Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-10-18
Treas6a in our HGidst--Knights of the
Golden Circle.

Golden Circle.
| LFrom the Cleveland Herald, Of the sthl
The arrest of a number of men in this State
as members of the Knights of the Golden Cir
Gle; t4ill produce intense feeling and. it may
be, create undue excitement. That men who
| have hitherto been considered good citizens
who have held positions of trust, should be ar.
I rested upon one OF the gravest criminal charges
known TO the code, may well cause deep feeling
and intense excitement.
! We hasten, therefore, to acquaint the pu bic
with some Of the circumstances connected with
these arrests. We have been put in posses
sion Of certain facts known, that bear upon
the mstter, ahd wifi hafrate as mary Of them
as necessary to show that ample grounds for
these arrests exist
As long ago as June last, it came 10 the
knowledge Of the Government, that lodges of
the knights Of the GCldea Circle-or simitar
secret political organizations-wer being in
stituted throughout the State just here we
may as well mention that, during NJ. Pierces
Administration, similar organizations were es-
tabIished, having for their object the carrying
Of slavery into Kansas. When that design
failed, these societies dissolved or became dor.
mani. Those old organizations are generally
the muclee around which the present ones raj
IT,.
The emissary, duly commissioned BY the
Confederate powers, who has been traYelin4l
over Ohio this summer, recognizing these old
lodges, and establishing new ones, is known
He travelled from town to town. and record
Of his dciugs is in existence. On arriving in
town, ostensibly engaged in sale of goods,
be would inquire out the prominent Demo
Gratis, aud learn, as far as possible, the char
acter Of each. Approaching these men as a
brother democrat, and special hater Of Alb
clitionism and Black Bepublicauisni. he would.
step BY step, open his scheme, and proceed as
far with his revelation as prudence. in each
case, dictated. His prctence, upon introduc-
ing the subject, was desire to preserve the
unity Of the democracy. and make the party
efficient as against its Black Republican enc
my. Thus would a lodge be organized, with
its yarions circles. The emissary spoken of is
now Brigadier General i'll the Confederate
service. -.-. Fl
The outer circle1of tlcgreoo-Ercrely c looked
to the efficiency of the party by secret, cunfi
dental Organization; another circle 10 whch
those in the outer circle who were deemed
worthy (?) would be invited to enter. would.
perhapsi control Caucusrs, and desi sirnatc nnmi
noes And so the circles would 20 on each
inter one admitting It's mcmb-rs-as they
were found upon trial trust worthy -intJ deep
er schemes, until the innerlnost circle was
reache,l, where treason aud blood mrked Al !
the while the brethren were known may lie |
as .'ConstitutonAl Democrats in.l an oath |
was taken that such should be sriccored aud
defended against all assailants, and the penal
iy FOR the violation Of which oath was tlrat the
body should be cut into four pieces, and /
quarter hung at each gate OF the lodge +
Thus it will be seen, there may be many
members OF these lodges who are ir,11cent Of /
any treasoLabe design; for those in the outer /
circles not only are ignorant or what pertains |
to the inner circles bit are actually ignorant
Of the existence Of such circles. In one coun
ty near the Reserve, there are eleven hundred |
members Of this orecr We could enun1erate
county after county in which these lodges ex-
It iz known where the depot of arms was
and also what sdccess or want Of success has
attended the Efforts to procure arms. l. is
AlloWh WIEN lnC arms were ulStrlDutcu, ana 10 |
whom. The signs, grips aud pass words of
.hcse conspirstors are known, their place Of
neeling and place of deposit for their flag
The number who are in possession Of arms are
known, and the kind of weapons they have
The lodges were supplied with the N Y Day
Book. and it is known through what avenues
hat tfaitUrmIs sheet reaches its readers
The existence Of these organizations may
we'll starile the community, for the machina-
ions Of the order have been secret but wide
;pfe;l. These lodges endeavored TO control
JOfk of the late State Conventions and Ger
anly in one county has a lodge cndcavored to
;ontrOl the local nominations made by the
Union Convention of that county.
a'Ihe aim of this conspiracy is TO paralyzc all
var eff1r! in Ohio, resist by force the collec.
ion OF the war tax, and in every way enlbar-
Ass the present Administration, and, if possi-
Sic, gain control over the next, and when the
State is bound hand and foot, these conspira-
ors have promise of military force from the
Sonth, that shall, to use the expressive Ian
guage of the Southern emissary, "clean out
he Abolitionists.
That this scheme has not been as successful
Is its ardent friends anticipated is probably
rue. but that all danger to the State has pass
d. we do no; believe, and could make perfectly
Hear, did not the public good forbid entering
nto the details of facts within the knowledge
If the Government.