, 1863-01-29
A SECRET. CONSPIRACY. OF
TRAITORS nv THE WE9T;@ :,
Ia 1t not TtMe: for Loyal: MEN to
wake UPS


| From the Cleveland GeT4ld-l
The knights of the Golden Circle, their MD
| ers and :sbettors, having an organization
throughout the West as well as the South. It
is M a = secret ieagne Of traitors Of the most dan
uerous: character, The object is. to aid the
Tebels, to prevent cnlistments,. resist the col
lection Of war taxes; procure assertions from
the army, md assist Ii Separating tile North
| western States from the Union. To these OBJ
'jects the members ar sworn; The ritual,
| have been revealed. It's existence is not de-
| MED in that State, and the: Democratic party
| in the Indiana Legislature have made formal
| and emphatic admission Of Its existence, and
their connection with, it., By voting down a
proposition to Investigate 1t!
a serious ease has grown out Of the secret
society at Indianapolis. John. o. Brown Of
| Shelby county, private in the Sd Indiana
cayalfy, has been tried By court martial for
| introducing the secret society among the sol
alers in camp, the object being to encourage
desertion, and destroy: the army. Brown
| pleaded "gui1tJ" TO every chaEge but one,
and that Has proved oeyona az .loae doaot, thougn
fcesed true. The penalty .ot the oftense is
death, and the Journal saJs 1t Is probable that
this is the sentence Of the court, but 1t Is not
| known yet-. The trial lasted some days, and
! created no little sensation among rebel sym.
ihe guilty Brown was no doubt the tool Of
more Influential traitors to the country. he
! pleaded IN extenuation' that be was catoled
| into the conspiracy by two prominent Demo
cratic politicians Of Indianapolis, giving their
! names when he was under the influence OF
liquor, but admitted his guilt: and. ths M ..tFea-
ciety operates in two Ways, both reachlng the
same end, however, First, those who enterit
| ara sworn to give their help to the scheme Of
scparating the Northwest from the Union
and second, they are sworn to, encourage and
ever they: have lie opportunity. One pro
cess Of spreading the order ia toe army Is
this: A soldier is at home on sick List or fur
Tough for few days. The members of the
order coax him to join it, and only reveal
| Its full character after his oath has sealed his
| mouth and tied his'Aands. Then he il told be
| must desert whenever he can, and he is en-
powered to administer the oath Of member.
ship to any other soldier. Every appeal and
argum ent that can be made TO excite him
against the Government, and dispose him TO
ed. Such; according fo,:. the Indianapolis
Journal, are the startling revelations made
public on the trial. Of Brown. OF some Of
The workings ofthe Infamous order that paper
says:
In this city It Is sknoWn that there arc mum.
ber of members in the G3d regiment, and in
some companies Of the Sd: and 5th cavalry.
The 18th battery, which came here to organ
! lie With 149 men, was 30 completely broken
up By dcsertions procured through the order
| tflat the few who we're left, about thirty,
! were transferred to another battery. And Of
these thirty all brit one d<st7fed when ordered
to The field. One man, d member Of the or
| took q couple Of stands Of arms, and nearly
| all took some portion or other Of their arms
| or accoutrements. Such operations Us these
would speedily ruin any army In the camps
here they havc been checked, and tho active
men arrested. This order thu Democrats In
the Legislature refused to allow Investigated,
By j strict party vote. Kembcmber this fact.
In closing full and clear statement Of
The Democratic movements III Indiana for a
new secession, the Journal thus warns the
friends Of the Union: T.. :.
| ming it by desertions; Democratic courts in
te1iera to protect deserters, and toreslst the
| only authority that can punish them or pre-
vent their crime; Democratic Legislature
refusing to allow an investigation ofthe mis-
ehieT9as CHI tS order; Democratic leaders justify
rio6ns facts to do IT.: Democsatic papers
constantly .;adyocating the secession Of
the Northwest from New England; aud
| every single fact named operating to support
md advance tllat secession. Do not these
facts, open, glaripg and notorious, call for ac-
lion on tho part Of the people? five nre not
to be forced out Of the Union by the tempo
rary power Of q party which already makes no
secret Of its designs, VIC must be ready to act
Friends Of the Union, you mus act, organize;
spread facts and arguments everywhere. Be
| prompt, vigilant md bold, and yoa will de-
feat these Schemes. Be supine and dlstrust-
full Of the danger, and yon WIN go out Of
the Union just as Tennesse did, and just rs
dlssstroasly, too.' ., >,