Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-07-31
Post Office.
The Knights Of the Golden Circle.


Among the other agencies which have been
employed to precipitate the insurrectonarv
movement and to persuade the people of the
South 10 make furcible resistance to the an-
;hOrty Of the Federal Government the order
Of the Knights of the Golden Circle has
doubtless exercised considerable influence.
Many believe that lodge, or. technically
speaking, a " castle" Of the order was estab-
Ished ia this state, and that some Of our most
active Sympathizers with the secession cause
we're connected with it. Certain il is that it
has many members in the Southern States,
and that the veil Of secrecy which enshrouds
its proceedings is an admirable cloak to the
plans Of the c0nspiratorS who use its orgaui-
zation to assist them in periecting their plans
for the destruction of the Union.
The Louisville Journal has recently obtain
I'd fall copies of its ritual and the accom- pany-
ug keys which explain the cyphers it con
,ainS and tie pass words and sigGs which are
Ased. The prutcssed objects Of the Order are
to " "S1utHeruize" Mexico by conQuering it
and establishing perpetual slavery within its
borders; ald also to assist any Southern State
70 resist what Is termed "NOrthcrn Invasion" :"
rs well rs tp war upon all Aholitonists," :"
or non shareholders Of Northern birth in the
Southern States, who are not enthusiastic
supporters of the peculiar institution
The Mexican part Of the programme IS
based on the idea that Il treaty was made on
lte llth Of February, 1860, with Manual
D"hiado, Governor ul Guauaiuato by which
the X. q. c. undertook to furnish him with
10000 men, armed, equipped, and provided
with all the necessary supplies 10 take the
Held under his command. while he is 10 furn
ish an equal number of mcu to be ulfcered by
men connected with the X. c. C's The ex-
..f III ,,lt
large bonus OF land, rs well a. a m0rtgagcd
right to collect one half the annual revenues
of Guana udto. until the sum Of SS 10, 600 is
Obtained.
The pay of the army is to be the same as
shat Of the regular army of Mexico. which is
said to be about one eighth more than that
of the United States. Members are priyilcg
ed either to accompany this tilibustering ar
my on it, march over the Rio Grande, which
II no unexpected delay occurs, is to take
lac. in October next. or to remain at home
to assist in obtaining recruits, raising money
and munitions, and in other WAYS facilitating
-hc accomplishment If the objects Of the
Circle 1t is a part Of their VOW to do all in
tnelr power to assist in the expulsion Of the
Tree negroes from the Southern States, and
TO compel them to dac to Mexico, and also
t. cndeavor to conquer the wl.o5e or rs much
as possible Of the latter country, and form it
into slave States. The poems are II bc per
pttualIy cn>.avcd aud divided among the X
a. C'>.
It is proposed for the present t. establish
limited monarchy in the district which they
conquer, and the successor Of the present
head Of the Order, Cen. Buckley, must
swear To carry out this policy and to ex
tend slavery ever the whole Of Central Amer
l.a, !. ia his power as we'll as t. try to &c
,a're Cuba and control the Gulf Of Mexico.
80 lar as the affairs Ci our own country
arc concerned they aye told that it Is their
aujy To offer their " services tu any Southern
State to reprl a Northern array. and from
present appearances they will have sufficient
tmnI,ymcnt here for some time to come
They must promise to use their best excrtious
T. ascertain who are Abolitionist8" in the
counties in which they reside, and t. report
their names 10 the head Of the Order, as well
"s to keep close watch upon all their pro
"eedingS and they agree in case Of insur.
Ieruon or INVASION, to muster the largest
i'fce they can, and go to the scene Of dan
ger,
There arc three degrees in the order Those
belonging to the first, which is Of a military
character, are styled Knights Of the Iron
Hand. The second is Of financial charac
ter, and its members are called Knights of
the True Faith The third is Of a political
character, and its members are called knights
81 the Columbian Star. To become a mem
Der Of the Third Degree, the candidate must
Ae familiar with he work Of the two former
degrees, "he born in a slave state, or if not,
Shareholder and a Protestant" As some of
our readers may he curious in regard to their
slSns, &c, We give them as furnished by the
Journal, the figures used being those found
IN the ritual, and the words in parenthesis
The explanations furnished by the key:
FIRST DEGREE.
Captain. | will now give you the signs.
grips, password and token of the First De-
gree Of the h. G. g 3Gf course a misprint
tor X. G. G. This degree has name which
| may now give you-it is the " y Knight
Of the Iron Hand). The first great sign Of
the Order is thus made, Hands open, palms
touching, and resting oH the top Of the head;
fingers pointing upwards) The answer to
this is 8 (open hands touching shoulder where
epaulets are worn elbows close TO the side.)
These are battle field signs. and are not TO be
used under ordinary circumstances. The
common sign Of recognition is 9 fright fore
hnger drawn across upper lip under rose, as
II rubbing), The answer 10, with fore fn-
ger ard thumb of left hand take hold of left
earl. To gain admission to Working Gas
ue' or the room of any X. G. G., give ] ! Zone
QistInct rap at the door. The sentinel on
duty will then raise the wicket, and demand
The eountersign, which is II SOLDIERS, al /
ways iettered except at Castle door. You
Will then pass the centre of the room and give
me true sign of the K. G. c.; it is IS (left
hand on heart; right hand raised). This will
Oe recognized by bow from the captain,
%hen you will at once take your seat. The
Slgn Of assent is IA (both hands up); of dis
sent sent 10, lone hand up4; the grip is sixteen
}PFesS with thumb one inch above second