Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-08-23


officer appears from within and admins
tiers 70 him the following oatl,
81 Gthe name of The candidate do sol
emnlY swear upon this sacred volume Tor
cross before Almighty God and these
witnesses, that 1 win not diyulge any:
question proposed to me here whether I
become membernf this order or not,
and thatIswill never. under any circum
stances whatever, mention the name of
any person l may see present during.
any of the meetings,sor that l know such
an order TO bein existence. and that will
true answer make to every question
asked of me, so help me God"
Which being seriously taken by the
candidate, the officer proceeds to pro-
pound the following interrogations. before
reporting to the Council his fitness for in
itiation:
a. What is your name Z? 2. What
/ is your age? 3. Where is your resi-
deuce? 4. In your religious belief are
you Roman Catholic? 5. Where were
you born? 6. Where were your pa
rents born Z. Where we're your
grand parents born ? 8. Did either of.
your ancestors take part in the Ameri-
can Revolution 9. Are you willing to
use all the influence you possess in favor
of native born American citizens, for all
offices Of honor, trust or profit in tho gift
Of the people and do you promise, to
vote for them to the exclusion of all aliens
and foreigners, and Roman Catholics in
particular, for all local, state or Govern
ment offices 10. Who invited you to
be present on this occasion go
If the candidates answers are satisfac-
tory 10 these questions, he is taken into
the Council by two officers, led up to the
President Of the Council, who administers
the oath Of :he first degree. After the
obligation is administered, an officer call
ed the Judge Advocate" proceeds to
instruct him in his duties as member OF
the order. A part of this instruction is
as follows:
"My Brother: The order which has
now received you as q member, may with
all propriety be considered secret organ
/
you were placed before a legal tribunal.
and there sworn 20 tell the truth. the
whole truth. and nothing but the truth,
you could not for your life reveal the
names of that band of brothers, among
whom your name now stands enrolled =
and further than this, when you retire
from this meeting. you will return TO your
families and friends as ignorant as when
you came, as far as the name Of this Or
der is concerned"
The above obligation and form OF init
alton are given upon authority that is
said to be entirely worthy of confidence.
We place good deal Of reliance upon
them, as they are exactly in accordance
with the acts and conduct of this subter-
ranean organization. The tcncts of the
order are in such directs opposition to the
first principles of our government as
should arouse the indignant condemna-
ton Of every republican, while they star
tie every lover Of justice. They establish
religious tests as q qualification for Office
in opposition 10 the Constitution of the
United States, the State of Virginia, and
nearly or quite every other State in the
Union, the former of which says: "No
religious tests shall be required as a quail
iication to any ofice." They prescribe
foreigners-no matter what their qualifi
cations-by denying to them the most
trivial offices and by seeking repeal Of
all naturalization laws, when one Of the
reasons set forth in the Declaration of In
dependence why these should be free and
independent States was, that the British
government had endeavored to prevent
the population of these States" by cob
structing the laws for the naturalization
of torei3 ners." And they strike at the
efficacy of our laws by suborning witness
es and jurors. A witness on the stand,
dare not "Jor his life" (such are his in
structlons) testify TO anything prejudicial
to his order or its members. On a Jury
the same principle would be carried out.
The secrecy with which all their opera
tons are carried on, the members being
sworn to never even acknowledge the cr-
istencc of such an order or to divulge the
names Of its members. even before legal
tribunal, the most heinous outrages may
be perpetrated upon society and the COM
munity not know where to look for re-
dress. No more secrecy than that which
is used TO put men into office, would be
required to put men out through the me-
dunn Of the stilctto, air-gun. or subtitle
poison. The FIRST has been done, and
who knows when the last may be
One Of the strangest freaks of this new