The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-08-30
NUMBER 50.
From the Richmond Nhip
The KNOW NOIHINGS-1HEiK
Secrets OTJr


seractty o l's cor espondent, and SAYS It La.
good reason . hriieVe that the picture he oiv,s
al 'his "ew aud rage association. ia faifbfnI
and accurate.
he W'ltei nj rms US that their associotin-,
are HhaV'h among themselves b; the na.ne of
knaw Nutlling Council as, for instance
/" ErHAS ALLEN Counc /, NJ. 81 of tbe Sn,
prene prd r oi 76;" and th the term Know.
Notiiin IS is merely for cut Aiders, He tglts ns
also, that ihey adopt as few written ,ormola in
'heif lPunsts as possible but they use
Pamph!et containing their short constitution
ana oy-!a"s, tier netbod Of procedure in
ih'''".'ps members, the duty of officers, nstruc
TONS 10 The initiated candidates of the g., "a
ana "a de=f'. s ) IN short, all their pr.nci pies
ano "tJ1cts. Their oaths, it is suppas ID arr
The same 'hf pgh'ut the United States
There Is also saIo to be Grand conncil In,
each o'ate Subordinale Councils nav l..
instituted IN any locality in State, hy a charter
rom The Grand Council, preceded by petition
lof me same from Mirteen cit,zens, who are
ln'tla'eo Oy fiVriing agent. they pay S12,
receive c"artef aud seai, and 60 10 work. Ii
is 'lrshef assef'ed that they a... at all the Nom
er, and not merely at the balance of pouer. as
mas oeen generally Supposed.
FOR the in5ttuciion of The reader upon an
INT rtstins ahd much vexed qnes ion, and one
mat DIGS TAR To exert some influence in the
pohticai affairs OF the country, we surrender
large porti"n OF our space TO the revelation
made by the Examiners correspondent. which
we subjoin
AssTRAcrs OF TIE OArHs AND ParNcrpLEs
OF THE MYSTERIOUS ORDER OF THE Know
NorHiSGs - rhe candidate is first nronossd 10
member of he der, TO the Council. without
ms knowledge. Three negative votes black.
0dtt him. Ii elected, he is secretly reanes,ed
to present hiInselt In the ante room o the
Counc !, when an officer appears from within
and administers to him the following oath
"i-,l do splennly swearI upon this sa-
cred volume Tor cross] before Almighty
uod and these wItnesses,N that will not dl-
VuIge any question proposed to me here, ,n
"he ner become member of this order or
not III aud that will never Nunder any cir
cumssances Whatever mention the name of
any psrsonI may see pressntII auring any of
the meettagS or that hnoeo such an order To
oe M e1tstance and that will a true answer
make to every question asked of me II SO help
me Goo :"
Which being seriously taken by the candi
date, the officer proceeds to PROFOUND the fol-.
lowing interrogations, before reporting to the
Council hts fitness tor initiation
vi what Is your name z What is your
age Where is your residence 4 In your
religious b lief are you Roman Catholic 5
Where were you born 6 Where where vour
parents born Z Where where your oyand
parents born! 3 Did either of your ancestors
ever take part in the American Revolution /?
Are you willing to use all the influence YOU
possess IN favor of native born American citizens
Tor all "iies OF honor, trust profit in the gift
OF the people ;and do you promise to vote for
1hen to the excius'o Oh ot aliens and foreigners,
"a nd Rnf Gath
State or Government offices 10 Who invited
you to be present on this occasion?
