Butte record., 1855-09-15
Know-Nothinskm as Developed by thelf
Obligations and by the EieetleH.

1t was contended by members of the
Know Nothing order, previous to the
election, that they were at liberty to vote
as they pleased-that the obligations of
the order did not compel to vote for
members Of the foul institution-that
they were American citiz-us and should
vote for whom they pleased. In order
to show how mutL truth there is in this
kind of a statement, we this week, give
the frst obligation of the order. After
reading the obligation the public can
Judge for t!lcmst Ives whether these
DO .sted and pure Americans w,r9 at
Liberty 10 vote and act as they please
Our own opinion Is that men who wi |
oh i.atc themselves o obey the COM
maud Of the Sta Council PIe>id Mt or
his Deputy" are not pable of govern =
ing themselves, and ought to have some
one TO gaiie and conuol their freednm
1t is only to be regretted that they have
sold herIselves, soul and b 1dv, to un-
scrupuious and cor u?t olilicials The
American who takes such IN oath, places
himself in much lower position than
the worst priest>ridden Catholic that
ever lved-for tie former il owned soul
and body by politicians, aud the latter
spiritually, by the head of Church,
sactioncd by ages.
But here is the obigati N Of the first
degree, and we challenge any organ of
the American party to say that it is not
the genuine article. We will only ask
our readers to notice the provisions of
the obligation, the haranguc of the Vice
Pres dent 10 to the initiate, and then
make up their minds whether members
of the order are American frecmcn, vi,
whether they are lower than the beast Of
the field with the yoke upon its neck
Such Americans could have enjoyed
their freedom centuries ago, in perfor-
ming the duties assigned to the eunuchs
of Turkish Harem
In the presence of Almighty God and these
witnesses, you do solemnly promise and swear
that you will never betray any of the secrets
Of this Society, nor communicate them even
to proper candidates, except within lawful
council Of the Order; that you will never per-
nit any of the secrets Of this Society to be
written, or in any other manner be legible ex-
cept for the purpose Of official instr ction :
that you tciH not rote nor giue your influence
for any man for any ojf5cp in the gift Of the
people unless he be an .7merican born citi-
zen, IN fdcOr Of -fnericanS ruling .fmerica.
nor if you have reason to believe that he ac-
knowledges or is bound by any temporal, re-
ligious or spiritual allegiance to any foreign
prince, power, or potentate, superior or equal
to his allegiance to the laws and constitution
Of the United States and of his State; that
you will in all political matters, so far as this
Order is concerned comply with the will Of
the majority, though il conflict with your per-
sonal preference, so long as il does not conflict
with the constitutions OF the United States of
that you will not, under any circumstances
whatever, knowingly recommend an unworthy
person for initiation, nor suffer it to be done
If in your power to preven' it that you will
not, under any circumstances, expose the name
of any member of this Order, nor reveal the
existence Of such an Association that you
will answer an Imperative notice issued by the
pi oper authority; obey the command Of the
State Council President, or his Deputy,
while assembled by such notice, and respond
to the claim of a sign or ii cry of the Order,
unless it be physically impossible; and that
yon ,ciH acknowledge the State ColncH of
California as the iegislutiue head, the ruin g
authority. and the supreme II i6undl of the
Order in the State Of California, acting un-
der the jurisdiction of the National Council
of the United States of North America Bind
ing yourself in the penalty of excommunica-
ton from the Order, the forfeiture of all in
tercourse with its members, and being denouu-
ced in all the Societies Of the same as q willul
traitor to your God and your Country.
1.-THE President shall call up every person
present BY three Ho,cs Of the gauei, ,chen the
Candidates shall all repeat after the Tice
President, III cOncert:l
All this l voluntarily aud sincerely promise.
with full understanding of the solemn sane
tons and penalties.
VICE PRESIDENT You have now taken
solemn oaths, and made as sacred promises as
man can make that you will keep all our Sc
crets inyiolate; and we wish you distinctly to
understand that he that takes these oaths ,aad
makes these promises, and then violates them,
leaves the foul, the deep and blightng stain of
perjury resting on his soul.
This is the manner in which Hindoo-
Americanism ties up its members, and
yet many of them walk around amongst
freemen, with their lying and brazen-
faced heads erect, and state that they
are at liberty to vote as they please.
We suppose they are at liberty to vote
as they please; but they cannot do SO
without violating their obligation. The
organ of Know>Nothingism in Califor-
MIA, the Marysville Hrrald, thus speaks
of lose mcmb, rs who take the liberty
OF voting as they please. Speak ng of
the nrobable defeat Of the Hindoo-
American nomiDe for tax collector Of
Yuha Cpun'y,a writer in the Herald
says:
MARX THE TT aIroR what
has caused this state e things ar1 the pr.
baole defeat of MIR Adkls7u' Why traitors
Traitors to the party, to thei- obligations and