Ku Klux Klan: Its Origin, Growth and Disbandment Part 7

When the office of Grand Wizard was created and its duties defined, it was explicitly provided that he should have "the power to determine questions of paramount importance, and his decision shall be final."

To continue the organization or to disband it was such a question. He decided in favor of disbanding, and so ordered. Therefore the Ku Klux Klan had no organized existence after March, 1869.[54]

The report of the Congressional Investigating Committee contains some disreputable history, which belongs to a later date, and is attributed to the Klan, but not justly so. For several years, after March, 1869, the papers reported and commented on "Ku Klux outrages" committed at various points. The authors of these outrages may have acted in the name of the Klan, and under its disguises; it may be that in some cases they were men who had been Ku Klux. But it cannot be charged that they were acting by the authority of an order which had formally disbanded. They were acting on their own responsibility.

Thus lived, so died, this strange order. Its birth was an accident; its growth was a comedy; its death a tragedy. It owed its existence wholly to the anomalous condition of social and civil affairs in the South during the years immediately succeeding the unfortunate contest in which so many brave men in blue and gray fell, martyrs to their convictions.

There never was, before or since, a period of our history when such an order could have lived. May there never be again!

FOOTNOTES:

[53] In the copy of the Revised and Amended Prescript owned by Columbia University Library is bound a letter in which is mentioned this order of destruction.--_Editor._

[54] The local "Dens" were not affected by this order. Many had already disbanded; many more remained active as long as the Reconstruction regime lasted.--_Editor._

APPENDIX I.

PRESCRIPT OF KU KLUX KLAN

ADOPTED AT A CONVENTION OF THE ORDER HELD IN NASHVILLE, APRIL, 1867

Copied from the Original Prescript, line for line and page for page. The type used here is slightly larger than in the original doc.u.ment.

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PRESCRIPT

OF THE

What may this mean, That thou, dead corse, again, in complete steel, Revisit'st thus the glimpses of the moon, Making night hideous; and we fools of nature, So horridly to shake our disposition, With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls?

An' now auld Cloots, I ken ye're thinkin', A certain _Ghoul_ is rantin', drinkin', Some luckless night will send him linkin', To your black pit; But, faith! he'll turn a corner jinkin', And cheat you yet.

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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 States Government and acknowledge the supremacy of its laws.

APPELLATION.

ARTICLE I. This organization shall be styled and denominated the * *

t.i.tLES.

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 Hy- dras; a Grand t.i.tan 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.

SEC. 2. The body politic of this * shall be des- ignated and known as "Ghouls."

DIVISIONS.

ART. III. This * shall be divided into five de- partments, all combined, const.i.tuting 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. SEC. I. 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

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Grand Dragons of Realms, as to the condition, strength, efficiency and progress of the *s within their respective Realms. And he shall com- municate from time to time, to all subordinates *s, through the Grand Dragon, the condition, strength, efficiency, and progress of the *s throughout his vast Empire; and such other information as he may deem expedient to impart. And it shall further be his du- ty to keep by his G Scribe a list of the names (without any caption or explanation whatever) of the Grand Dragons of the different Realms of his Empire, and shall number such Realms with the Arabic nume- rals, 1, 2, 3, &c., _ad finem_. And he shall instruct his Grand Exchequer as to the appropriation and disburs.e.m.e.nt which he shall make of the revenue of the * that comes to his hands. He shall have the sole power to issue copies of this Prescript, through his Subalterns and Deputies, for the organ- ization and establishment of subordinate *s. And he shall have the further power to appoint his Ge- nii; also, a Grand Scribe and a Grand Exchequer for his Department, and to appoint and ordain Special Deputy Grand Wizards to a.s.sist him in the more rapid and effectual dissemination and estab- lishment of the * throughout his Empire. He is further empowered to appoint and instruct Depu- ties, to organize and control Realms, Dominions, Provinces, and Dens, until the same shall elect a Grand Dragon, a Grand t.i.tan, a Grand Giant, and a Grand Cyclops, in the manner hereinafter provid- ded. And when a question of paramount impor- tance to the interest or prosperity of the * arises, not provided for in this Prescript, he shall have power to determine such question, and his decision shall be final, until the same shall be provided for by amendment as hereinafter provided.

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GRAND DRAGON.

Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the Grand Dragon who is the Chief Officer of the Realm, to report to the Grand Wizard when required by that officer, the condition, strength, efficiency, and progress of the * within his Realm, and to transmit through the Grand t.i.tan to the subordinate *s of his Realm, all information or intelligence conveyed to him by the Grand Wizard for that purpose, and all such oth- er information or instruction as he may think will promote the interests of the *. He shall keep by his G. Scribe a list of the names (without any caption) of the Grand t.i.tans of the different Dominions of his Realm, and shall report the same to the Grand Wizard when required; and shall number the Do- minions of his Realm with the Arabic numerals, 1, 2, 3, &c, _ad finem_. He shall instruct his Grand Exchequer as to the appropriation and disburse- ment of the revenue of the * that comes to his hands. He shall have the power to appoint his Hydras; also, a Grand Scribe and a Grand Exche- quer for his Department, and to appoint and ordain Special Deputy Grand Dragons to a.s.sist him in the more rapid and effectual dissemination and estab- lishment of the * throughout his Realm. He is further empowered to appoint and instruct Depu- ties to organize and control Dominions, Provinces and Dens, until the same shall elect a Grand t.i.tan, a Grand Giant, and Grand Cyclops, in the manner hereinafter provided.

GRAND t.i.tAN.

Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of the Grand t.i.tan who is the Chief Officer of the Dominion, to report to the Grand Dragon when required by that officer, the condition, strength, efficiency, and progress of the * within his Dominion, and to transmit through the Grand Giants to the subordinate *s

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of his Dominion, all information or intelligence con- veyed to him by the Grand Dragon for that pur pose, and all such other information or instruction as he may think will enhance the interests of the *.

He shall keep, by his G. Scribe, a list of the names (without caption) of the Grand Giants of the differ- ent Provinces of his Dominion, and shall report the same to the Grand Dragon when required; and he shall number the Provinces of his Dominion with the Arabic Numerals, 1, 2, 3, &c., _ad finem_. And he shall instruct and direct his Grand Exchequer as to the appropriation and disburs.e.m.e.nt of the revenue of the * that comes to his hands. He shall have power to appoint his Furies; also to appoint a Grand Scribe and a Grand Exchequer for his department, and appoint and ordain Special Deputy Grand Ti- tans to a.s.sist him in the more rapid and effectual dissemination and establishment of the * throughout his Dominion. He shall have further power to appoint and instruct Deputies to organize and con- trol Provinces and Dens, until the same shall elect a Grand Giant and a Grand Cyclops, in the man- ner hereinafter provided.