The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-10-14
Knights Of the Golden Circle,

During several Of the past years, mysterious
illusions have frequently been made in the pa
pers to the existence Of an extensively organized
secret society in the Southern States, called the
knights Of the Golden Circle. But few at the
North, probably, have ever had any adequate
conception Of the magnitude and real objects Of
that dangerous combination. As regards its
extent, there can now be but little doubt
that it has been made to embrace in it's internal
jolds, nearly Tie whole body, through the entire
South, Of inscriptions politicians office hunt
ars, Office holders, slavery propagundists Of all
kinds, with all the most active and desperate
characters Of lowoy degree, who, it was lorseen,
would bs needed in carrying out the nefurous
purposes ot the ordsr-all bound tkether with
fearful oaths to promote those fs> SEES, and e1-
ecute the orders Of the Superior &lcils. And
% to its objects, there be as ttlGdoubt, that its
great and sole purpose was the extension Of the
area OF Slavery, the strengthening of the Slave
power, and finally, as soon as the way could be
paved for 1t, the dissolution Of the Union The
projected invasion Of Cuba, the Walker fbus
teElng expedition in Central America, and the
desperate attempt to carry Slavery into Kansas
py hre and sword, came forth successfully as the
Legitimate offspring Of the Order. And when az
Che year 1861 approached, and the plot had 50
rlpened Us, in the opinions Of the Grand Coun-
Gil, to warrant taking the great final step in the
"ccurSed drama, the whole society, in all its ex-
tens ed Tamifcatioap, was unoucrtionoh]v called
INTO acAon to start, and by every possible means
to extend the present Rebellion The existence
Of such wide spread sworn secret combination
can alone account for many Of the evcnts and
circumstances occurring III the progress of the
rebellion, which have appeared SO lnscrutable TO
Tile people OF the NORTH, such as the mysterious
manoeF In which, IN spite Of the previous pop
ular majoTities to the contrary, North Carolina,
Virginia, and Tennessee were entrapped into
secession, and Mary land Missouri and Kentucky
came SO near being made to follow. And it
best accounts also for the strange manner in
which all information respecting the movements
OF our armies, and the plans for such movements
were transmitted to the enemy; for none but
"'iO CSi ttIl ilON members OF that
society there may be among the clerks and 9TH
or employees Of cur government at Washington,
"no SSso fQw many there may be, indeed among
A0'' soldiers officers or attendants of our own
army
1t has been pretty we'll ascertained, that seq
eral branches of the Order have been establish
cd in the free States-one in Connecticut, one
perhaps in New Jersey, and one very likely 10
Maine while one in Ohio las lately been bro
ken up, its records, &C., seized, and through
the agency of one who purposely joined them,
it's whole secrets disclosed. This disclosing mem
Der, among other enormties was made to swear
under penalty Of being drawn in quarters, that
he would not rest Or sleep until Abraham Lin
coin, the president, should be removed, and that
he would wade in blood at the work as soon as
JEFF Davis gave the order to attack Washington.
Was there ever, in any country, such an
atrccious conspiracy for Matching treason and