The racist roots of the democrat party's lust for 'gun control'

"Before the election Governor Scott had organized and armed the colored militia, alleging that it was necessary to protect them against violence. This action was very objectionable to the democratic party...."

"Some of the arms belonging to the State militia were stored at the town of Laurens, in charge of Joseph Crews, who is represented as having made incendiary speeches to the negroes during the campaign. A state of feverish excitement evidently prevailed throughout that region, and apprehensions were felt of collision between the whites and blacks. Upon several occasions they were upon the eve of conflict with each other, both before and upon the day of election, at various points in the county. It is asserted upon one side, and denied upon the other, that there was a preconcerted arrangement on the part of the whites to interfere with the election. It passed off without serious disturbance ; but, upon the next day, an altercation occurred in Laurens between two men of opposite parties, and during that altercation a pistol, not in the hands of either, went off". One of them ran to the armory, where the State arms were stored, and a number of negroes went with him. Almost immediately a company of white citizens was formed, armed with pistols, and firing commenced on both sides. From this beginning a riot ensued.---page 1199:

"...The impression had evidently prevailed throughout the surrounding counties that trouble would ensue at Laurens, for, soon after this tiring commenced, large bodies of armed men made their appearance, coming from the direction of Union, Newberry, and Spartanburgh. Not only in the town were there riot and bloodshed, but it extended for many miles through the country. At least seven persons, and it is alleged thirteen, were killed; among them was the republican candidate for probate judge, Volney Powell, and a republican candidate for the legislature, Wade Perrin, whose bodies were found some miles away from the town. So great was the excitement that Mr, Simpson, a lawyer of Laurens, testifies that by midnight of that day 2,500 men had come in, more than the whole white voting population of the county.

"The disturbance had commenced about noon, and in a short time all the white republicans and the negroes had left the town, leaving it and the arms in possession of the democrats. All the persons killed were republicans. Some thousand or eleven hundred rifles, State arms, were taken possession of by whites there assembled, and of these not more than two hundred have ever been returned, (pp. 1305-1319.)
This riot commenced in Laurens on Wednesday, the 20th of October, at noon, and the violence continued through the county until Thursday evening, men being arrested and threatened upon all the leading high-ways. (See the testimony of Major E. W. Everson and J. A. Crews.) None of the parties were disguised, and, however strongly the circumstances indicate that they were assembled by virtue of and as members of a thoroughly disciplined organization, the manner of proceeding was different from what are popularly called Ku-Klux demonstrations. It has occupied considerable attention in the testimony, and, whatever its real origin, we have related its results.

"Immediately after this election, outrages commenced against the colored people by the Ku-Klux, and were committed in great numbers, through the winter and spring, in the counties of Spartanburgh, Union, York, Newberry, Chester, and Fairfield...."

"...The; actual existence of the Klan in South Carolina in 1870 is shown by the testimony of W. K. Owens, already referred to, who was initiated before Christmas, 1870. He gives the oath, the signs, the pass-words; the fact that they are bound to obey all the orders of their chief; that if ordered to commit murder, the penalty for refusal is death; that they are bound to deny their membership, even as witnesses in court, and to clear each other by their testimony or as jurors; that it is organized all over the State; that he had recognized members in Columbia, Winnsborough, and Spartanburgh; also, members from North Carolina, thus showing the organization to be the same in both States, He speaks of murders committed in York County as communicated to him by his chief; of a raid upon which he went to arrest and murder the county treasurer of York, who escaped from them ; gives the names of chiefs and members in the town of York; describes their disguise; states that it was part of their business to disarm negroes, and that their object was political—" to carry the negro for the democratic party," (pp.1303-1370.)

"...The, organization of what were called "democratic clubs"—secret societies, designed to seize the Government by violence in the event of the assurance of the election of Seymour and Blair--which clubs became afterwards the Ku-Klux of infamous notoriety for blood and cruelty, compelled the purchase, in 1868, of 2,000 stands of arms, with equipments and ammunition, at a cost of $28,000 in bonds...."

"...And by Judge Brevard in 1814:

"The evils ard multiplied, and more inveterate by the accumulation of new laws and the lapse of time.

