Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-08-09
SATURDAY, AUGUsr o, 1909.



the astounding disclosures made before the
grand jury of the federal district court IN In
diana, in regard to the 'knights OF the Gold
en- Circle" This traitorous organization is a
part of the rebel conspiracy. 1t originated in
the extreme south among the slavery extrem-
lists and flibusters. Through the influence of
JEFF. Davis and his associates it was spread
among army officers and northern pro-slavery
politicians, until he believed the secessionsts
were able to revolutionize:the government and
control the whole country, by means of this
organization, aided by the partisan feelings of
northern democrats. The leading conSpira-
tors did not so much mean to divide the Union
permanently, as to suppress the government
and establish a slave despotism in its place;
but they were mistaken in regard to most of
the democrats in the northern states, who
were not as ready to reinforce treason as jeff.
Davis supposed.
AT the beginning of the secession outbreak,
there was a very active band of "Knghts of
the Golden Circle" in New York city. The
New York Herald was at their service, and
government in favor of JEFF. Davis and his
montgomery constitution" Their leader
was Gustavus w. Smith, a West Pointer, at
that time superintendent of streets under Fer
nando Wood and now a general holding a
high command in the rebel army. He was
aided by city politicians of the MOZART
school, and he sought to perfect a secret mill
tary organization to control the city, prevent
Union demonstrations, keep Union troops
from going that way to Washington, and de-
clare for jeff. Davis as soon as the rebels
should capture Washington. Smiths plot in
New York did not succeed. The uprising of
the city against treason was so overwhelming
that the conspirators did not venture to
emerge from their subterranean haunts; a
popular demonstration compelled the Herald
to change its tone; and Smith went south to
join the rebels, taking with him, among others,
some of the writer's of the Herald office, one
of whom, an acquaintance of ours, was COM
missioned by JEFF. Davis as a lieutenant.
Since that time the rebel leaders have
sought industriously to invigOrate the ''Gold-
and they have had some success. One of
their emissaries was arrested in Michigan,
and is now held in one of the forts as a state
prisoner. Documents seized with him dis
closed his business and furnished materials
for a toleraby accurate history OF his opera
tons. They implicated in the conspiracy
several prominent men in the northern states,
and ex-presdent Pierces name was referred
to in such way as led him to write to the
secretary of state on the subject. This ar
rest did not draw such general attention to
the matter as its importance deserved; nor
did it check very much the proceedings of
other emissaries of the order The grand
jury at indianapolis has discovered that the
organization in Indian now numbers $1,000
men, and that it is actively at work to aid the
rebels in their attempts to destroy the Union.
Indictments have been found against sixty of
these ''Kmghts," and we trust that the order
will be swiftly exterminated in that state.
But these traitorous conspirators are at
work in other states,-in Iowa, Illinois, Ohio,
and throughout the northwest and there are
unmstakable signs of their presence in New
York. Connecticut, and to some extend in 9TH
er eastern states. Wherever found they
should be dealt with in the most rigorous
manner as traitors. 1t would be interesting to
know whether any of our old army officers
still retain connection with the order jeff
Davis, we believe, is still its grand master,
and of course directs its movements. The
rebel prisoners in Indiana were found to be
''Knights of the Golden Circle, but they re-
fused to testify in regard to the organization,
lest by doing so they should ''injure the south
ern confederacy and its northern friends" 1t
is a conspiracy that demands attention, and
when it is thoroughly crushed the country
will be rescued from most of that baleful in
fuence at the north that has done so much to
prevent vigorous prosecution of the war.