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Albert Pike did not found the Ku Klux Klan SUSAN L. DAVIS WILLIAM A. DUNNING WALTER L. FLEMING JOHN C. LESTER ALBERT PIKE . The quoted texts excerpted under the heading of "Misinformation" are taken from a posting to the Usenet newsgroup alt.freemasonry on Tuesday, 19 January 1993 from John Covici, reposted pseudonymously by Nomen Nescio on Monday, 11 September 2000 and later uploaded to the anonymously maintained Freemasonry Watch website. The facts are noted on the far right. The order of presentation is dictated by the original posting. Although easily disproven as either maliciously mendacious or wilfully ignorant, the texts have been extensively used on at least two anti-masonic websites online since mid-2006. Albert Pike did not found the Ku Klux Klan Claims have been made that Albert Pike was a high ranking member of the Ku Klux Klan. This is a claim that is impossible to either substantiate or disprove. Research into primary source material will reveal that there isn't any primary source material. The only writings that would come close to qualifying as a primary source is a booklet written by one of the Klan founders, Captain John C. Lester, in 1884, comprising his reminiscences fifteen years after the fact. The only name noted in Lester’s book is one reference to "Gen. Forrest". It was not until Dr. Walter L. Fleming republished Lester’s booklet in 1905 that a list of names of key Klansmen was included in a preface. In 1924, Ms. Susan L. Davis published her Authentic History, in which she contradicts a number of points made by Lester, denigrates Fleming for his superficial knowledge of the Klan and condemns Lester’s co-author, David L. Wilson, for suggesting the Klan had failed. Any other book or article promoting Albert Pike’s association with the Klan will either cite Fleming or Davis, cite other authors who cite Fleming or Davis, or not cite anyone. Both Fleming and Davis accepted, unquestioningly, the fifty year old reminiscences of several of the founding members of the Klan. There is no source documentation, corroborating evidence or other testimony to implicate Albert Pike with the Klan. Pike had been dead fourteen years when Fleming first published, and was in no position to address the issue. There are several separate claims. First, that Albert Pike was the founder of the Ku Klux Klan; second, that he was a member, or leader, of the Klan; third, that he was a racist; and fourth, that Freemasonry is the current reincarnation of the Klan. The following notes will demonstrate that his leadership role or membership is strictly hearsay, that his racism, while nothing to be proud of, was mild by his contemporaries' standards and that any accusation that Freemasonry is a Klan front, or vice versa is completely unsubstantiated and unfounded. MISINFORMATIONFACT First they [freemasons] eliminate all "documents" Although Klan records are being stolen, there is no proof or evidence that freemasons have been party to these thefts. It is noteworthy that the author of these accusations, who is from Vancouver, B.C., quotes from Fleming’s out of print and rare Ku Klux Klan, a book that has been missing from the Vancouver Public Library since September of 2000. "...even the Library of Congress was a victim to something that was happening all over the nation: rare Klan books and files are being stolen. The problem has been increasing over the past seven years, and the clipping files of local libraries and newspapers are especially vulnerable. (The historic KKK clipping file once held by the Kokomo Tribune, for example, is now missing.)"1. All those who write critically of Freemasonry are anti’s and all anti’s are frauds, liars, zealots, or extremists and cannot be accepted. This is the author’s accusation of Freemasonry’s attitude. Freemasonry doesn't claim this. in the jacket cover of most masonic books is typed that the books MUST be returned to the Lodge if the owner dies. Generally, only lodge ritual books or Monitors are expected to be returned to the lodge upon the member’s demit, expulsion or death. Certainly, no history texts are so designated. The first printings (1871-1881) of Pike’s Morals and Dogma carried the proviso: "Esoteric Book, for Scottish Rite use only; to be returned upon withdrawal or death of recipient." This was dropped in most editions printed after 1881. It is called historical revisionism. Historical revisionism generally takes one of two forms: changes in understanding of past events in the light of new, more accurate research; or changes in interpretation of past events to promote particular political or ideological agendas. The first, sometimes termed historiographical revisionism, is a legitimate pursuit of historians. The second, less a form of revision than of denial, utilizes the omission of contradicting evidence, and occasionally outright fabrications — and has given the popular use of the term revisionism an unsavory connotation. In the