ists as an evidence of the state of affairs in Alabama, and it was reproduced far and wide during the Presidential campaign of 1868. Randolph's brother Democrats were furious because he had furnished such excellent campaign material to the other side. In one of Randolph's letters he states: "The name of the Ohio newspaper that republished my famous wood-cut was the Cincinnati Commercial. I have good authority for stating that said paper issued 500,000 copies for distribution throughout Ohio during the Seymour-Grant campaign. Not only this, but a Columbus, Ohio, paper also issued a large edition."

The cartoon opposite p. 113 is reproduced from "The Loil Legislature," a pamphlet by Capt. B. H. Screws, of Montgomery. The Alabama Reconstruction Legislature was the first to make an investigation of Ku Klux Klan and Sibley and Coon were two carpetbaggers active in the investigation.

Opposite p. 196 is a typical warning sent to persons obnoxious to the Klan. It is taken from the Ku Klux Report, Alabama Testimony.

The costumes represented opposite p. 58 were captured in Mississippi and were

The whites believed that the "understanding of Appomattox" had been violated and that they had been deliberately humiliated by the Washington gov

ernment.

Such were some of the influences, in General Gordon's opinion, that caused the spread of the Klan in Georgia. He says that he heartily approved the objects of the order, that it was purely for selfprotection, an organization for police purposes, a peace police, which kept the peace, prevented riots, and restrained the passionate whites as well as the violent blacks. Its membership was, he said, of the best citizens, mostly ex-Confederates, led by the instinct of self-preservation to band together. It was secret because the leaders were sure that the sympathy of the Federal Government would be against them and would consider a public organization a fresh rebellion. It took no part in politics and died out when the whites were able to obtain protection from the police and the courts.

These were the explanations of men who were high in the order but who never attended a meeting and were never in actual contact with its workings. Private

But

members-Ghouls they were called-could have told more thrilling stories. deficient as the accounts of Gordon and Forrest are in detail they supplement the history of Lester and Wilson in explaining the causes that lay at the bottom of the secret revolution generally called the Ku Klux Movement.

As to the success or failure of the movement, Lester and Wilson, condemning the violence that naturally resulted from the movement, cause the impression (Ch. 4)` that the main result was disorder.

Such

was not the case, nor was it the intention of the writers to create such an impression. The important work of the Klan was accomplished in regaining for the whites control over the social order and in putting them in a fair way to regain political control. In some States this occurred sooner than in others. When the order accom plished its work it passed away. It was formally disbanded before the evil results of carpet bag governments could be seen. When it went out of existence in 1869, there had been few outrages, but its name and prestige lived after it and served to hide the evil deeds of all sorts and conditions of outlaws. But these could be

crushed by the government, State or Federal. In a wider and truer sense the phrase "Ku Klux Movement" means the attitude of Southern whites toward the various measures of Reconstruction lasting from 1865 until 1876, and, in some respects, almost to the present day.

Two elaborate Prescripts or Constitutions were adopted by the Ku Klux Klan -the original Prescript (See Appendix I) and the Revised and Amended Prescript (See Appendix II). The ritual and initiatory ceremonies and obligations were never printed. The by-laws and the ritual of the Pulaski Circle or Den were elaborate but were in manuscript only. They were quite absurd and were intended only to furnish amusement to the members at the expense of the candidates for initiation. No oaths were prescribed-only a pledge of secrecy. As the Klan spread among neighboring towns, the Pulaski by-laws and ritual were modified for the use of new Dens. After the Klan had changed character and become a body of regulators, and it was decided that the administration should be centralized, a convention of delegates from the Dens

met in Nashville, in April, 1867, and adopted the original Prescript already referred to. Lester and Wilson are mistaken in saying (Ch. 3) that the Revised and Amended Prescript was adopted at this convention. Where and how this Prescript was printed no one now knows. A copy was sent, without notice or explanation, from Memphis to the Grand Cyclops of each Den. It must have been printed in a small printing office since in the last pages the supply of *'s and 's ran out and other characters were substituted. Many Dens used only this Prescript, and most of the members have never heard of more than one Prescript.

In some respects this first Constitution was found defective and in 1868 the Revised and Amended Prescript was adopted. Who framed it we do not know, but it is known how it was printed. Frank O. McCord, one of the founders of the Pulaski Circle, was editor of the Pulaski Citizen. A relative of his who worked in the printing office of the Citizen, made the following statement some years ago in reference to a copy of the Revised and Amended Prescript."

1

1 It is the copy he refers to that is reproduced in Appendix II.