In the Candidates answers are satisfactory to
these questions, he il taken into the Council
by two officers, led up to the President of the
council, who administers the following in the
lst Degree:
81, - voluntarily and freely do SOL
EMMY promise and swear, before Almigty
God and these Witnesses around me ASSEM-
Dled, that will not under any circumstan
ces Whatever, divuige or make known 10 any
person or persons, either directly or ndl
rectly, or to any human being other than
those | shall know TO be good and true mem
oers OF iE,s Order, the name, secrets or mys
ieHes, or objects y. The same, or cause or al
low the same TO be done b; others, if within
my power to prevent the same. Binding
myself under the no less penalty than that oi
having my name posed and circulated through
out the different Connci's of the Order, as a
traitor and perJursr o both my God and country
and as being unworthy to be employed, en-
trusted, countenancen, or supported in any
business transaction whatever, and as a person
totally unworthy of the confidence of all gooo
men. and one at whom he finger of scorn shal
ever be pointed further more promise, tina
" | shonid hereafter be expelled from, o. vol
unfairly leave this Order, | will consider th,
obligation az binding out ofa in it, All Q
which FOREGOING voluntarily and freely sub
scrIbed to SO help NE God =
The candidate is then led to an officer caIe,
the Judge Advocate, who harangues hln aite
this manner (Ihere are generally half dozel
or more initiated together)
"My Brothers The Order which has nov
received you as Members, may with all pro
priety be considered Secret III fact, that it yo
| were placed befoce a legal tribunal and ther
| sworn TO tell the truth, the whole tr tn an
no'hing but the truth, you could not for you
! lives reveal ths name OF that band OF brother
among whom your name now stands enrolled
aud further than thus, when you retire from tn
IN etIng, you will Return 10 your families an
friends as ignorant as when you came, as far q
| the name of this Order is concerned
Nothing, and let it be your stern resol,
! through life, to know Nothing that viii al
conflict with the high aud exalted duties yo
owe to your God, your count y and yourselve
SO far as regards the preservatinn of America
liberty, which can alone be secured to oufseiv,
and our children by the entire and absolute e,
: clusion OF foreign influence in those matte
which aPpertain TO our government policy
After The delivery of this patriotic add, ess, Il
canddat is referred to the Instructor, wi
teaches him the ssgHs and grips, and IN VIII
manner 10 obtain entrance into the Conunc:l
He Is h II Master Of The lst Degree, and sig
= his name 10 tke register. If he behaUes so
. two weeks, and it is conceded that he will do
become q full hlooded Know Nothing-absta
from all btnb outside the Council, his frie N
y propose him tor the Cad Degree After ele
ton to THAT Degree, h. and others are trDug
in and take the following OATH:
"l,-, do solemnly promise aud sve
q before Almig ghy God, and these witnesses, til
n VIII not uader any circumstances, divulge
= MAKE known the name Of this Order or its o
jects, 10 any PRISON or persons in the world, Il
q less to those y hom may know to belong
this Order IN good and regular s'anding
"And furthermore PROMISE and swear, ii
will neither write, print, cut, carve, ensra'
8 embnss, stamp, stain, or marx any sesreis Of Il
/. order, on any thing movable or immoveai
A. on the earth "a, whereby said secrets a
part thereof, the name o. the Order, its oper
!. lions, the names OF its officers, or the names
" its members or It's place of meeting, may b
10 comt. known 10 those who have not received [
II first and second Degrees OF this Order IN d
t. form nor will 1 cause permit th- same to
m done, if wittia my power to prevent the sam
!e "And Furthermore promise and swear tha
will always conform to the will Of the maj ,r
of the members OF This Order, in the select
h. of candidates to fill every office Of honor, p
lie fit or trust, within the gift OF the people p
De vided such candidates shall have been born
ne American parents, on Amrrican soil, and ii
re have been educated in American insttutio
and that viii use all The influence may p
sess to elect all su n candidates whom KIN
II to be opp tsed to foreign influence, Pope
'e lesuitisnI and Catholicism, without any hest
ton on my part Whatever. And furtherm
piomse and swear tina. will strictly conf,
kr to ana abide by the oath have now taken,
a' that wilhpay strict obedience to the Const
tCn, Laws, Rules, Ritual and Edicts of the h
no oroble Grand Council o this Order, Of
"a, State Off,, and to the BY Laws of -