The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-03-28
LOsts.A Subscriber.
Last Saturday morning We received
through the post Office the following mis-

OrrAwA, March H. 1868
w. OsMAN, ESD settled with you Tor
Your paper to No 81, Vol. %. As l can
not patronize a paper containing such
false Statements as your last No, enclose
80 cts for the nine Nos. | have received,
and wish it discontinued. X. d. BLACK
The envelope containing the above also
enclosed a copy of our editorial of week
before last, on the q The $. B." which Mr.
Black pronounces {" false" As the main
portion of that editorial was devoted to
giving synopsis of the contents Of sup
posed " Ritual of the S. B., and we gave
our authority for what we stated, if Deacon
Black is competent to pronounce those
statements false" is must be because he
knows more about it than our authority
did. Deacon B. doubtless kno,cs whether
he does or Motive cheerfully yield the
point to his superior knowledge, and have
not another word to say on that head.
But we imagine another statement in
! that article touched Deacon 3. more close
". 1t was, that on certain bright moon
! light night, some three weeks ago, the
members of the s B. fraternity were seen
drilling in the streets of Ottawa. We
shall give exactly our basis for that state
ment, and then submit whether we have
been guilty of deliberate falsehood. A
| gentleman whose word we should as soon
take as that of Deacon B., land we will
take his word for anything,) Informed US
that on the night in question he had been
aroused, he thought at least as late Tor
rather early) as l o'clock, by an extraor-
binary tramping of feet. He got out Of
bed, went to the window, looked out, and
saw large company Of men-he thought
! from $50 to 300. come out of Stone &
Eels building, and march off in 4 body
! They did not disperse, as men going away
from meeting, but moved in a body, and
kept step. He watched them for some
distance, until, by turning corners, they
were out of sight. After quite 4 time
30 minutes to half an hour-they seemed
to re-appear at a certain point, and then,
minute or two afterwards, dispersed
| The inference was irresistible that they
had been drilliEg-at least practicing IN
marching, which is drilling. Of course
| there IS no pretence, and nobody ever said,
they had arms Indeed if the Ritual
we spoke of, (Which Deacon B. says is
false is true, the S. 3 have no arms yet,
and are to have none until the State meet
ing in July, except five arrelled reyol-
vers" These seem to be essential in GER
tain parts Of the ceremonies As Deacon
B. and many others have so energctically
and positively pronounced this statement
of our informant false, of course.t they must
k,ao,o all about it, and we are forced to
conclude that our informant was deceived
/ by appearances-we know he did not in
! tend to misrepresent
/ And now, rs our hand Is in, we " ant to
say little more on this subject The ex-
/, ceeding sensitiveness manifested by cer-
/ tain very good people who have substan.
TALLY admitted to us their connection with
the 5. B, satisfies ut that they are i'll at
ease in such connection. And we should
think with reason. There is no occaso II
or justification for secret political societies
in this country. Old Fellows Masons,
Sons of Temperance, and that class OF
secret societies, organized for purposes OF
mutual benefit, are jjustifiable only be.
cause they contine their sphere Of action
3 to their own membership, and it is noto
dy elses business what people do concern.
: ing themselves. But politics concern the
public. and are everybodys business. If
4 knot of men should meet in secret to
( talk over Deacon Black affairs, and
should sedulously conceal from him the
! nature of their cogitations, not being over
friendly to him, the suspicion would he
natural and just that they meant him no
good So when a class Of politicians band
together in secret, oath. bound organize
ton, to devise on matters relating to the
public yet sedulou-ly exclude from the
public the nature of their cogitations, the
inference is fair one that they mean the
public no good, at least the outsiders, or
those to whom they are pol .tically opposed
1t is not impairment therefore, if the
public arc curious aud prying as to their
! doings. and it is not unjust if the public
7 look upon them with suspicion and dis
! trust. There is nothing honorable or
/ manly in politics that skulks from the
/ forum.