places its usefulness was at an end. The war against it had caused the more violent spirits to get control of affairs in many Dens and outrages were committed. The order was used by some as an instrument in their private quarrels. Scoundrels of every stripe found that the name and disguise of the order afforded them protection, and they assumed to do their deviltry in the name of the Klan. The best men were deserting the order. The Grand Wizard, who was vested with absolute power, issued a final decree in March, 1869, disbanding the order and directing the destruction of all papers, prescripts and regalia belonging to the Klan. The members were ordered to desist from further meetings. Thus ended the second or political period of the Klan's existence. The order was strictly obeyed where received and the destruction of Klan property was practically complete. After it was made illegal to publish Ku Klux notices and orders, the Klan began to disintegrate, each Den becoming practically independent. It is certain that, owing to the difficulty of communication, some remote Dens never received the order of disbandment. The third period in the history of the Ku Klux Klan begins with the collapse in 1869 of the central administration. The Ku Klux movement now divided. On the one hand, the lawless and violent element committed many outrages, and the corresponding element of the Union League, the Radical organization, used the name and disguises of Ku Klux to hide its midnight marrudings. All the meanness that happened was attributed to the Ku Klux Klan. On the other hand, the spirit of resistance to oppression which caused the rise of the Klan still survived, and when local conditions. rendered it necessary, the local Den revived and again did its work. The methods used during this period even by the best regulated Dens were harsher than before. There was less scaring of negroes and warning of obnoxious whites, and more beating and shooting of offenders. As long as the carpetbagger was in the land tampering with the negroes, Ku Klux bands were formed to protect the citizens against the results of his teachings. The movement went under various names: The Invisible Empire, Ku Klux Klan, Constitutional Union Guards, Pale Faces, White Brotherhood, White League, Knights of the White Camellia. These orders had no direct connection with each other and even in the Klan there was little or no active connection between Dens, though the spiritual connection was complete, and the Prescript was used only to furnish names for the officers. The elaborate organization provided for in that Constitution was dropped. The spurious Dens were of course simply marauders, white and black, banded together for plunder and outrage, and it was said were usually Radicals. After the revolution lasting from 1874 to 1876 which secured the overthrow of the carpet-bag regime in the Southern States, the conditions which caused the movement no longer existed and the movement collapsed. The bands of outlaws composing the spurious Ku Klux were crushed by the authorities.1 'See J. C. Lester and D. L. Wilson, Ku Klux Klan: Its origin, growth and disbandment, Nashville, 1884. J. M. Beard, Ku Klux sketches, Phila., 1877. W. G. Brown, The lower south in American History (article on Ku Klux movement). The report of the Joint Select Committee to inquire into the condition of affairs in the late insurrecting States, 13 vols., Washington, 1872. American Historical Magazine, January, 1900. Of the original "Prescript" I know of but one copy in existence. That one was given me by the Grand Giant of the Province in Tuscaloosa county, Alabama. An imperfect reprint of it will be found in House Miscellaneous Documents, No. 53, 41st Congress, Second Session, in the report of the contested election case of Sheafe vs. Tillman. This was reprinted again in the thirteenth volume of the Ku Klux testimony. The "Revised and Amended Prescript" was not discovered by the Committee of Congress which made the investigations. A lady in Nashville in 1891 sent a copy of this "Revised" Prescript to Mr. Hugh R. Garden of New York. It was placed in the library of the New York Southern Society and in 1900 this copy came into the possession of Columbia University, when the Society deposited its library with the University. This pamphlet escaped destruction when the Klan was disbanded in Tennessee. Strict orders were issued that all Prescripts should be burnt and hundreds were destroyed. In the merican Histor In the following reprint of this original "Prescript" the pages and lines, and numbering, with the accompanying bracket, conform to the original. Outside of superior figures in the text referring to notes at the bottom, it was aimed to reproduce the original in all respects except that the page here is a little larger both ways than the original and that the lines here do not end evenly at the right, while they