Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-05-20
y Disloyal Secret Organization
in Iowa.
Ii II Exposed by \ Catholic BishOp-A
DYING S0ldter's Atat~ment.


anal Vesper services Ct the Cathedral, |
bishop Smyth addressed his copyreg CATION |
q the subject OF secret societies. He al /
uded. in the FIRST place, to secret societies |
q general. and the disfavOr with which |
he Catholic Church has always regarded |
hem. He then, in earnest, pointed, and |
,nmistakable terms, mentioned secret |
organization in this city during the past
eW weeks. and into which several mem
,ers of his Church had been initiated. and
which. he very much feared, had no good
Intentions toaoards the Government OF the
United States 1t was led, be said, by
. lou political hack" who, he has been
by these whose words be did
not doubt, had been Know Nothing
elsewhere. He warned the members OF
his Church not to join that society. de
called to their memories similar associa-
tions, which were once organized IN Ire
land, in opposition to the English Govern
ment. the members of which had been
betrayed by the conspirators, who had
been bribed, into the hands of the British
Government, to be tried for high treason.
What evidence had they that these men
who were building up this society in Du-
buque were any better than the leaders OF
similar societies in Ireland Z The rules OF
the Church did not allow any OF Its mem
bers to belong to societies OF the Kind,
and if they Joined them, the moment they
did so they were ipso tacto out of the pale
of the Church. He would give those
members { t the Church who had joined
the organization two weeks to leave 1t,
and then, ii they still continued in it, they
might consider themselves excommuni-
cafcd. The Bishop then concluded with
a most eloquent appeal to his hearers to
sustain The Government under which t.ey
lived, to obey its laws, cherish proper
respect tor its rulers, and not be led into
any schemes which tended to lessen their
love for their adopted country and It's
constitutional authorities, which might be
gotten up by politicians.
The copperheads who were engaged IN
organizing the society supposed that they
bad things in very fine way. They were
receiving arms and making arrangements
for bold exhibition of loyalty-to the
Southern Confederaoy one OF these days,
when the draft should be ordered. Every
thing was kept very quiet, and scarcely
anybody knew anything about 1t until
Sabbath afternoon, when Bishop Smyth
remarks fell upon the ears of the conspira-
tors like thunder bolt. Some of the men
concerned in it were present, and after
wards as much as admitted that they be-
lobeed to it. The effect will be very BEN
eficial. 1t will open the eyes of large
numbers of deluded ones, who got the
idea that because several dsloyal persons
were members OF the Catholic Church, the
Church Itself was really in favor OF their
movements, and thus they were led into
disloyal operations themselves
Certain men woke up yesterday morn.
ing, and found "their occupation gone"
From the Dubuque Times, May z.
DUBUQUE the Ioaoa Headquarters Of the Knights
of the Golden Circte-Mahoney and Hutchins
attempt to Organise Lodges among Ioaod Sol
diers-C Confession Of a Dying K. g. c.
The Oskaloosa Herald publishes state
ment made by dying soldier, which fully
confirms the suspicious long entertained
by many persons in this city that the
Knights of the Golden Circle have their
State headquarters in Dubuque, and that
the editors OF the Herald are among the
most active of its mem bers. Ii appears
that, several weeks ago, member OF the
SD Iowa regiment died In one OF the hos
pitfalls at ST. Louis. A little willis previ-
GUS to his death, he said to comrade who
had been with him for some time, that he
wished to make disclosure of secrets in
his possession-that he was dying with
two opposite oaths on his conscience; that
when he joined tire army he had sworn to
bear true allegiance to the Government Of
the United States, and that he had taken
another cath in direct conflict with this.
The dying man went on to state that he
was member of the Knights of the
Coded Circle, and had volunteered for
the express purpose of organizing lodges
of that order among the soldiers. He
then gave his cornrade from whom we
get these particularly the hailing sign,
grips, and passwords of the order, includ-
ing the signs to be used in battle, or when
soldier desired to desert to the enemy.
He also stated that the headquarters OF
that organization in this STATE were at
Dubuque, end that his authority and in
structions came from there.
After the death OF this man, bis comrade,
wishing TO test the truth of some things he
had divulged, wrote to Dubuque intimating
that he would not be unwilling himself TO
continue the business of organizing lodges.
1t seems that Mr. MahoHey was then alb
sent, and the letter was answered by Mr.
Hutchins. as
The soldier was readily taken into the
confidence of Mr. Hutchins, who wrote to
him that. as soon as Mr.. Mahcney re-
turned, he would send him all needtul in
structlons for organizing lodges among the
soldiers, assuring him that was the best
place to work. Mr.. Hutchins also wrote
that the Democrats were determined to
have control of affairs In this State, that
they would carry the election this fall,
"peaceably if they could, but forcioly II
they must And farther, that either Ma
honey or Dean would be their candidate
for Governor, whichever appeared to be
the most available"
The editor of the Oskaloosa Herald
says that he gets these statements from a
man that he has known for years, and
considers entirely Trustworthy and truth
fol. The Herald adds:
They furnish additional evidence OF
what many have believed to be true, to
wit: that there is reasonable organiza-
ton in this State, which is doing ali il
can to corrupt aud demoralize the army,
and to plunge the ate into anarchy aud
strife, which will, at the least, prevent ii
from giving the General Government any
further aid in suppressing the rebellion
In view OF these facts and the open ex
pressions OF contempt for the United States
Government and sympathy with the reb.
els that are beard every day, loyal people