The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-06-24
Secret Societies.

H1r We must confess that we have
had but little belief in, and have paid
little attention to, the reports of the or
ganization of Lodges of X. G. C's., or Of
any other Secret Society, for political or
anti war purposes, throughout the North.
We had no doubt that the impulses Of
the great mass of the Democratic party
st the North wore as patriotic as could
be desired, and while believing that
many Of The leaders were Enscrapulous
enough in their partezanship TO wish to
see Republican administration involved
in every possible difficulty, even to de-
feat and discontinue by rebels in arms,
we dil not believe, and do not now be-
lieve, that such feeling permeates the
mass, or would receive any deliberate
encouragement from them. We turn
with too much satisfaction, too many feel
ings of gratitude and pleasure, to the
spontaneous development of loyal enthu-
siasm and self-a5negating patriotism,
made By all parties after the fall of Sum-
ter, TO desire willfuliy, maliciously, or
unnecessarily TO larnish the brightness of
that vision of patriotic unity by bug bear
stories Of Northern treason or Northern
sympathy with treason. That men can be
found, living under and enjoying the pro.
lection of our blessed government, who
can glory in, or feel sympathy for, the eff
forts made to subvert it, is not to US plea
SAINT contemplation by any means, and
we instinctively reason against the pos
sibilily of the monstrous act.
But however unwilling to believe any
thing in opposition TO the idea of North
ern unity against treason, there are evil
dences too numerous presenting them
selves, of the sympathy of Northern
Democratic parlizans with the traitors at
the South, any longer to be ignored
We cannot forget how Congressman
VALLAND.cHAM pursued JonN BRowN
and his followers to the scatfold with
beastly vindicliyeness, while he has per-
sistently extenuated and excused and de-
Tended those-iu6nitely worse than
BRowN-now seeking the destruction
of the government. We cannot for
get that in the recent manifesto put forth
by tie VALLANDIGHAM party in Congress,
nothing was urged for the suppression OF
rebellion, and words of condemnation
were given only TO the government and
to its measures for the crushing out of
treason We cannot forget how the Ma
uoHYIrEs Of this S ate are earnest in de-
nouncin. nothing so much as the efforts
of the government for its own protection.
We cannot forget how, day after day, the
infamous Dubuque Herald belittles
loyal efforts, denounces loyal action, and
anathema,iz, IS loyal man, while it con-
tinuously defends secession motives. ex.
tolls secession acts, and magniies seces,
sion resources and secession efforts. Nor
can we forget how a Democratic Senator
of Dubuque County, over his own sigma
ture, in public journal, expressed his
desire that the South should achieve
such a measure of success in arms again st
the government, that the government
should be forced to compromise with the
traitors. Wishing. in substance, that the
traitors may succeed in numbering
enough of our fathers. sons and brothers,
10 force the government to succumb to
them, aud grant them their own terms.
But even these evidences of traitorous
sympathy failed to make us tolerate the
ilea of Societies of X. G. C's., or of
combined effort against the government.
We can hardly believe in them yet. But
facts have recently come to our knowl-
edge that make US wonder. Testimony
leaves no doubt that the MAmoNY lead
ers of this State are busy in the work of
organizing secret political societies over
The whole State MAHoSEy, JONES' and
attaches Of the Chicago Times Office,
have been lifting mysteriously around
among US, and from every county about
US comes up the report Of Secret Socie
ties Of Democratic partizans. Our own
town is not an exception on direct and
positive evidence we charge the ex
l,ence of secret political organization
il our own midst, supported ana engn'