Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-06-01
-Tbe ;. un,on - or Third Degree.

The 8. Union or Third Degree.
We publish below, in full, what is said 10 be the
"Union' or ssThird Degree of the Know Nothings
From the Psttsbsug Gazette of the 18th uat.
New WORK OF THE w-NoTHINGs-IHE obi
CATION OF THE THIRD DEGREE.-You and eacn OF
YOU, of your free will and accord. in the pres
ence of Almighty God, and these witnesses. with
YOUR hands Joined in token of that fraternal affection
which should ever bind together the States OF the
Union-forming ring, in token of your determine
ton that so far your efforts avail, this Union
shall have no end-do solemnly and sincerely swear
FOR affirm that you will not under any circumstan
ces disclose in any manner, nor suffer il to be done
by others if in your power to prevent 1t the name,
signs pass words other secrets OF this Degree, ex
ceDt to those whom you may prove on trial to be
brothers of the Degree, or in open Council TOR
the purpose of instruction that you do hereby SOL
EMMY declare your devotion TO the Union OF these
States that in the discharge OF your iutles as Amer
lean citizens, you will uphold, maintain and defenu
and every attempt coming from any and every guar,
ter which you believe to be designed or calculated
to DESTROY subvert it, TO weaken It's 0onds anu
that YOU will your influence, as far as IS IN your
power in endeavoring to procure an amlcapie anu
eouitabe adjustment of all political discontents ana
differences, which may threaten its injury or over
throw You do further promise and swear (or amful,
that YOU will not vote for any to fill any once Oh
honor, profit or trust of political character whom
YOU know or believe to be in favor of dissolution OF
produce that result that you will vote for, and sup
port for, all political Offices Third or Union Degree
members of this Order, in preference TO all others
that if it may be done consistently with the consul,
tuition and laws of the land, you Will, when elec'eo
or appointed to official station, which may confer on
YOU the mower to do so, from offlce or place
all persons whom you know believe to be IN favor
of dissolution of the Union, are endeavorlng TO
produce that result and that you Will IN no case ap-
point any such persons to any political ONCE or place
whatever. All this you promise and swear tor amrmJ
upon your honor American citizens and trends OF
the American Union, to sustain and abide by without
any hesitation and mental reservation whatever You
also promise and swear Cor AFFIRM that this and all
other obligations, which you have previously taken
in this Order shall ever be kept sacred and nvlolate
To all this you pledge your lives, your fortunes and
your sacred honors So help you God and keep you
steadfast Each one shall answer, 81 do"
This degree it will be observed, imposes an oath
upon the member TO stand by the Union OF the
States under any and all circumstances and to oppose
every thing which he "belieues" calculated to sub
vert it or weaken its bonds This is the substance
of the degree. Ii is one which no Southern man
ought at this time to take. The South is the weaker
section and the free States continually encroach
| ing upon our rights. Massachusetts deliberately
nullifes the fugtive-slave law, as Connecticut has
done-t is every where vowed among the Know
Nothing maiorities in the free States that no more
sIaveholding States shall be admitted into the Union
and if such policy is carried out the Southern
States will be compelled to choose between promp
and stern resistance to aggression and SUBMISSION
and submission must at early day result in th'
destruction of the institution of slavery and thei
consequent ruin. This oath binds eceTy person tax
ing 1t to submit to 1UateUer the majority may decad
TO be desirable and erpedient and that Southern mer
who takes it is at once the manacled slave OF the
freesoil maiorlties of the Northern States There il
not word in this degree about the reserved rights
of the States-no pledge to maintain the fugitive
slave law in its letter and spirlt-no declaration tina
the Missouri restriction shall not be again imposed
on the South-no assurance that slavery shall not b
circumscribed by federal legislation, and thus uh
mately starved out and the saveholding interest ut
tery destroyed. It is the old song of Union by fore
and without regard to Southern rights. Seward
Wilson, Hale, Tuck, and the whole abolition horde
were the leading parties in pitching the tune. It's
favorte of theirs. They declare that they are thu
best friends the Union has-that their scheme O
} crcumscrbing slavery, of abolishing it in the Dis
trict of Columbia, of repeating the ugtive-save law
and the like, is the Gerry thing TO glue aepose to tn
Union and to make it ptrpetnat and that those wh'
may resist this scheme will be traitors, liable to b
hunted down and punished. We assert this mpoi
the authority Of the speeches Of these men, and def
contradiction. They are for slavery as it exists il
the Stateshat is they do not propose TO disturb it
They are Union men, they say, and those who diff
fer with them are its enemies. This, then, is tn
nature of this greatest of Know Nothing humbugs
the 9 Union Degree Gov. Gardner, of Massachu
sets, whose veto message we publish in anothe
column, has taken this third degree-so has Minor
the abolition Governor of Connecticut. Gov. Gard
ner, it will be seen declares that Every many of tn
provisions of the act of Massachusetts nuIlifyin
the fugitive law, 'haUe his hearty approval he
hostile to the law and would be glad to see it utter
ly imperative in Massachusetts,; but then he canne
approve bill so palpably unconstitutional.
Raleigh Standard.
Navy Department.
A PROMPT AND GALLANT OFFICER.-We have a.
hot bo TInifo Cd Stofas Cor
3 stitution, Commodore Mayo, seen TO the south
ward of Cuba, making for the port of Havana. TIL
, Constitution late the flag ship of the Africa
squadron, and was under orders Cor home, after a
absence of more than two years. When w thin abor
E three hundred miles of Portsmouth, New Hampshire
cher destined port,l she boarded American vesse