ossessed them. Even its
interference in politics was of an illegitimate and unnatural kind, and
called forth the constant criticisms of such unprejudiced judges as those
who were to reap the benefits of their enterprises would likely prove.

But it did not stop here, and combined the offices of regulator and
_vigilante_ with that of politician. It was an absolutist in all society
matters, and those who offended in this regard could rarely base a hope of
immunity from visitation upon any well-defined precedents to be found
among its Domus Dei records. [We have seen, in the various sketches of
incidents connected with the Order, and based on its history, which have
been given in the progress of this work, the idea of its officiousness in
such details rendered prominent, and this has been done, in every
instance, with a view to subserve the intelligent aim upon which the work
is based: in a word, to render it a true reflector of the K. K. K. idea,
as it has existed in Southern society and politics.] But, leaving out of
the estimate the cruel measures sometimes resorted to in executing its
plans, there will be found many who advance the opinion that that complete
renovation of the social system accomplished through its means was a
necessity of the times which would hardly have been effected so quickly
and so thoroughly in the use of less radical measures.

And in this connection, it may not be deemed digressive to say, that the
many inhuman butcheries with which it was debited by a _not too
discriminative public_, never in reality occurred (in no instance unless
through accident or mistake), and were pure figments of the scalawag
imagination--an imperent element of Southern politics, whose acts had
provoked the reign of terror which it took this dishonest means of
deprecating.

But as nothing could be further from our purpose than to become the
champion of this secret movement--which might be inferred from a too ready
condemnation of its enemies--we hasten to add our conviction that many of
its acts were lawless, many of its correctives applied to social maladies
improportioned in severity, and its entire administration, social and
political, an incontinent abuse of usurped prerogative. We have said that
in politics its influence was hurtful to those in whose behalf it was
officiously employed, and we wish to verify this statement in a logical
manner. Assuming that our position is fully understood by the reader, the
infor