The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-06-08
GSAG NiCHT"-ANOTHER SECRET
SOCIETY.

SOCIETY.
We find in the Mobile Advertiser, the fol-
lowing account Of the progress, purposes and
principles of the Sag Nicht," or Say Moth
ing society; a new secret political order,
which is said to be spreading through the
west and south west, and whose triumphs
are claimed rs democratic victories We con.
fess our Ignorance OF the principles of the
order, and therefore give the article for what
it is worth; remarking, that if the sketch of
the Advertiser be true and from the deserv.
edly high character Of that journal, we have
no reason to doubt it, the denuncations
against secret political organizations come
with decidedly bad grace from the "spoilsmen,"
who sustain the present administration.
The Advertiser says The Sag Nicht asso-
citation first appeared IN the State of Ohio,
where it is now very strong, and from thence
it has spread over the west and portion of
the South. So far as development have been
made, its directing, influential agencies are
leading democrats and office holders under
the present administration. We have before
us some rich excerpts from Ohio papers,
showing the method of propagating the new
society in the Buckeye State. From one Of
these il appears that Mr. G.. w. Johns, an
appontee Of Gen. Pierce, and Two prominent
democrats, Messrs. Hall and Jackson, at
tempted on the 18th of February to organize
lodge at Richand, The work accomplish
ed, the company got rather happy, especially
Mr. Johns, who became so uproarious that
the town marshal was called in, whereat his
companions fled, while he was arrested and
was obliged to give bail for his appearance
before the Mayor. He concluded to forfeit
his bail and having made good his escape, he
addressed letter detailing his experience to
the editor of the Charlottesville Journal,
(Dem.) but in his confusion he msdrected it
and it accordingly found its way to the
Bucyrus Journal, which having no sympathy
with the movement published the epistle in
full. From this letter we take the following
extracts:
H'rhe success of the administration and the
certainty of obtaining our reward depends
upon our keeping united But the idea OF
forming II Sac Nichl association in Mansfield
is all knocked in the head for the present.
y
With the certificates that had 10 my pos
session from Pierce and other leading men of
| g St,f1 aud nf tuhi..h
they had full knowledge, think it was their
duty to stop promptly forward and assist me.
viii! try and get to your place soon and
form an organization. Your county has
great reputation with the powers that be at
| Washington, and of course your name as well
as the names Of some other leaders OF your
county stand high on the list Of the PIesi-
dents favor. 1t we can push the Sag Nicht
association through, and keep strong enough
to carry the next Presidential election, you
may expect to obtain a reward fully equivalent
to the majority your county will give.
Our name takes wei. with the Dutch, but
it does not go down we'll with the Irish. But
the Irish have no help for themselves. If
am rightly informed, the Germans are strong
in Crawford, and there are but few Irish TO
conciate, so that see no difficulty in your
keeping everything right. l will give you
due notice when to expect me.
Mr. Johns, however, soon discovers his
oversight, and dispatches after his letter the
following note:
| ASHLAND, Feb 1S, 1856.
Editor Bucyrus journalism 1T is only
necessary to say that it (the letter. was mis-
directed, and will, in all probability, fall into
your hands. As the contents are strictly of
private nature, trust that if you get this
before you receive that, that you will return
il to my address, at this place, without OPEN
ingit
Ii, perchance, it should have reached you,
and you should have opened it, | will be un-
der lasting obligations to you it you will re-
enclose and return to me, for which service
Yours truly, G. w. JOHNS.
The Editor of the Bucyrus Journal deter
mined to probe the matter, and ascertain who
this G. w. Johns was, and what was his bu-
siness. So he visited Mansfield and Ashland,
and ascertained that he was, at the aforesaid
time clerk in the employ of the Admins
tration at Washington, but engaged just then
in the business of organizing Sag Nicht
Societies!
The above, which we have met with in
several journals of the West, indicates pretty
clearly the part the Administration has been
playing in the organization of the Sag NIGHTS,
but the results of the organization show, be-
yond question, its sympathy with them. At
the recent elections iu Ohio-particularly in
that ut Cincinnati, which resulted in the de.
feat OF the Know Nothings, and was loudly
rejoiced over by the Washington Union and
the anti American papers generally--the chief
opposition to the American party came from
the Sag NIGHTS, whose society is said now to
Include in its membership the greater part Of
the voters in that State not connected or
sympathizing with the Know Nothings.-
ihey claim to number | Is lodges, and have n
complete system of masonic signs and pass
words. They comprise large majority Of
Freesoi Democrats, who refuse to associate
or act with the American party, because the
latter are national, while they are sectional.
These Sag NIGHTS recently held convention
in Columbus, for the purpose OF nominating
candidates for the State election in October,
when they discarded Governor Medill and
other prominent democrats, and nominated The
notorious aboluionist Salmon Il. Chase, late
United States Senator, as Governor
The Cleveland Express, from which paper
the information respecting the Convention is
derived, AYERS that this movement, in throw.
ing overheard part Of the ticket nominated
by the Democratic Convention last January,