case of the American Civil War and Reconstruction: "Revisionism draws its strength from three decades of hard research, from an impressive array of scholarly articles and monographs, from modified ideas about race, and from a changed social climate."2 "Professional educators announced early in 1981 that they would inaugurate a major effort to stop the Klan from recruiting in public schools. ...their agreement on a revision of Reconstruction history was a significant move...." 3 and of course nothing an "Anti" says or writes is acceptable to a Mason. Logicians term this "Circular Reasoning" and furthermore classify Circular Reasoning as a Fallacy. Fallacies are errors or flaws in reasoning. This statement might be a fallacy of circular definition (where the definition includes the term being defined as a part of the definition), or it might be a fallacy of distraction by damning the origin, or even an ad hominem attack, but circular reasoning is another name for "begging the question," where assumptions are accepted without proof. This claim is an example of circular reasoning since no proof is given that Freemasonry or all freemasons hold this view. Our reference to the Vancouver Public Library above is both a logical fallacy of innuendo and a causal fallacy. But it felt good. Pike wasn't just any Freemason he was the head of the Supreme Council which has defacto control of the Entire World Wide Masonic Movement. Annually elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, from 1859 until his death in 1891, his work was not considered regular Freemasonry by many Grand Lodges at the time. He never held any elected Grand Lodge office. There are over 200 independent and sovereign masonic jurisdictions around the world. Neither he, nor the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction have or had any administrative or ritualistic influence on any Grand Lodge or Orient. High Degree Masonic Membership of the Leadership of the Old and New Klans William Joseph Simmons That some members of the 1920s revived Klan were also freemasons cannot be denied. "While its influence in local lodges probably varied widely, the infiltration of the Klan was noticeable enough that most Grand Masters, prompted by unfavorable public opinion and dismay over the dissension the Klan was promoting within Masonry, found it necessary to make a statement either condemning the Ku Klux Klan or denying Masonry’s connection with it."4 Membership in a concordant body that confers additional degrees is no indication of authority within Freemasonry. William Joseph Simmons, organizer of the 1915 Klan revival, was a "member of two different churches, he also joined the Masons, Knights Templars, Knights of Pythias, the Odd Fellows, and eight other lodges. He was a good promoter for the Woodmen."5 There is no record of his having held masonic office. KKK had openly advertised in newspapers for new recruits specifying that masons were preferred That at least one Kleagle directed one advertisement at freemasons doesn't demonstrate that Freemasonry was associated with the Klan. "Kleagles also hung around other fraternal lodges and were especially successful at wooing the Masons. Many Kleagles were Masons themselves. (In fact the King Kleagle of Wisconsin put an ad in the August 26, 1921, edition of the Madison State Journal, reading:'"Wanted: Fraternal organizers, men of ability between the ages of 25 and 40. Must be 100% Americans. Masons preferred.') Most importantly, however, Kleagles were told to sell the Klan in a way that most appealed to the community."6 The letter that the head of the Supreme Council wrote about a Roman Catholic President in 1960 in the official newsletter of the Scottish Rite - New Age Magazine "Luther A. Smith, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, told his readers: "Whatever bigotry is in evidence in the United States is exhibited solely by the Roman Catholic hierarchy; that the Canon Law of the Roman Church and the directives of the Pope validate the fears of the people that the dual allegiance of American Catholics is a present danger to our free institutions, and lastly that the people in passing upon the qualifications of a Catholic candidate for the Presidency will be guided by their knowledge of history and their great store of plain old-fashioned common horse sense, and their innate caution not to gamble when their liberties and the national security are at stake. Among American citizens there should be no question or suspicion of allegiance to any foreign power, but in the case of the Roman Catholic citizen, his church is the guardian of his conscience and asserts that he must obey its laws and decrees even if they are in conflict with the Constitution and laws of the United States." He later wrote: Our thanks and appreciation go to the thousands who have encouraged us with their plaudits for what we did for their greater enlightenment and understanding of the question: 'Why would it be unwise to elect a Roman