Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-05-25
The Sag NiChts.

tne evil DreeuS another We nre ,,
therefore at all astonished to find that sou. ao,
political societies are Increasing in 60 60
part Of the country. In Massachuse,,s ~
have two and perhaps three distinct sssa.'. W
tons Of that character At the Wcs, IA
Sag Nichts' arc said TO be rapidly ncro. ..c
ing. The Louisville Journal fufnisbas ~
with some information respecting his ,..s
order In that city il is SAID to nurbos ~
ready two thousand members. Our mn.
SION has been that these we're exclnsire1-
Germans, but the journal claims tina, ,bay,.
not only rule the mass of the Derunc.""ey
but are the mass OF the Democracy in III ~
principal cities and towns Of the W., ''e
"Thclr design" says our authority. a.
make this new secret organization ertonJ
throughout the Union, and embrace 6,o
whole anti-American party" In l.oplsvino
the secrecy of the Sag NIGHTS is well sns
tained. The existence of the body is ~,
confessed. The system Of discipline il 40
clared to DC rigid, stringent and minnie
Obligations taken previous to admission 40
Of unusual solemnity. They have n,ss'
words, signs and slgnals-a distinct SO, T..
each Ward. Men are divided into son,d.
Of ten, each with a commanding officer W.
s responsible for the appearance whence,
ts services are required for voting or fgb,
ing. The nominations are made public mi,
after they have been agreed upon In ,bs
lodges.
That these societies exercise a po,en, l.,
ilueacc, Is fully demonstrated by the rcsnt,.
Of several OF the recent western election,
Nothing could be more natural than tbs,,
formstlon. The idea Of secret political Ar.
ton is avery familiar one to the Cerms,
mind, and IN arranging aud perfecting ibn
details and machinery Of such bodies a.
these, foreigners hre perfectly at home.
The very first impulse Of self defence is IN
meet an antagonist, If possible, with hIs own
weapons. II has been charged constantly
and acflmoniousy upon the otholic church
is most important operations are concealed
from the pnblic eye md this, indeed. bas
been the apology most frequently and confd.
emily offered TOR the secrecy Of the Know
Nothing movement. 1t Is not probable ,ha,
recent events will tend to diminish this bro.
pensity.
We think that after all the safety Of the
country will be found in the constant tend.
oncy of such societies to divide and mul6.
ply. When The lodge door is shut, 1t docs
10; exclude personal ambition petty Jealousy.
private schemes The Disappointed and the
designing viii always be ready to swami
Having tasted the pleasure and the power
of a secret movement, there will be con.
slant temptation To Try experiments with the
new agency. 1t Will be applied to this whn,
to that opinion to the other design. But as
such secret societies increase, they will
gradually lose iher magic strength; they
will no longer have the charm OF novelty 10
attract and obligations" constantly reiter.
ated Will som cease Ia inlimidaie. Ane. IN
addition to this, politics are necessarily Of an
open, public nature. However carefully COZ.
cred may have been al previous machins-
tons, the time IS sure 10 come when the only
secrets worth Keeping can be kept no longer.
Men may be nominated IN secret. but ,bey
most be elected openly. A parry which IS
victorious, OF CASTS respectable vote. oarba
long conceal it, existence. When that's
nsccrtained, scrutiny viii commence MS work.
aided by accession, and very soon the uys,
nc party, which planned in Whispers and
plotted IN gauois, VII find itself found out,
lis distinctive character gone, and IT'S maci-
merry useless. Boston atlas.