The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-12-11
A SEcRrr LINcoLN ORGANISATIONS IN ARKAYs

A SECRET LINCOLN ORGANISATION IN Arkansas
The Little Rock State journal, of the 29th notices
the arrival at that city of 81 prisoners members of
secret Lincoln organisation, from Van Buren, county,
Arkansas They were lodged in jail for safekeeping
until tried by the civil authorities Forty others were
said to be the way and the of the whole clan
were known, also their secret signs and passwords d
vulged by young who ignorantly into the or
der The paper referring to the conspiracy says
1t appears that information of this organisation was
given to Gen. Burgevin by a citizen of Van Buren,
volunteer in the Confederate service The names of
the leaders we'll known and if those who are in hot
pursuit Of them succeed i'll overaking them it will
be well acquaint them with Of the peculiar pro-
perties of hemp.
We have been permitted to peruse the constitution
of this organisation It is called the peace and con-
stutional society" The have 700 members in Searcy,
Van Buren, and lard counties and 1900 in the whole
State. They have regular system of signs and pass
words and are furnished with supplies of money from
the northern camps The constitution makes it obga-
tary upon every member hazard his life in aid of an
other in distress and the penalty of expressing any
the secrets of the order is death Gen Burgeyin who
was mastering in regiment at Clrrolton as soo as he
heard of the conspiracy at hurried down to the
counties named, to take such steps might be
sary. At Clinton he Col Jerome B. Lewis, who as
sured him of the correctness of the report. Col Lew
is had called out guard of 100 men, and at that
time making arrests, and Gen. Burgevin being salts
fed from his well known energy OF character end fear
less nature that the matter in good hands, left tn
! control of the whole affair in his hands.
| Col Lewis reports that those already taken were
well supplied with arms ard amuniton and nfers that
those still at large equally well equipped. General
Burgevn reports further to the authortesin reference
to the disafecton of the people in that section and
gives the of several individuals engaged in TO-
mentng discomfort among them.
Those who have been taken acknowledge their guilt
plead nothing extenuating but only beg for their lives
Our authorities however fully informed upon the
whole subject and hope if necessary the extremes
measures will be resorted in order to suppress trea
son, and secure to the people immunties from cvilwa
! in their midst.
The Little Rock Gazette speaking of the above says:
"0n Thursday evening, twenty Or thirty prison
ers were brought to this place from Van Buren, com
ty and lodged in jail Some of their own leaders may
say, and probably persons besides may think tha
the organisation is political one; but from the best in
formation get it is secret party clan Will
signs words and tokens by which they recognise eac
other eagued for the purpose of robbng and murder
ing. They may, for the sake of foreign sympathy
claim to be political band-as for responsibility, al
though they had well say they are common thieves
and murderers The batch taken all in all were as al
ignorant and shabby set as could well be gotten to-
| gether."