"The laws were not collected until 1836 to 1841, and there has been no general revision or collection since, so that only skillful and experienced lawyers familiar with the statutes could have discovered the rights or limited the disabilities of colored persons.

"But from this confusion some things stand out clearly enough, and show that before the law of South Carolina a free person of color was only a little lower than a slave. No such person could enter the State

either from a foreign land or from any other part of the Union. A native of the State leaving it was forbidden to return. Those who remained were heavily taxed ; as late as 1820 the tax was $50 per annum.

"They were forbidden to carry or have arms...."

“...More than twenty-five thousand colored men of Kentucky have been soldiers in the Army of the Union. Many of them were enlisted against the wishes of their masters, and now, after having faithfully served their country, and been honorably mustered out of its service, and return to their old homes, they are not met with joyous welcome, and grateful words for their devotion to the Union, but in many instances are scourged-, beaten, shot at, and driven from their homes and families. Their arms are taken from them by the civil authorities, and confiscated for the benefit of the commonwealth. The Union soldier is fined for bearing arms. Thus the right of the people to keep and bear arms as provided in the Constitution is infringed, and the Government for whose protection and preservation these soldiers have fought is denounced as meddlesome and despotic when through its agents it undertakes to protect its citizens in a constitutional right. Kentuckians who followed the fortunes of John Morgan, and did all in their power to destroy the nation, go loaded down with pistols and knives, and are selected as candidates for high positions of honor and trust in the State. The loyal soldier is arrested and punished for bringing into the State the arms he has borne in battle for his country....”

“...That you may have a bird's-eye view of the protection afforded the freedmen of Kentucky by the civil law and authorities, I have the honor to invite your attention to the following extracts from communications received from our correspondents in that States.

C. P. Oyler, of Covington, writes as follows:

    "Jordan Finney and family (freedmen) lived in Walton, Kentucky; they owned a comfortable home.

Two of the daughters were wivcs of colored soldiers, and lived with him. Returned rebel soldiers hereinafter named combined to drive this family from the State. They attacked the house three times, abused the women and children, destroyed all their clothing, bedding, and furniture to the value of $500, and finally drove them from their homes. The names of the perpetrators, so far as known, are Allen Arnold, Jolan Arnold, Franklin Yowell, Woodford Fry, L. Snow, and Robert Edwards; all live in Walton, Kentucky, An attempt -was made to bring these parties to justice, but it failed, as colored testimony could not be received. This same man Finney has a daughter held as a slave by Mr. Widen Sheet, of Boone County, whom he values at $1,000. Sixteen armed men resisted Mr. Finney and an expressman when they went for the girl, and beat them cruelly with clubs and stones."

    "An old colored man named Baxter was shot and killed by James Roberts, for refusing to let Roberts in his house. The civil authorities will neither arrest nor punish said Roberts!, as there is no testimony except of colored persons." (Reported by Thomas Rice, Richmond, Kentucky.)

    "Lindsley Taylor, of Richmond, stabbed a negro on the 30th of January, for no cause save that the negro did not wish said Lindslcy to search his house. The civil authorities tried Taylor and acquitted him." (Reported by Thomas Rice, superintendent.)

    L. L. Pinkerton, superintendent of Fayette county, at Lexington, reports that,"in his and the opinion of all whom he has consulted, the freedmen cannot receive their just rights without a considerable military force."

C. P. Oyler, Covington, writes: "The civil officers, after the late action of the Kentucky legislature in regard to the Freedmen's Bureau, refused to co-operate with me, and manifest a disposition to drive the Bureau out of the State. It will be impossible to secure to freedmen their just rights without the aid of a military force. Colored people are driven from their homes and their houses burned."

    William Goodloe writes: "The counties of Boyle, Lincoln, and Mercer are infested with guerrilla bands. Outrages are mostly committed upon colored persons. The evidence of colored persons is not taken in court. I am powerless to accomplish anything without soldiers."

    "Peter Branford, a returned colored soldier, in Mercer County, was shot by James Poore, a white man, without cause or provocation."

   Judge Samuel A. Spencer, of Green County, writes: "A great many colored men are beaten, their lives threatened, and they refused the privilege of returning home because they have been in the Army. I cannot accept the agency on account of the action of the Kentucky legislature."