Catholic President of the United States?'"7 Inappropriate as posing such a question might be by current standards, this does not imply that the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction supported the Klan, nor does it have any relevance to Albert Pike’s alleged involvement a century previous. ...the non-recognition as "regular" of Black only Prince Hall lodges Prince Hall Grand Lodges have no bar based on race. Of the 51 Grand Lodges in the USA, 42 currently recognize Prince Hall Freemasonry. Of the ten Grand Lodges of Canada, all recognize Prince Hall Freemasonry. The Grand Lodge of British Columbia, in 1946 adopted a statement of Basic Principles for Grand Lodge Recognition. It requires a recognized Grand Lodge to have "no debarment from membership because of nationality, of race, of color, of sectarian or political belief...." It was in 1905 that the Neale Publishing Company, New York and Washington, published Ku Klux Klan: Its Origin, Growth and Disbandment, written and edited by Walter L. Fleming, incorporating earlier published material by J.C. Lester and D.L. Wilson. Historian Walter Fleming’s introduction to this 1905 book explains that he has been given "information in regard to Ku Klux Klan, by many former members of the order, and by their friends and relatives." Dr. Fleming states that "General Albert Pike, who stood high in the Masonic order, was the chief judicial officer of the Klan." On a page of illustrations of important founders of the KKK, Dr. Fleming places General Pike’s portrait in the center, makes it larger than the six others on the page, and repeats this information as a caption: "General Albert Pike, chief judicial officer". The first work about the Klan, Ku Klux Klan: Its Origin, Growth and Disbandment was written in Tennessee in 1884 as a 119 page apology and justification for the Klan, by one of the founders, Captain John C. Lester and a non-Klansman, Rev. D.L. Wilson. Walter L. Fleming added notes and an introduction for the 1905 edition. Fleming provides no quotes from Albert Pike or other corroborating references. In a note of acknowledgment Fleming thanks a number of people, including Major James R. Crowe and Major S. A. Cunningham, for their assistance. The source of his information regarding Pike is not cited. [p. 27.] The plate facing page 19 displays seven images over the title, "Some Klansmen." The first photograph is of D.L. Wilson, who was not a Klansman. The central image is not a photograph, but appears to be a pen and ink tracing of a photograph of Albert Pike in Scottish Rite regalia, found as a frontispiece to many editions of his Morals and Dogma (see top of page). Although slightly larger than the six photographs, its size and position need not have any significance other than an attempt at balanced design. The photographs appear to be reproductions of newspaper or magazine clippings. No attribution or citation is noted. The title of Chief Judicial Officer does not appear in the Prescript of the Order, under Article I, Titles; Article V, Judiciary; or elsewhere. [pp. 153-176.] The title also does not appear in the 1868 Revised and Amended Prescript. Strongly influenced by the Dunning School, Fleming wrote four monographs, one dissertation, and two articles on the Ku Klux Klan.8 Both Fleming’s Civil War and Reconstitution in Alabama and The Sequal of Appomattox contain chapters on the Klan’s history and administration; nowhere does he mention Albert Pike. It was in Nashville that Albert Pike and other Confederate generals met in 1867 to form a southern states-wide terrorist KKK, expanding the little project they had started two years before in Pulaski, Tenn. Major James R. Crowe The original Klan was started sometime between Christmas 1865, and June 1866 in Pulaski, Tennessee by Major James R. Crowe of the fourth Alabama Volunteers, Richard R. Reed, Calvin E. Jones, John C. Lester and Frank O. McCord, editor of the Pulaski Citizen who had served in the Tennessee Infantry, and Captain John B. Kennedy. None served under General Albert Pike. A plaque in Pulaski, listing the six founders, commemorates "Ku Klux Klan organized in this, the law office of Judge Thomas M. Jones, December 24th, 1865." In April 1867, when the Pulaski Den called a reorganizational meeting in Room 10 of the Maxwell House in Nashville, General George Gordon composed the Prescript or pamphlet of rules. This meeting coincided with a public nomination meeting for Democratic candidates for the fall election. According to Wyne Craig Wade, on Morton’s testimony, it was several weeks later that Captain John W. Morton offered the position of Grand Wizard to Nathan Bedford Forrest. This is contradicted by Rev. Thomas Dixon, Jr. (1864/01/11 - 1946/04/03) who claimed that Forrest was elected Grand Wizard at the Nashville meeting, after having taken an oath from Captain Morton in a secluded valley outside the city earlier the same day. Pike’s presence is not noted by Dixon or Wade. Neither Pike’s name nor that of John C. Brown, George Gordon or Nathan Forrest appear in the regular listing of hotel arrivals in the Nashville Republican Banner. 