The true Democrat., 1855-07-17
From the II 3rtiord fin,
An Exposit:i


 An Exposition
 Of Me principles and poacer cf tte hmoa0 nothing o'aer of Couaecttcm ytoat11ded on the actuo1 er- Yertence of Council No. l47, iocated 'n Lynne
 UNANIMOUS ACTION IN COUNCIL.
 Whereas, the State council of know nothing8, at its recent session in Norwich, in the grossest violation of its constitution and laws, by which 1t professes to be governed, and contrary to every decision founded upon evidence and jus tice, did revoke the charter of this council on the presentation of the presidents of two other councils in this town--Nos. lO5 and 1O8; that majority of its members voted at the Spring election ln accordance with the dictates of their own consClences, without fear or favor of any man: Therefore,
 Hes0lUed, I hat we can regard the action of the State council, in thus revoklng our charter without even notifying us of such intention, ill no other light than that of base and tyrannl- cal usurpatlon of power, oppressive alike to Us and every subordinate council in the State.
 Reso5ved, That this action has fully opened our eyes to the manifest determination of the order to crush out both freedom of speech and action on the part of it's members; to utterly disregard its assurances and obligations profess sedly made in good faith, Wheueverit shall best suit its dark and unhalowed purposes; and hencetOrth to regard no other law than that of passionate impulse and arbitrary prescription, which has ever been the last resort of those powers only that have attempted to sjlield the most gigantic wrongs under the dangerous ples. of necessity and absolute authority.
 Re90luea That Ill our opnlon the time has arrived for the alarm to ba sOuuded in the ears of the people of Connecticut, and to inform them of the existence ot a secret order ln their midst which is stliking a blow in the dark against our institutions of civil and religions H. harty, and which, if suffered to 20 on, will soon destroy all we prize most dear in religion poi- ties and morals.
 ReS0lUe1 That we feel that we should prove false to our obligations to God and our conntry, if we were to keep silent at such time as this, and that we hereby set forth to the people the following exposition of the order, and the ob- iections which arise in OUT minds to the princi- pies of its organization and action.
 On Opr admission to this order we had given to us the solemn pledge and assurance that no Obhgatlors would b; imposed upon us which would conflict with those we had already talk en, and owed to God, our country and our ia miles. For the sole reason that we acted as we were bound to do under the constitution of the State, and that we honestly compiled with our sacred obligations as electors we were elected from the order, mathematical as unworthy of respect, undeservng of any confidence or trust in any business transactions, and as deserving only the scorn and reproach of all good men. We were subjected to the most fearful denun- clations because we would not surrender up to this most accursed of all despotisms our freedom of citizenship, and degrade ourselves down to the ignominlous servltude of wearing mas tlt1's collar
 In view of such things, what honest man would contend that any obligations which might be imposed by the order are in the least bind ng or entitled to a moment'. respect? Who would not go rather one step further and say that man is guilty of perjuryin in the highest de gree who would act with the order against his own honest convictions?
 We believe if the parent for such cause dis owrs the offspring, the obligation to keep the secrets of such parent is forever absolved, and the light of day should be permitted to pene- trate into the dark recesses of this institution, 50 worthless, and at the same time 50 dangerous and destructive in the genius of American in- stitutions. it Is arrayea in warfare against the whole machinery of a republican government
 It has enticed the people from their homes in the still hours of darkness, and at its numer- GUS places of meeting bound them to its foul and fearful purposes by administering the most horrid oaths, with one hand resting on the Bi- ble, and the other raised towards Heaven, to yield themselves unreservedly to the control of this secret power, and even to deny to their fa- miles and the world that they hold connection with the order No person is permitted to hold an opinion which has not the sanction of the self-constituted mouth pieces of the party Within this temple of superstition Sir Oracle reigns supreme. The dcvotee who worships at it's shrine is completely unnamed He no longer feels nor acts his former self In secret he steals away like conspirator to the place where the most inveterate hate s engendered against the descendants and countrymen of those brave men whose heroic valor assisted in achieving the liberties which we now eniov.- In the same manner, and often in the hour of midnight he gropes his way back to his family again to repeat the hundred time told lie of no connection with this order So much false hood in the family circle, where the utmost confidence, truthfuness and harmony should exist has a direct tendency to produce suspi. cion and mistrust on the part of wives and mo. thers towards their husbands and sons; hence we find in every town where council exists, the female portion of the community are speak ing out boldly their moral indignation against
 
 who are connected with it, whether nearly or remotely.
 He who does not here behold the sure work ines of decentralization and ruin must indeed be poor morallst
 But all these are evils of small magnitude and consideration when compared with some other gigantic wrongs with which it labors to curse our land. The scattering of few p eces of red paper of a peculiar shape oblges every "brother'' to arm himself with bowie knife and revolver or other deadly weapons and fol- low the beck of their leader even to the she'd ding of blood. The Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis, and other fearful and bloody know noth- ing riots are but the legitimate workings of the order and but the beginning of such scenes as were enacted on the soil of France under red republican rule.
 Those who control and manage the affairs of this corrupt concern are in it for the spells of office; and no means, however desperate, are