    E. P. Ashcraft, of Meade County, writes.:"Richard, William, Jesse, and John Shacklett, and Martin Taylor, returned rebel soldiers, have on different occasions attacked negroes with fire-arms, and say they intend no d—d niggers shall live on this side of the Ohio." " The civil authorities are powerless."

    R. W. Thing, of Warren County, writes: "An old negro was killed by gun-shot while attempting to run from a white boy eighteen years of age, to escape a whipping."

    "A freedman was attacked in his cabin and shot. He and his wife ran to the woods, with bullets flying thick and fast around them from five or six revolvers, the woman escaping with her life by tearing off her chemise while running, thereby presenting a darker-colored mark."

    "A woman was stabbed by a white woman in the neck, the knife penetrating the windwipe, for giving water to a Union soldier in a tumbler."

   " A woman and her son were horribly cut and mangled with the lash, and^then hung by the neck until so nearly dead that water had to be thrown in their faces to revive them, to make them acknowledge that they had set a house on fire."

    "A woman received a severe cut in the head from a club in the hands of a man, who drove her from her home because her husband had joined the Army."

There are several cases of robbery of colored persons by returned rebels in uniform, in Russellville, Kentucky. The town marshal takes all arms from returned colored soldiers, and is very prompt in shooting the blacks whenever an opportunity occurs."

    "I have a case in hand to-day, where a white man knocked down an old man eighty years of age, because he asked for and urged the necessity of his pay for cutting eight cords of wood."

    "There has been a large number of eases of women and children being driven from home on account of their husbands enlisting."

"It is dangerous for colored people to go into Logan, Todd, Barren, and the north part of Warren Counties, after their children."

    "A freedman's wife left her former master, and came to live with him, (her husband.) She was followed and shot at."

   " A furloughed soldier of the Twelfth United States Colored Artillery was murdered at Auburn, Kentucky, while sitting on his bed. The civil authorities do nothing in the case."

    "An old freedman in Allen County was shot and killed, because ho would not allow himself to be whipped by a young man."

    "Major Lawrence, of the Seventeenth Kentucky Cavalry, reports that a negro was shot in one of the streets of Russellville last night. No cause whatever for it. Several negroes came to me to know what they should do, saying they had been robbed by a party of men wearing the Confederate States uniform. The judges and justices of the peace, in almost every instance, are rebels of very strong prejudices, who will not even take notice of the most hideous outrages, and if a case is turned over to them they will not administer justice. The action of the courts in Southern Kentucky indicates that

the day is far distant when a negro can secure justice at the hands of civil law."

    "In Grant County a band of outlaws, styling themselves ' moderators,' made an attack upon the colored citizens for the purpose of driving them from the State. They went late in the night to their homes, took them from their beds, stripped and whipped them until they were unable to walk."

“Colonel William P. Thomasson, of St. Louisville, Kentucky, writes that "outrages and wrongs upon freedmen are numerous, especially upon returned colored soldiers. A few nights since a colored soldier just mustered out, with his money in his pocket and a new suit of clothes on his back, was waiting for the cars at Deposit Station, a few miles from Louisville; four or five young rowdies of the place set upon him to rob him. He was a light-colored man, and one of the robbers said to his fellows: 'He is a white man;let him alone.' A dispute arose as to his color, and he was taken into a grocery, a lamp was

lit, and the question of his color settled. He was then robbed of his money, arms, and clothing, was stripped to the shirt, and told to run. He did run, and was shot at while escaping, and the shot took effect in his hand."

I am in daily receipt of similar reports from our superintendents, judges, sheriffs, and military officers.

Some of the writers dare not be known as giving this information, fearing assassination as the consequence....”

"...Alabama, (p. 65.)

"It seems, in certain neighborhoods a company of men, on the night before Christmas, under alleged orders from the colonel of the county militia, went from place to place, broke open negro houses, and searched their trunks, boxes, &c., under pretense of taking away fire-arms, fearing, as they said, an insurrection. Strange to say, that these so-called militiamen took the darkest nights for their purpose; often demanded money of the negroes, and took not only fire-arms, but whatever their fancy or avarice desired. In two instances negroes were taken as guides from one plantation to another, and when the party reached the woods the guides were most cruelly beaten...."

