Butte record., 1855-09-22
The Infamous Obligation Of the Seesnd
Degree.

ObiiSotSS thOSC WnO tuAO ~ W WV W.
members of the order in preference to
all other persons-thas binding them
with second obligation, to vote for their
nominees no matter what manner of
men they be. There are some members
of the order who have the hardihood to
deny that the little specimen of yellow
covered literature which we now have
before US, is the genuine Ritual of the
party. Rut this cl .ss, ii is to be hoped,
are not veIy numerous, for the "iatle
joker" bears evidence Of genuiness upon
It's face, and is backed by proof positive
IN the result of the late election. Men
who have any regard for truth, if, in
deed, there are any such in the institu.
ton, will not deny its truth. Here is
the second obligation which permits
Amer leans to vote for whom they please.
We a k the public to leld it, and they
will DO longer wonder that one of the
nominees in this county, notwithstanding
he had left tor Texas, ran about even
with his ticket
President. Brothers You will place
your left hand upon your right breast, and
extend your right hand towards the flag of
your country, preparatory to Obligation
I Each Council Room should have a neat
american tag festooned ouer the platform
of the President
OBLIG ALTON.
You, and each of you, of your own free
will and accord, in the presence Of Almighty
God and these witnesses, your left hand rest
ing upon your right breast, and your right
hand extended to the flag of your country, do
soaemnly and sincerely promise and swear
that You will not, under any circumstances,
disclose in any manner. nor suffer it TO be
done by others, if in your power TO prevent it,
the name, signs, passwords, or other secrets
of this degree, except in open Council, for the
purpose Of instruction; that you will, in all
things, conform to all the rules and regula-
tiCns of this Order, and to the constitution
| and and By laws of this or any other Council
to which You may be attached, so long as they
do not conflict with the constitution of the u
s., nor that of the State in which you reside !;
hat you will, under all circumstances, if in
vorr power SO to do, attend to all regular
sign, or summons that may be thrown or sent
TO you by brother of this or any other de-
gree of this order that you ,riH support in
all political matters, for oil political offices,
members of tn IS order, in preference to other
persons that, tit may be done legally, you
will. when elected or appointed to any official
station comforting or you the power to do so,
remove all foreigners, aliens, and persons
holding religious or temporal allegiance to
foreign powers or princes, from ofhce or place,
and that you will, in no case, appoint such to
any Office or place in your git lou do also
promise and swear, that this ana all other oD-
legations which you have previously taken In
this order shall ever be kept Trough life, sa-
cred and inviolate. All this you promise and
declare, as Americans. to sustain and abide
by, without any hesitation or mental r. serva-
ton whatever So help you God, and keep
you steadfast.
Each will answer, 81 do"
If persons who have taken this obliga-
tt, IN, are at liberty to vote for whom they
plea Sc, then we do not understand the
Englis.h language, nor the nature of OBJ
legations. Why the free people of Ame-
rica, in free California, should take up
on themselves such obligations, is mys-
terry which We ca unot solve, unless, in
deed, they prefer slavery to freedom.
1t has long been a study with politicians
of the more corrupt class, how they
might institute party. w'oich could be
controlled and managed BY few de-
signing and ambitious men, AMI the re-
suit of their cogitatlons is the h now
Nothing or American party, and in ''hl'
State, We suppose, has satisfied tie raw
enous maws of a few.
We have at various times, during the
late canvass, taken occasion to advise
such Democrats as wished to remain with
the party, to reject the so>called
Americanism of the day. They are the
subtlest enemy with which the democra-
cy has to contend. "Springing into ex-
iSttuSc dt Tue uOuleUt WneQ lUe wing
party was evidently in the last stage of
dissolution-and when the democratic
party from obvious causes became dis
tracted and divided-it sought its re-
cruits from both and with a cry of ''na>
tionality" went forth to seduce those
who had either become dissatisfied with.
or had lost their faith in, the efficiency
of old party organizations But it did
not seek recruits only from national
men it had another cry for the oigoted
and intolerant--a shrek of alarm for
the timid-and screech of promised
victory for spoilsmen and ofice-seekers.
There was "nationality" for Democrats,
"anii-popery" for the intolerant, "down
with the foreigners for the illiberal, and
"secret'' organization FIR political
towards. National men ought to have
been alarmed, simply by seeing into
what company they were being drawn
for they could not affiliate with the other
aspects of Know -Nothingism, without
~urrendering portion Of their princi-
pies, and receiving in exchange therefor,