9 On December 23, 1865, Pike was in Little Rock Arkansas. Although Pike was editor of the Memphis Appeal in 1867-1868, and therefore was in Tennessee, there is nothing to connect him with the Klan meeting in Nashville. 10 As owner-publisher of the Memphis, Tennessee, Daily Appeal, Albert Pike wrote in an editorial on April 16, 1868: "With negroes for witnesses and jurors, the administration of justice becomes a blasphemous mockery. A Loyal League of negroes can cause any white man to be arrested, and can prove any charges it chooses to have made against him. ...The disenfranchised people of the South ... can find no protection for property, liberty or life, except in secret association.... We would unite every white man in the South, who is opposed to negro suffrage, into one great Order of Southern Brotherhood, with an organization complete, active, vigorous, in which a few should execute the concentrated will of all, and whose very existence should be concealed from all but its members." That Pike reflected the prejudices of his time and place does not prove that he belonged to the KKK or was a leader. This call for action appeared in a public newspaper during an election year while the Union League of America, or "Lincoln’s Legal Loyal League," was promoting negro suffrage, disenfranchisement of Confederates and the repudiation of state rights. Without the full, unexpurgated text, it is not possible to know if this quote is an accurate reflection of Pike’s intended meaning. Walter Lee Brown, as noted below, interpreted the full editorial as a criticism of the Klan. Pike later wrote: I am not one of those who believe slavery a blessing. I know it is an evil, as great cities are an evil; as the concentration of capitol in a few hands, oppressing labor, is an evil; as the utter annihilation of free-will and individuality in the army and navy is an evil; as in this world everything is mixed of good and evil. Such is the rule of God’s providence, and the affairs of the world. Nor do I deny the abuses of slavery.****Necessarily it gives power that may be abused. Nor will I under-rate its abuses. It involves frequent separation of families. It, here and there, prevents the development of a mind and intellect*****. Marriage does not create an indissoluble bond among the slaves. It gives occasion to prostitution. The slave toils all his life for mere clothing, shelter and food; and the last is heard sometimes upon the plantations, and in rare cases, cruelties punishable by the law are practiced. 11 Dr. Walter Fleming designates Confederate Major James R. Crowe as the pre-eminent source for his 1905 KKK History, and describes Crowe as one of the original KKK founders in Pulaski. Fleming says that Major Crowe "held high rank in the Masonic order." In his honor roll of "well-known members of the Klan," Dr. Fleming places "General John C. Brown, of Pulaski, Tennessee" and "Colonel Joseph Fussell, of Columbia, Tennessee." In his Note of Acknowledgement, Fleming cites nine people whose assistance was of "especial value." That Crowe is mentioned first does not imply he was a pre-eminent source. Although Crowe served as Most Illustrious Grand Master of the Crypic Rite of Tennessee in 1886, this office confers no power or rank in regular Craft Freemasonry. General Brown and Colonel Fussell, like Major Crowe, are identifiable as soldiers of Albert Pike’s masonic order. General Brown had been a master mason in the Pulaski lodge for 15 years when the KKK was formed there, and became grand master of Tennessee Masons and governor of Tennessee during the Klan’s era of power. Colonel Fussell was commandant of Tennessee’s masonic Knights Templar during the Klan rule. The preceding masonic information is taken from Tennessee Templars: A Register of Names with Biographical Sketches of the Knights Templar of Tennessee by James D. Richardson. Brown’s and Fussell’s masonic careers are clearly documented. The claim that they were Klan leaders is only based on the word of Crowe. There is no other documentation. Pike had no authority over the Grand Lodge of Tennessee. This James D. Richardson was himself the Commandant of Knights Templar and Grand Master of Masons in Tennessee, and was speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives during the era of the Klan power. This same James D. Richardson was Albert Pike’s successor as commander of the southern Scottish Rite masons. Richardson (March 10, 1843 - July 24, 1914) was Speaker of the Tennessee Legislature in 1871, State Senator in 1873 and Congressman from 1884 until 1904. He was elected Grand Commander in October 1901, succeeding Judge Thomas H. Caswell. Pike had died ten years previous in 1891. There is nothing to associate him, in any fashion, with the Klan. Susan Lawrence Davis' 1924 Authentic History, Ku Klux K… truncated (19,529 more characters in archive)