“...Turning a step back, in order fully to comprehend the state of things in Tennessee, and to see how far the rights, liberties, and privileges of the people of that commonwealth were at the mercy of that man, it is shown that, while the general law of the land prohibited the carrying of concealed weapons, yet, by special law passed immediately upon the close of the war, to wit, June 6, 1865, (see acts of 1865, page 41,) it was allowed and permitted that loyal men should carry arms. Let it be remembered that, in two grand divisions of the State, (Middle and West Tennessee,) the almost entire body of the so-called loyal men were negroes....”

“...17. The people have been disarmed throughout the State, notwithstanding their constitutional right "to keep and bear arms." (Constitution, section 13, article 1. Laws 1871, p.2.-).

"The police and State guards are armed, and lord it over the land, while the citizen dare not, under heavy pains and penalties, bear arms to defend himself, unless he has reasonable grounds for fearing an unlawful attack on his person, and that such grounds of attack shall be immediate and pressing. The citizen is at the mercy of the police-man and the men of the State Guard, and that, too, when these bodies of men embrace in them the most lawless and abandoned men in the State, many of whom are adventurers—strangers to the soil—discharged or pardoned criminals, forgetful of law—unrestrained by the customs of society, and without interest in, or ties to the State....”

“...By the election act, page 128, section G, all elections must be held at county-seats of the several counties, and continued four days....”

“...Section 55 prohibits the carrying of arms within half a mile of election place, during days of election, except by the peace officers and military....”

“...We think no man can look over the testimony taken before this committee without coming to the

conclusion that no people had ever been so mercilessly robbed and plundered, so wantonly and causelessly humiliated and degraded, so recklessly exposed to the rapacity and lust of the ignorant and vicious portion of their own community and of the other States, as the people of the South have been for the last six years.

“History, till now, gives no account of a conqueror so cruel as to place his vanquished foes under the dominion of their former slaves. That was reserved for the radical riders in this great Republic.

“To-day, in South Carolina, Texas, and Arkansas, (and in 1866-68 it was so in Tennessee and elsewhere,) the emancipated slave regiments parade in State or Federal uniform, armed cap-a-pie with the most approved weapons, paid for by taxation imposed on their former masters; while the white men are denied the right to bear arms or to organize, even as militia, for the protection of their homes, their property, or the persons of their wives and their children....”

“...This is the substance of what those gentlemen said was a part of his harangue at Waterloo. This thing kept intensifying during the summer as that election approached. The negroes, of course, seeing the white people were not armed, and offering no resistance to insults along the highway, began to be pretty bold and defiant, until the impression prevailed almost entirely over the whole county that it would ho a miracle if the election passed off without a general conflict. The whites believing that, and being unarmed, a good many sent off and got arms, bought Winchester rifles on their own hook in New York and elsewhere. I don't know how many they brought into the county in that way; perhaps eighty or a hundred guns. Things were in this condition all the summer, Crews going from point to point every Saturday. About four weeks before the election a disturbance started in Newberry, forty-five miles away, which came near being a general conflict. I do not know how it originated. It spread into our county; I do not know how. The first thing we knew in the village there .seemed to be a struggle about to ensue at Clinton, over the arms there. They were placed under the control of a man, an employ'e of Crews, there....”

“...Question. Give us a full account of all you heard of what these negroes had done at Chester, or elsewhere, before you started from Unionville.

Answer. I heard nothing, except that they had gone to Chester and taken possession of the village of Chester, and there had been some firing between the citizens and the negroes. That was my understanding by the report I received. They had assembled some three hundred white men with their arms, and there was finally a compromise, if I may so term it, between them; and the negroes said if the white people would put down their arms and leave, they would leave. The white people went off and the negroes went off, but returned that night and occupied their position at night....”

--REPORT OF THE CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN THE LATE INSURRECTIONARY STATES. MADE TO THE TWO HOUSES OF CONGRESS FEBRUARY 19, 1872.

Hmmmmmm, and president obama is crying for more 'gun control'? Very interesting indeed....