are properly adjusted in the original. The type is practically the same. All bars here are the same as in the original, and of course nothing above or below the top and bottom ones here is in the original except that the original page [I has no bar at bottom, that limit being reached here at the first line of the foot note. Thus, leaving out superior figures and allowing for page [1, the bar here, with everything between them, represent the original page, even to typographical errors. The more important variations in the "Revised and Amended Prescript," with editorial notes, are indicated in the foot notes placed below the lowest bar here except as already mentioned for page [1. This "Revised" Prescript has only one Latin Phrase to the page, that being at top. These phrases also differ a little from those in the original. It will be seen that the original has only one phrase on page [1. The "Revised" has nothing at bottom of type page, but has four more pages than the original. The two are very similar in general appearance. ical Magazine, January, 1900, there is a photographic reprint of the "Revised" Prescript, and the certificate of the man who printed it. In the same magazine for January, 1901, there is what purports to be an explanation of the secret cypher of the Klan, but from internal evidence one would say that more likely it is the cypher of the Union League. The obligation, constitution and by-laws of a local Den were published in the proceedings of the Ku Klux trials at Columbia, S C., pp. 175-177, and again in the fifth volume of the Ku Klux Report, pp. 1686-1687. In the fourth volume of this report is printed the oath that was administered to a candidate for admission to a Den. [I Damnant quod non intelligunt. PRESCRIPT1 What may this mean, That thou, dead corse, again, in complete steel, With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls? An' now auld Cloots, I ken ye're thinkin', But, faith! he'll turn a corner jinkin', (The more important variations in the Revised Prescript are noted in foot notes.) 1REVISED AND AMENDED PRESCRIPT OF THE ORDER OF THE 334 Southern History Association. 2] Amici humani generis. CREED. We the * * reverently acknowledge the Majesty and Supremacy of the Divine being, and recognize the Goodness and Providence of the Same. PREAMBLE. We recognize our relations to the United States2 Government and acknowledgo the supremacy of its laws. APPELLATION. ARTICLE I. This organization shall be styled and denominated the TITLES. ART. II. The officers of this * shall consist of a Grand Wizard of the Empire and his ten Genii; a Grand Dragon of the Realm and his eight Hydras; a Grand Titan of the Dominion and his six Furies; a Grand Giant of the Province and his four Goblins; a Grand Cyclops of the Den and his two Night Hawks; a Grand Magi, a Grand Monk, a Grand Exchequer, a Grand Turk, a Grand Scribe, a Grand Sentinel, and a Grand Ensign.3 SEC. 2, The body politic of this ignated and known as "Ghouls," shall be des DIVISIONS. ART. II. This * shall be divided into five de-* partments, all combined, constituting the Grand *of the Empire. The second department to be called the Grand * of the Realm. The third, the Grand * of the Dominion. The fourth, the Grand * of the Province. The fifth, the * of the Den. DUTIES OF OFFICERS. GRAND WIZARD. ART. IV. See 1. It shall be the duty of the Grand Wizard, who is the Supreme Officer of the Empire, to communicate with and receive reports from the Magna est veritas, et prevalebit. instead of 1 The Revised Prescript has in the body of the Prescript is written "Order.” and instead of 2 "The supremacy of the Constitution, the Constitutional Laws thereof, and the Union of States thereunder.' "CHARACTER AND OBJECT OF THE ORDER:-This an institution of Chivalry, Humanity, Mercy, and Patriotism; embodying in its genius and its principles all that is chivalric in conduct, noble in sentiment, generous in manhood and patriotic in purpose; its peculiar objects being First: To protect the weak, the innocent, and the defenseless, from the indignities, wrongs and outrages of the lawless, the violent and the brutal; to relieve the injured and oppressed; to succor the suffering and unfortunate, and especially the widows and orphans of Confederate soldiers. Second: To protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and all laws passed in conformity thereto, and to protect the States and the people thereof from all invasion from any source whatever. Third: To aid and assist in the execution of all constitutional laws and to protect the people from unlawful seizure, and from trial except by their peers in conformity to the laws of the land. 3 No Grand Ensign is provided for. Empire: Md., Va., N. C., S. C., Ga., Fla., Ala., Miss., La., Texas, Ark., Mo., Ky., & Tenn. Four departments: Realm (State); Dominion (several counties); Province (county); Den (part of Province). |