The Sun.
London, England, 1814-09-10 00:00:00

THE GERMAN UNION.

'IAMBI:ROB, SEPT. 3.-7-One of our Journals has
lately published a curious document, containing
some account of a secret society which was form-
ed in Germany during the period of French pre-
dominancy. The Editor thus introduces his ac-
count of it It must be interesting to the pub-
lic to obtain some more precise information with
regard to the German Union, which undoubtedly
took a very active part in the happily ended cod-
red for German independence. Napoleon 171tiona-
parte and his brother Jerome greatly dreaded the
existence of this society, the object and tendency:
of wrhich they very naturally bated. The latter
delivered, in the Westphalian Mortiteur, an ana-
thema ,Against this. union, but its rules and statutes
still 1-emainad,a secret to the French authorities.
As now, hoWever, the high object which it had
in iiew, is attained, there-, can be no hesitation
about publishing some account of it, which' we
have obtained from authentic sources."
Then follows an account of tire statutes of this
broth erbood.,.ln one-of these their.ohject is thus'
stated :

• " The-object of the German Union is FREED° t ; that is,
fidelity to our old Princes, or the united exertion of all our
powers, physical and moral, to deliver ourselves and our na-
tive 'country from everyloreign yoke."
The rnembeii' were ,divided into.. two 'grades;
those of brothers and Stiperiors The following
was the forth of ,oath 'taken on admiSsion :
" I, A. B. swear to Almighty God a solemn oath, that I,
after having perused the rules of the G:rniari Union, found
them in corresliontlenee with my sentiments, "Mild being ad-
nutted as a brother into the union, will cousthntly observe
those rules: I swear to God the Omniscient, that I will keep
with the
,profoundest secrecy all that may be entrusted to me
in relation to the union, and willingly endure even the pu-
nishment of death, rather than break this my voluntary oath.
May God the Righteous bear what I swear, and be gracious
to the faithful !"

• After the administration of this oath, a •seal of
admission was delivered to the Member.

The follow ing are sonic of the statutes of this
singular society, for the first grade:—
1. No one, without distinction of persons, can be admitted
into the order, nutil ofte-r having taken the oath of secrecy:
this oath is coeval in duration with his life, and includes every
thing that mac be told him by a superior of the order, or with
the execution of which he may be charged.

2. Should a Member receive in charge any thing which he
may deem incompatible with his honour, or his duties towards
the State, then he is at liberty to leave the order; but, never-
theless, the oath of secre‘y remains equally bindiq, and he
must immediately communicate hiS separation from the, ordei
to the superior in correspondence with with.
3. The safety of every member renders it necessary, • that
when any betrayal of the order shall take plate. through the
talkativeness .of any individual, the punishment of death.
should follow thereon, and no kind of refuge,in the world will
then protect the betrayer from the vengeance of the power-
ful union. '

4, No member is hound to receive any order or commission,
but from the superior *ho admitted him into the order;
though this superior may inform him from whom to receit-e
commissions. -

• .5. Every commission must be puntually, faithfully, and se-
cretly executed; the member thus acting will soon be-raikd
-to the otlice of-superior.
C. When a member is commissioned to tate very distant
journies, or to perform expensive businzss' then. the expencq-,
shall be paid to him by the superior who delivered to biM the
commisSion.

7. The snperiors alone are made acquainted with the real
objects of the order, and it will be a fruitless and punishable
curiosity on the part of inferiors to endeavour to pry into
them.

8. Every member is bound on admission, to give to his su-
perior an engraving of his armorial bearings, together with
his name, surname, age, Written with his own hand ;
he then receives from the superior, a card with the to-•
kens or characters of the order, on which also is written the.
name which lie must go by in all transactions of the order;
and this card he must without fail tarry with him itt all jour-'
tilts on the business of the order.
9. No private individual is to know any other member of
the order but the superior who admitted him.
There are other statutes respecting the,supe-
dors, of which the foliowing are the chief :—,
t. The superior receives his commissions, generally, fijouj
him by whore he was admitted,- or from Wile superior
signaterrto him by the latter. • •
2: All coniniiSsions, however, whether itsued by superiors
or iliferio:s, when stamped with the seal of the union, with-
out any other superscription, must be executed in the speediest