　Numerous　attempts　were　made　to　suppress　the　secret　movement　by　the　military　commanders；　the　state　governments；　and　finally　by　Congress；　but　none　of　these　was　entirely　successful；　for　in　each　community　the　secret　opposition　lasted　as　long　as　it　was　needed。　The　political　effects　of　the　orders；　however；　survived　their　organized　existence。　Some　of　the　Southern　States　began　to　go　Democratic　in　spite　of　the　Reconstruction　Acts　and　the　Amendments；　and　there　was　little　doubt　that　the　Ku　Klux　movement　had　aided　in　this　change。　In　order　to　preserve　the　achievements　of　radical　reconstruction　Congress　passed；　in　1870　and　1871；　the　enforcement　acts　which　had　been　under　debate　for　nearly　two　years。　The　first　act　（May　31；　1870）　was　designed　to　protect　the　Negro's　right　to　vote　and　was　directed　at　individuals　as　well　as　against　states。　Section　six；　indeed；　was　aimed　specifically　at　the　Ku　Klux　Klan。　This　act　was　a　long　step　in　the　direction　of　giving　the　Federal　Government　control　over　state　elections。　But　as　North　Carolina　went　wholly　and　Alabama　partially　Democratic　in　1870；　a　Supplementary　Act　（February　28；　1871）　went　further　and　placed　the　elections　for　members　of　Congress　completely　under　Federal　control；　and　also　authorized　the　use　of　thousands　of　deputy　marshals　at　elections。　As　the　campaign　of　1872　drew　near；　Grant　and　his　advisers　became　solicitous　to　hold　all　the　Southern　States　which　had　not　been　regained　by　the　Democrats。　Accordingly；　on　March　23；　1871；　the　President　sent　a　message　to　Congress　declaring　that　in　some　of　the　states　the　laws　could　not　be　enforced　and　asked　for　remedial　legislation。　Congress　responded　with　an　act　（April　20；　1871）；　commonly　called　the　〃Ku　Klux　Act；〃　which　gave　the　President　despotic　military　power　to　uphold　the　remaining　Negro　governments　and　authorized　him　to　declare　a　state　of　war　when　he　considered　it　necessary。　Of　this　power　Grant　made　use　in　only　one　instance。　In　October　1871；　he　declared　nine　counties　of　South　Carolina　in　rebellion　and　put　them　under　martial　law。

During　the　ten　years　following　1870；　several　thousand　arrests　were　made　under　the　enforcement　acts　and　about　1；250　convictions　were　secured；　principally　in　Mississippi；　North　Carolina；　South　Carolina；　and　Tennessee。　Most　of　these　violations　of　election　laws；　however；　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　Ku　Klux　movement；　for　by　1870　the　better　class　of　memb